This bulletin has been superseded by Payroll Bulletin 1595.1

Purpose

To provide agencies with information regarding the outreach and escheatment of uncashed payroll checks for calendar year 2016

Affected Employees

Employees with one or more uncashed payroll checks originally issued in calendar year 2016

Background

Abandoned Property Law §102 requires that uncashed checks become abandoned property after one year.

Abandoned Property Law §1422 requires State agencies to perform certain payee notification requirements:

In accordance with Abandoned Property Law §1422, an initial outreach letter will be sent to all employees with a 2016 uncashed payroll check greater than $19.99 in September of 2017. A second outreach letter will be sent via certified mail to all employees with a 2016 uncashed payroll check greater than $999.99 in October of 2017.

Signed outreach letters that are returned will be treated as a written request for reissuance of a payroll check. If responses are received prior to January 1, 2018 the checks will be reissued. Any checks, including reissued checks, that remain uncashed as of February 28, 2018 will be stopped and the funds will be sent to the NYS Office of Unclaimed Funds on March 9, 2018.

Effective Date(s)

Checks with an original issue date between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016

Control-D Report Available Prior to Processing

Control-D report NPAY539 (Non- Negotiated Payroll Checks) is available for agency use.

Agency Actions

Notify affected employees that stop payments will be issued for all uncashed payroll checks originally issued in 2016 and that the funds will be sent to the NYS Office of Unclaimed Funds (OUF) on March 9, 2018. Employees can visit the Unclaimed Funds - Search for Lost Money website to search for money handed over to OUF and submit a claim to recover these funds.

OSC Actions

OSC will escheat on March 9, 2018 all payroll checks originally issued in 2016 that remain uncashed as of February 28, 2018.

Questions

Agency questions may be directed to UncashedNYSPayrollChecks@osc.ny.gov.

For more information regarding the escheatment schedule, see the Operational Advisory 9 – Current Year Escheatment.