Chapter 177

177.0306 Annotation Under the federal Disposition of Abandoned Money Orders and Traveler’s Checks Act, 12 USC 2501 to 2503, the proceeds of a money order, traveler’s check, or other similar written instrument (other than a third-party bank check) escheat to the state of purchase upon abandonment, so long as purchase-location information is known and that state has enacted laws empowering it to take custody of those proceeds. When a financial product operates like a money order—in other words, when it is a prepaid written instrument used to transmit money to a named payee—and when it would also escheat inequitably solely to the state of incorporation of the company holding the funds under the common-law rules due to recordkeeping gaps, then it is sufficiently “similar” to a money order to fall presumptively within the Act. Delaware v. Pennsylvania, 598 U.S. ___, 143 S. Ct. 696, 215 L. Ed. 2d 24 (2023).

177.0307 177.0307 Virtual currency. Virtual currency presumed abandoned is subject to reporting to and custody of this state if the holder is able to convert virtual currency to U.S. currency by sale, exchange, or any other disposition. The holder shall convert the virtual currency to U.S. currency for delivery to the administrator.

177.0307 History History: 2021 a. 87; 2021 a. 240 s. 30.

177.0308 177.0308 Hazardous or dangerous items found in safe deposit box. Thirty days prior to delivery of any hazardous or dangerous items such as guns, chemicals, or explosives under s. 177.0205, the holder shall provide written notice to the administrator and deliver the hazardous or dangerous items as required by the administrator.

177.0308 History History: 2021 a. 87.

subch. IV of ch. 177 SUBCHAPTER IV

REPORT BY HOLDER

177.0401 177.0401 Report required by holder.

177.0401(1) (1) 

177.0401(1)(a) (a) A holder of property presumed abandoned and subject to the custody of the administrator shall report in a record to the administrator concerning the property.

177.0401(1)(b) (b) A holder shall report electronically in a format approved by the administrator, unless the administrator approves another method.

177.0401(2) (2) A holder may contract with a 3rd party to make the report required under sub. (1).

177.0401(3) (3) Regardless of whether a holder enters into a contract under sub. (2), the holder is responsible to the administrator for the complete, accurate, and timely reporting of property presumed abandoned and for paying or delivering the property described in the report to the administrator.

177.0401 History History: 2021 a. 87.

177.0402 177.0402 Content of report.

177.0402(1) (1) The report required under s. 177.0401 shall be signed by or on behalf of the holder and verified as to its completeness and accuracy and be in a secure format, as approved by the administrator, that protects the apparent owner’s confidential information in the same manner as is required of the administrator and administrator’s agent under subch. XIV. The report shall contain the following information:

177.0402(1)(a) (a) A description of the property.

177.0402(1)(b) (b) Unless the property is a traveler’s check, money order, or similar instrument, the name, last-known address, social security number or taxpayer identification number, and date of birth of the property’s apparent owner, if such information is known or readily ascertainable.

177.0402(1)(c) (c) For an amount held or owing under a life or endowment insurance policy or annuity contract, the name, social security number or taxpayer identification number, if known, date of birth, if known, and last-known address of the insured, annuitant, or other apparent owner of the policy or contract and of each beneficiary.

177.0402(1)(d) (d) For property held in or removed from a safe deposit box or other safekeeping repository or for other tangible personal property, an itemized inventory and description of the property, including the location of the property where it may be inspected by the administrator and any amounts owed to the holder.

177.0402(1)(e) (e) The commencement date for determining abandonment under subch. II.

177.0402(1)(f) (f) A statement that the holder has complied with the notice requirements of s. 177.0501.

177.0402(1)(g) (g) Any other information prescribed by the administrator.

177.0402(2) (2) A report under s. 177.0401 may include in the aggregate items valued under $5 each only if the apparent owner is unknown.

177.0402(3) (3) A report under s. 177.0401 may include personal information, as defined in s. 177.1401 (1), about the apparent owner or the apparent owner’s property to the extent not otherwise prohibited by federal law.

177.0402(4) (4) If a holder has changed the holder’s name while holding property presumed abandoned or is a successor to another person that previously held the property for the apparent owner, the holder shall include in the report under s. 177.0401 the holder’s former name or the name of the previous holder, if any, and the known name and address of each previous holder of the property.

177.0402 History History: 2021 a. 87; 2021 a. 240 s. 30.

177.0403 177.0403 When report to be filed.

