As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:

"Administrator" means the State Treasurer or his designee.

"Apparent owner" means the person whose name appears on the records of the holder as the person entitled to property held, issued, or owing by the holder.

"Banking organization" means any bank, trust company, savings bank (industrial bank, land bank, safe deposit company), or a private banker, or any other organization defined by law as a bank or banking organization.

"Business association" means any corporation, joint-stock company, investment company, business trust, partnership, limited liability company, cooperative, or association for business purposes of two or more individuals whether or not for profit, including a banking organization, financial organization, insurance company, or utility.

"Credit balance" means an item of intangible property resulting from or attributable to the sale of goods or services, which includes, by way of illustration, an overpayment, credit memo, refund, discount, rebate, unidentified remittance, or deposit.

"Domicile" means (i) the state of incorporation, in the case of a corporation incorporated under the laws of a state, (ii) the state of organization, in the case of an unincorporated business association formed under the laws of a state, (iii) the state of the principal place of business, in the case of a nonnatural person not incorporated or formed under the laws of a state, and (iv) the state of principal residency, in the case of a natural person.

"Due diligence" shall include, but not be limited to, the mailing of a letter by first-class mail to the last known address of the owner as indicated on the records of the holder.

"Financial organization" means any savings and loan association (cooperative bank), building and loan association, or credit union.

"Gift certificate" means a certificate, electronic card or other medium that evidences the giving of consideration in exchange for the right to redeem the certificate, electronic card or other medium for goods, food, services, credit or money of an equal value.

"Holder" means a person, wherever organized or domiciled, who is (i) in possession of property belonging to another, (ii) a trustee in case of a trust, or (iii) indebted to another on an obligation.

"Insurance company" means an association, corporation, fraternal or mutual benefit organization, whether or not for profit, which is engaged in providing insurance coverage, including, by way of illustration, accident, burial, casualty, credit life, contract performance, dental, fidelity, fire, health, hospitalization, illness, life (including endowments and annuities), malpractice, marine, mortgage, surety, and wage protection insurance.

"Intangible property" includes, by way of illustration, (i) moneys, checks, drafts, deposits, interest, dividend income; (ii) credits, customer overpayments, gift certificates, security deposits, refunds, unpaid wages, and unidentified remittances; (iii) stocks and other intangible ownership interests in business associations; (iv) moneys deposited to redeem stocks, bonds, coupons, and other securities, or to make distributions; (v) amounts due and payable under the terms of insurance policies; and (vi) amounts distributable from a trust or custodial fund established under a plan to provide any health, welfare, pension, vacation, severance, retirement, death, stock purchase, profit sharing, employee savings, supplemental unemployment insurance or similar benefit.

"Last known address" means a description of the location of the apparent owner sufficient to identify the state of residence of the apparent owner for the purpose of the delivery of mail.

"Owner" means a depositor in the case of a deposit, a beneficiary in case of a trust, other than a deposit in trust, a creditor, claimant, or payee in the case of other intangible property, or a person having a legal or equitable interest in property subject to this chapter or his legal representative.

"Payable" means the earliest date upon which the owner of property could become entitled to the payments, possession, delivery, or distribution of such property from a holder.

"Person" means an individual, business association, government or governmental subdivision or agency, public corporation, public authority, estate, trust, two or more persons having a joint or common interest, or any other legal or commercial entity.

"Promotional incentive" means a coupon, rebate or other promotional device offered to induce a consumer to purchase goods, food or services and for which (i) no direct consideration is given by the consumer or (ii) the consideration given is less than the value of the goods, food or services to be received.

"State," when applied to a part of the United States, includes any state, district, commonwealth, territory, insular possession, and any other area subject to the legislative authority of the United States.

"Unclaimed property" means property for which the owner, as shown by the records of the holder of his property, has ceased, failed or neglected, within the times provided in this chapter, to make presentment and demand for payment and satisfaction or to do any other act in relation to or concerning such property. This definition shall be construed as excluding any act of a holder of unclaimed property not done at the express request or authorization of the owner.

"Utility" means a person who owns or operates, for public use, any plant, equipment, property, franchise, or license for the transmission of communications or the production, storage, transmission, sale, delivery, or furnishing of electricity, water, steam, or gas.

1960, c. 330; 1981, c. 47; 1982, c. 331; 1983, c. 190; 1984, c. 121; 1988, c. 378; 2000, cc. 733, 745.