(A) The director shall pay to the owner or other person who has established the right to payment under this section, funds from the unclaimed funds trust fund in an amount equal to the amount of property delivered or reported to the director, or equal to the net proceeds if the securities or other property have been sold, together with interest earned by the state if required to be paid under division (D) of this section. Any person claiming a property interest in unclaimed funds delivered or reported to the state under Chapter 169. of the Revised Code, including the office of child support in the department of job and family services, pursuant to section 3123.88 of the Revised Code, may file a claim thereto on the form prescribed by the director of commerce.

(B) The director shall consider matters relevant to any claim filed under division (A) of this section and shall hold a formal hearing if requested or considered necessary and receive evidence concerning such claim. A finding and decision in writing on each claim filed shall be prepared, stating the substance of any evidence received or heard and the reasons for allowance or disallowance of the claim. The evidence and decision shall be a public record. No statute of limitations shall bar the allowance of a claim.

(C) For the purpose of conducting any hearing, the director may require the attendance of such witnesses and the production of such books, records, and papers as the director desires, and the director may take the depositions of witnesses residing within or without this state in the same manner as is prescribed by law for the taking of depositions in civil actions in the court of common pleas, and for that purpose the director may issue a subpoena for any witness or a subpoena duces tecum to compel the production of any books, records, or papers, directed to the sheriff of the county where such witness resides or is found, which shall be served and returned. The fees of the sheriff shall be the same as that allowed in the court of common pleas in criminal cases. Witnesses shall be paid the fees and mileage provided for under section 119.094 of the Revised Code. Fees and mileage shall be paid from the unclaimed funds trust fund.

(D) Interest earned by the state shall be payable to claimants of unclaimed funds held by the state in accordance with final court orders derived from the Sogg v. Zurz, 121 Ohio St.3d 449 (2009), line of cases and final settlement agreement determining payment of interest on unclaimed funds. For properties received by the state on or before July 26, 1991, interest shall be paid at a rate of six per cent per annum from the date the state received the property up to and including July 26, 1991. No interest shall be payable on any properties for the period from July 27, 1991, up to and including August 2, 2000. For properties held by the state on August 3, 2000, or after, interest shall be paid at the applicable required rate per annum for the period held from August 3, 2000, or the date of receipt, whichever is later, up to and including the date the claim is paid.

(E) Claims shall be paid from the trust fund. If the amount available in the trust fund is not sufficient to pay pending claims, or other amounts disbursable from the trust fund, the treasurer of state shall certify such fact to the director, who shall then withdraw such amount of funds from the mortgage accounts as the director determines necessary to reestablish the trust fund to a level required to pay anticipated claims but not more than ten per cent of the net unclaimed funds reported to date.

The director may withdraw the funds paid to the director by the holders and deposited by the director with the treasurer of state or in a financial institution as agent for such funds. Whenever these funds are inadequate to meet the requirements for the trust fund, the director shall provide for a withdrawal of funds, within a reasonable time, in such amount as is necessary to meet the requirements, from financial institutions in which such funds were retained or placed by a holder and from other holders who have retained funds, in an equitable manner as prescribed by the director. In the event that the amount to be withdrawn from any one such holder is less than five hundred dollars, the amount to be withdrawn shall be at the discretion of the director. Such funds may be reimbursed in the amounts withdrawn when the trust fund has a surplus over the amount required to pay anticipated claims. Whenever the trust fund has a surplus over the amount required to pay anticipated claims, the director may transfer such surplus to the mortgage accounts.

(F) If a claim which is allowed under this section relates to funds which have been retained by the reporting holder, and if the funds, on deposit with the treasurer of state pursuant to this chapter, are insufficient to pay claims, the director may notify such holder in writing of the payment of the claim and such holder shall immediately reimburse the state in the amount of such claim. The reimbursement shall be credited to the unclaimed funds trust fund.

(G) Any person, including the office of child support, adversely affected by a decision of the director may appeal such decision in the manner provided in Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

In the event the claimant prevails, the claimant shall be reimbursed for reasonable attorney's fees and costs.

(H) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this chapter, any holder who has paid moneys to or entered into an agreement with the director pursuant to section 169.05 of the Revised Code on certified checks, cashiers' checks, bills of exchange, letters of credit, drafts, money orders, or travelers' checks, may make payment to any person entitled thereto, including the office of child support, and upon surrender of the document, except in the case of travelers' checks, and proof of such payment, the director shall reimburse the holder for such payment without interest.

Amended by 130th General Assembly File No. 25, HB 59, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2013.

Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.9, HB 1, §101.01, eff. 10/16/2009.

Effective Date: 03-22-2001; 2008 HB525 07-01-2009