177.0403(1) (1) Subject to sub. (2), the report under s. 177.0401 shall be filed on or before November 1 of each year and cover the 12 months preceding July 1 of that year.

177.0403(2) (2) Before the due date for filing the report under s. 177.0401, the holder of property presumed abandoned may request the administrator to extend the time for filing. The administrator may grant an extension of 60 days or other period agreed to by the administrator.

177.0403 History History: 2021 a. 87.

177.0404 177.0404 Retention of records by holder.

177.0404(1) (1) A holder required to file a report under s. 177.0401 shall retain records for 10 years after the later of the date on which the report was filed or the last date on which a timely report was due to be filed, unless a shorter period is prescribed by rule by the administrator.

177.0404(2) (2) The holder may satisfy the requirement to retain records under this section through an agent.

177.0404(3) (3) The records retained under this section shall include the following:

177.0404(3)(a) (a) The information required to be included in the report under s. 177.0401.

177.0404(3)(b) (b) The date, place, and nature of the circumstances that gave rise to the property right.

177.0404(3)(c) (c) The amount or value of the property.

177.0404(3)(d) (d) The last address of the apparent owner, if known to the holder.

177.0404(3)(e) (e) If the holder sells, issues, or provides to others for sale or issue in this state traveler’s checks, money orders, or similar instruments, other than 3rd-party bank checks, on which the holder is directly liable, a record of the instruments while they remain outstanding, indicating the state and date of issue.

177.0404 History History: 2021 a. 87; 2021 a. 240 s. 30.

177.0405 177.0405 Property reportable and payable or deliverable absent owner demand. Property is reportable and payable or deliverable under this chapter even if the owner fails to make demand or present an instrument or document otherwise required to obtain payment.

177.0405 History History: 2021 a. 87.

177.0406 177.0406 Negative reporting.

177.0406(1) (1) The administrator may require any person or persons to file a report as otherwise prescribed in this section, except that the administrator may specify a deadline after the deadline specified in s. 177.0403.

177.0406(2) (2) The administrator may require any person to file a report even if the person believes the person is not in possession of any property reportable or deliverable under this chapter.

177.0406 History History: 2021 a. 87.

subch. V of ch. 177 SUBCHAPTER V

NOTICE TO APPARENT OWNER OF
PROPERTY PRESUMED ABANDONED

177.0501 177.0501 Notice to apparent owner by holder.

177.0501(1) (1) Subject to sub. (2), the holder of property presumed abandoned shall send to the apparent owner notice by 1st class mail that complies with s. 177.0502, in a format acceptable to the administrator, not more than 120 days nor less than 60 days before filing the report under s. 177.0401, if all of the following apply:

177.0501(1)(a) (a) The holder has in the holder’s records an address for the apparent owner that the records do not indicate to be invalid and that is sufficient to direct the delivery of 1st class mail to the apparent owner.

177.0501(1)(b) (b) The value of the property is $50 or more.

177.0501(2) (2) If an apparent owner has consented to receive e-mail delivery from the holder, the holder shall send the notice described in sub. (1) both by 1st class mail to the apparent owner’s last-known mailing address and by e-mail, unless the holder believes that the apparent owner’s e-mail address is invalid.

177.0501 History History: 2021 a. 87.

177.0502 177.0502 Contents of notice by holder.

177.0502(1) (1) Notice under s. 177.0501 shall contain a heading that reads substantially as follows: “Notice. The State of Wisconsin requires us to notify you that your property may be transferred to the custody of the state’s unclaimed property administrator if you do not contact us before (the date that is 30 days after the date of the notice).”

177.0502(2) (2) The notice under s. 177.0501 shall do all of the following:

177.0502(2)(a) (a) Identify the nature and, except for property that does not have a fixed value, the value of the property that is the subject of the notice.

177.0502(2)(b) (b) State that the property will be turned over to the administrator.

177.0502(2)(c) (c) State that after the property is turned over to the administrator an apparent owner that seeks return of the property shall file a claim with the administrator.

177.0502(2)(d) (d) State that the property may be sold by the administrator.

177.0502(2)(e) (e) Provide instructions that the apparent owner shall follow to prevent the holder from reporting and paying or delivering the property to the administrator.

177.0502 History History: 2021 a. 87; 2021 a. 240 s. 30.

177.0503 177.0503 Notice by administrator.

