Section 4714 - Separation from service; refund of contribution(a) Any person contributing monthly or bi-weekly into the retirement fund who shall, for any cause, cease to be a county employe before he or she shall be eligible to receive the benefits of the retirement allowances, the total amount of the contributions paid into the retirement fund by such county employe shall be refunded to him or her by the board, or, in the event of the death of any such county employe, the amount of said contributions shall be paid to such person or persons as he or she shall have designated in writing, as filed with the board, as his or her beneficiary, or to his or her estate. If no person or persons have been designated as his or her beneficiary, or no notice has been filed with the board to pay the amount of such contributions to his or her estate, as herein provided, then the board is herewith authorized to pay such contributions to the executor, administrator, surviving spouse, or next of kin of the deceased county employe. In the event the surviving spouse or next of kin of the decedent cannot be found for the purpose of making distribution of such contributions for a period of seven years from the death of the said county employe, then the aforesaid contributions shall be escheated to the Commonwealth for the benefit of the retirement system. In addition thereto, simple interest shall be paid at a monthly rate of interest that is equivalent to one-twelfth of the annual rate of interest specified herein on contributions of the member made under subsection (a) of section 1708 calculated from the beginning of the month of the deposit, or withholding, or payment into the fund of those contributions through the end of the month of refund; and such interest credited to the contributions of the member made under subsection (a) of section 1708 in a prior calendar year shall receive simple interest at the monthly rate of interest that is equivalent to one-twelfth of the annual rate of interest specified herein through the end of the month of refund. The annual rate of interest shall be fixed by the board. Such contributions and interest shall be paid to a county employe provided he was employed for a period of two consecutive years or more and has made twenty-four monthly contributions to the fund and is not eligible to receive the benefits of a retirement allowance. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, a member who has ceased to make contributions to the fund by payroll deduction shall thereafter be credited with interest only for a period of years equal to his years of current service under this amendment. Any person who has heretofore or who shall hereafter cease to be a county employe, shall thereafter cease to be a member of the retirement system, except such former county employe who may be eligible to receive the benefits of a retirement allowance plus a service increment if any in accordance with the provisions of sections 1710 and 1713. (b) If any former county employe receiving a retirement allowance either with or without a service increment shall die before he or she shall have received the total retirement allowance payments plus the service increment, if any, including payments of a survivor's benefit allowance, if any, equal to the total amount of contributions as made by such former county employe into the retirement fund, then the difference between the total of the retirement allowance payments plus the service increment, if any, including payments of a survivor's benefit allowance, if any, and the total of the amount of contributions paid into the retirement fund by such former county employe shall be paid to such person or persons as he or she shall have designated in writing, as filed with the board, as his or her beneficiary, or to his or her estate.1953, July 28, P.L. 723, art. XVII, § 1714. Amended 1955, May 31, P.L. 111, § 1; 1967, Nov. 30, P.L. 653, § 3, imd. effective; 1970, Dec. 10, P.L. 919, No. 291, § 7; 1980, Dec. 10, P.L. 1165, No. 213, § 3, effective in 60 days; 1989, Dec. 14, P.L. 631, No. 75, § 5, imd. effective; 1996, May 16, P.L. 210, No. 39, § 3, imd. effective.