Code of the District of Columbia

§ 41–155.03. Notice by Administrator.

(a) The Administrator shall make a reasonable effort to give notice to an apparent owner that property of the owner that is presumed to be abandoned is held by the Administrator under this chapter. The Administrator shall use available resources, including information services, to ascertain the mailing address of an apparent owner.

(b) Subject to subsection (a) of this section, the Administrator shall:

(1) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, send written notice by first-class United States mail to each apparent owner of property valued at $50 or more held by the Administrator, unless the Administrator determines that a mailing by first-class United States mail would not be received by the apparent owner, and, in the case of a security held in an account for which the apparent owner had consented to receiving electronic mail from the holder, send notice by electronic mail if the electronic-mail address of the apparent owner is known to the Administrator instead of by first-class United States mail; or

(2) Send the notice to the apparent owner's electronic-mail address if the Administrator does not have a valid United States mail address for an apparent owner, but has an electronic-mail address that the Administrator does not know to be invalid.

(c) In addition to the notice under subsection (b) of this section, the Administrator shall:

(1) Publish every 6 months in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the District a notice with the following information:

(A) The total value of property received by the Administrator during the preceding 6-month period, taken from the reports under § 41-154.01;

(B) The total value of claims paid by the Administrator during the preceding 6-month period;

(C) The Internet web address of the unclaimed property website maintained by the Administrator;

(D) A telephone number and electronic-mail address to contact the Administrator to inquire about or claim property; and

(E) A statement that a person may access the Internet by a computer to search for unclaimed property and a computer may be available as a service to the public at a local public library; and

(2) Maintain a website or database accessible by the public and electronically searchable, which contains the names reported to the Administrator of all apparent owners for whom property is being held by the Administrator.

(d) The website or database maintained under subsection (c) of this section must include instructions for filing with the Administrator a claim to property and a printable claim form with instructions for its use.

(e) In addition to giving notice under subsections (b) and (c) of this section, the Administrator may use other printed publication, telecommunication, the Internet, or other media to inform the public of the existence of unclaimed property held by the Administrator.