§ 15-210 — Indication of apparent owner interest in property

(a) The period after which property is presumed abandoned is measured from the later of: (1) the date the property is presumed abandoned under this Article; or (2) the latest indication of interest by the apparent owner in the property. (b) Under this Act, an indication of an apparent owner's interest in property includes: (1) a record communicated by the apparent owner to the holder or agent of the holder concerning the property or the account in which the property is held; (2) an oral communication by the apparent owner to the holder or agent of the holder concerning the property or the account in which the property is held, if the holder or its agent contemporaneously makes and preserves a record of the fact of the apparent owner's communication; (3) presentment of a check or other instrument of payment of a dividend, interest payment, or other distribution with respect to an account, underlying security, or interest in a business association; (4) activity directed by an apparent owner in the account in which the property is held, including accessing the account or information concerning the account, or a direction by the apparent owner to increase, decrease, or otherwise change the amount or type of property held in the account; (5) a deposit into or withdrawal from an account at a financial organization, except for a recurring Automated Clearing House (ACH) debit or credit previously authorized by the apparent owner or an automatic reinvestment of dividends or interest; and (6) subject to subsection (e), payment of a premium on an insurance policy. (c) An action by an agent or other representative of an apparent owner, other than the holder acting as the apparent owner's agent, is presumed to be an action on behalf of the apparent owner. (d) A communication with an apparent owner by a person other than the holder or the holder's representative is not an indication of interest in the property by the apparent owner unless a record of the communication evidences the apparent owner's knowledge of a right to the property. (e) If the insured dies or the insured or beneficiary of an insurance policy otherwise becomes entitled to the proceeds before depletion of the cash surrender value of the policy by operation of an automatic-premium-loan provision or other nonforfeiture provision contained in the policy, the operation does not prevent the policy from maturing or terminating. (f) If the apparent owner has another property with the holder to which Section 201(6) applies, then activity directed by an apparent owner in any other accounts, including loan accounts, at a financial organization holding an inactive account of the apparent owner shall be an indication of interest in all such accounts if: (A) the apparent owner engages in one or more of the following activities: (i) the apparent owner undertakes one or more of the actions described in subsection (b) of this Section regarding any of the other accounts the apparent owner has with the financial organization; (ii) the apparent owner increases or decreases the amount of funds in any other account the apparent owner has with the financial organization; or (iii) the apparent owner engages in any other relationship with the financial organization, including payment of any amounts due on a loan; and (B) the foregoing apply so long as the mailing address for the apparent owner in the financial organization's books and records is the same for both the inactive account and the active account. (g) For an amount held on a payroll card, an indication of owner interest includes wages from an employer pursuant to Section 14.5 of the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act in the form of a recurring ACH credit previously authorized by the apparent owner; however, an ACH credit is not an indication of owner interest if the holder assesses fees for account inactivity on the payroll card account.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 102-288, eff. 8-6-21; 102-734, eff. 1-1-23; 103-148, eff. 6-30-23.)