Section 567.231a - Abandonment of ownership interest; exceptions(1) Any stock, share, or other intangible ownership interest in a business association, the existence of which is evidenced by records available to the association, is presumed abandoned and, with respect to the interest, the association is the holder, if both of the following apply: (a) The interest in the association is owned by a person who for more than 3 years has not claimed a dividend, distribution, or other sum payable as a result of the interest, or who has not communicated with the association regarding the interest or a dividend, distribution, or other sum payable as the result of the interest, as evidenced by a memorandum or other record on file with the association prepared by an employee of the association. (b) The association does not know the location of the owner at the end of the 3-year period. (2) The return of official shareholder notifications or communications by the postal service as undeliverable is evidence that the association does not know the location of the owner. (3) This section applies to both the underlying stock, share, or other intangible ownership interest of an owner, and any stock, share, or other intangible ownership interest of which the business association is in possession of the certificate or other evidence or indicia of ownership, and to the stock, share, or other ownership interest of dividend and nondividend paying business associations whether or not the interest is represented by a certificate. (4) At the time an interest is presumed abandoned under this section, any dividend, distribution, or other sum then held for or owing to the owner as a result of the interest, and not previously presumed abandoned, is presumed abandoned. (5) This section does not apply to any stock or other intangible ownership interest enrolled in a plan that provides for the automatic reinvestment of dividends, distributions, or other sums payable as a result of the interest unless 1 or more of the following apply: (a) The records available to the administrator of the plan show, with respect to any intangible ownership interest not enrolled in the reinvestment plan, that the owner has not within 3 years communicated in any manner described in subsection (1). (b) Three years have elapsed since the location of the owner became unknown to the association, as evidenced by the return of official shareholder notifications or communications by the postal service as undeliverable, and the owner has not within 3 years communicated in any manner described in subsection (1). Added by 2004, Act 385, s 1, eff. 10/12/2004.