177.0503(1) (1) Before July 1 of each year, the administrator shall publish on an Internet site maintained by the administrator a notice of the names of apparent owners of abandoned property reported and remitted to the administrator. Except as provided in sub. (1m), the notice shall include the name and last-known address of each person identified in a report filed under s. 177.0401 since the publication of the previous notice. The administrator shall also publish in a newspaper the names of apparent owners of abandoned property reported and remitted to the administrator in the previous reporting year. The notice shall be a class 1 notice under ch. 985 and published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which is located the last-known address of the person to be named in the notice. If no address is listed or the address is outside this state, the notice shall be published in the official state newspaper.

177.0503(1b) (1b) A notice under sub. (1) shall contain all of the following:

177.0503(1b)(a) (a) The names in alphabetical order and the last-known addresses, if any, of persons listed in the report and entitled to notice within the county, as specified in sub. (1).

177.0503(1b)(b) (b) A statement that information concerning the property and the name and last-known address of the holder may be obtained by any person possessing an interest in the property by addressing an inquiry to the administrator.

177.0503(1d) (1d) The administrator is not required to publish notice of any item with a value of less than $50 unless the administrator determines the publication to be in the public interest.

177.0503(1g) (1g) In addition to any notice required under sub. (1), the administrator shall also publish, in the notice described under sub. (1), the name and last-known address of each owner of a U.S. savings bond that has been presumed abandoned under s. 177.0206 since the publication of the previous notice.

177.0503(1m) (1m) If the address of a person to be named in a notice under sub. (1) is outside this state, and if the administrator has entered into an agreement under s. 177.1202 with the state in which the address is located, the administrator may omit the information specified in sub. (2) with respect to that person from the notice published under sub. (1).

177.0503(2) (2) A notice under sub. (1) shall contain all of the following:

177.0503(2)(a) (a) The names in alphabetical order and last-known address, if any, of persons listed in the report and entitled to notice within the county as specified in sub. (1).

177.0503(2)(b) (b) A statement that information concerning the property and the name and last-known address of the holder may be obtained by any person possessing an interest in the property by addressing an inquiry to the administrator.

177.0503(2m) (2m) For money or other property received under s. 852.01 (3), 863.37 (2) or 863.39 (1), a notice shall be published at least annually in the official state newspaper and shall include the name of the decedent, the amount paid to the administrator, the county in which the estate is probated and a statement that the money will be paid to the heirs or legatees without interest, on proof of ownership, if claimed within 10 years from the date of publication as provided in s. 863.39 (3).

177.0503(2n) (2n) 

177.0503(2n)(a) (a) The administrator may publish, on behalf of the department of children and families, the name and address of an apparent owner of uncashed child support payments.

177.0503(2n)(b) (b) At least quarterly, the department of children and families shall reimburse the administrator, based on information provided by the administrator, for any administrative expenses incurred under par. (a).

177.0503(3) (3) The administrator is not required to publish notice of any item with a value of less than $50 unless the administrator determines the publication to be in the public interest.

177.0503(4) (4) This section does not apply to sums payable on traveler’s checks, money orders and other written instruments presumed abandoned under s. 177.0201.

177.0503 History History: 1983 a. 408; 1991 a. 39, 299; 2001 a. 16; 2013 a. 308; 2015 a. 309; 2021 a. 87 ss. 85 to 87, 157; Stats. 2021 s. 177.0503; 2021 a. 240 s. 30.

177.0504 177.0504 Cooperation among state officers and agencies to locate apparent owners. Unless otherwise prohibited by law, at the request of the administrator, each officer, agency, board, commission, division, or department of this state, any body politic or corporate created by this state for a public purpose, and each political subdivision of this state shall make its books and records available to the administrator and cooperate with the administrator to determine the current address of an apparent owner of property held by the administrator under this chapter.

177.0504 History History: 2021 a. 87.

177.0505 177.0505 Tax return identification of apparent owners.

177.0505(1) (1) Annually, before July 1, the administrator shall determine if either of the following applies to any apparent owner of abandoned property under s. 177.0503:

177.0505(1)(a) (a) The apparent owner has filed a tax return in the 14 months preceding the determination.

177.0505(1)(b) (b) The apparent owner is a debtor under s. 71.93 or 71.935.

177.0505(2) (2) For any person who is identified in sub. (1) and who is not a debtor under sub. (1) (b), the administrator shall do the following: