(1) All money or other property which has remained in, or has been deposited in the custody of, or under the control of, any court of the United States, in and for any district within this state, or which has been deposited with and is in the custody of any depository, registry, clerk or other officer of such court, or the United States treasury, which money or other property the rightful owner or owners thereof, either:

(a) Has been unknown for a period of 5 or more consecutive years; or,

(b) Has died, without having disposed thereof, and without having left heirs, next of kin or distributees, or

(c) Has made no demand for such money or other property for 5 years;

are declared to have escheated, or to escheat, together with all interest accrued thereon, and to have become the property of the state.

(2) After June 16, 1947, all money or other property which has remained in, or has been deposited in the custody of, or under the control of, any court of the United States, in and for any district within this state, for a period of 4 years, the rightful owner or owners of which, either:

(a) Shall have been unknown for a period of 4 years; or,

(b) Shall have died without having disposed thereof, and without having left or without leaving heirs, next of kin or distributees; or,

(c) Shall have failed within 4 years to demand the payment or delivery of such funds or other property;

is hereby declared to have escheated, or to escheat, together with all interest accrued thereon, and to have become the property of the state.

(3) All money or other property which has remained in, or has been deposited in the custody of, or under the control of any officer, department or agency of the United States for 5 or more consecutive years, which money or other property had its situs or source in this state, except as hereinafter provided in subsection (4), the sender of which is unknown, or who sent the money or other property for an unknown purpose, or money which is credited as “unknown,” and which said governmental agency is unable to credit to any particular account, or the sender of which has been unknown for a period of 5 or more consecutive years; or when known, has died without having disposed thereof, and without leaving heirs, next of kin or distributees, or for any reason is unclaimed from such governmental agency.

(4) In the event any money is due to any resident of this state as a refund, rebate or tax rebate from the United States Commissioner of Internal Revenue, the United States Treasurer, or other governmental agency or department, which said resident will, or is likely to have her or his rights to apply for and secure such refund or rebate barred by any statute of limitations or, in any event, has failed for a period of 1 year after said resident could have filed a claim for said refund or rebate, the Department of Financial Services is appointed agent of such resident to demand, file and apply for said refund or rebate, and is appointed to do any act which a natural person could do to recover such money, and it is hereby declared that when the department files such application or any other proceeding to secure such refund or rebate, its agency is coupled with an interest in the money sought and money recovered.

(5) It is the purpose of this chapter to include all funds or other property in the possession of the government of the United States, and of its departments, officers, and agencies, which property has its situs in this state or belonged to a resident thereof, and not to limit the application of this chapter by the naming of any particular agency. This chapter shall include all funds held in the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Comptroller of Currency, United States Treasury, Department of Internal Revenue, federal courts, registry of federal courts, and such evidences of indebtedness as adjusted service bonds, old matured debts issued prior to 1917, unclaimed and interest thereon, postal savings bonds, liberty bonds, victory notes, treasury bonds, treasury notes, certificates of indebtedness, treasury bills, treasurer’s savings certificates, bonuses and adjusted compensation, allotments, and all unclaimed refunds or rebates of whatever kind or nature, which are subjects of escheat, under the terms of this chapter. Provided, however, that nothing in this chapter shall be construed to mean that any refunds due ratepayers under order of any court of the United States shall become the property of the state.

History.—s. 2, ch. 24333, 1947; s. 11, ch. 25035, 1949; ss. 12, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 1, ch. 70-405; s. 36, ch. 93-268; s. 847, ch. 97-102; s. 1881, ch. 2003-261.