UNCLAIMED PROPERTY
Chapter 523A, Hawai`i Revised Statutes (HRS), established the Unclaimed Property Program. This Program is responsible for collecting abandoned property from holders (companies, states, state agencies, etc.), holding the property in a custodial capacity, and returning the property to the rightful owners. Abandoned property commonly includes dormant (no activity for 5 years) checking and savings accounts, uncashed checks, stock certificates, and contents of safe deposit boxes.
Holders of abandoned property are required to report annually by November 1 for the fiscal year ended June 30. The State annually advertises property valued at $100 and over by March 1. Owners have until April 20 to claim their property directly from the holders. All property not claimed by May 1 are turned over to the State.
Procedures to Report Property Presumed Abandoned
The holders of abandoned property must annually complete and submit a list of all abandoned property by November 1 for the fiscal year ending June 30. The list of abandoned property must be submitted via diskette using the software available from the Wagers & Associates website at: http://www.wagers.net . In addition to the diskette and a hard copy of the diskette, holders should continue to submit:
Form BFF2 -- Annual Report of Property Presumed Abandoned (PDF)
The State annually advertises property valued at $100 and over by March 1. Owners have until April 20 to claim their property directly from the holders. All property not claimed by April 20 shall be turned over to the State on a diskette using the Wagers software, a hard copy of the information, and:
Form BFF4 -- Remittance Statement for Abandoned Property (PDF)
Holders may return property to owners after it has been turned over to the State. In these cases, any requests for reimbursement of the property from the State must be submitted using the following form:
Form BFF1A -- Application by Previous Holder for Return of Unclaimed Property Placed in Custody of the Director of Finance, State of Hawai`i (PDF)
Before returning property to the owners, holders should notify the Unclaimed Property Program to ensure that the property has not already been returned to the owners.
Procedures for Filing Claims
Proof of ownership of the property must be provided by claimants when filing a claim. The proof is dependent upon the information received from the holders, and may be as simple as a copy of a driver's license showing the individual's Social Security number. Other types of proof include documents evidencing a prior mailing address or conducting business with the holder.
Claimants filing for abandoned property must use the following form:
Form BFF1 -- Claim for Return of Property Presumed Abandoned (PDF)
The form must be completed, signed and returned to the Unclaimed Property Program for review before property can be returned. All claims of $50 or more or securities must also be notarized. Items number 1, 2, and 4 must be completed. Item 3 suggests four documents which might be required to provide proof of ownership. Claims for the return of stock and mutual fund shares must also be accompanied by a completed Form W-9 (PDF). Claims for safe deposit box contents must include proof of payment of all fees due.
Professional locators may contact individuals or companies to assist in recovering abandoned property. Laws governing fees and other requirements which must be met by the professional locators are included in Chapter 523A-35, HRS .
Binders containing the Public Disclosure files are available for public inspection at the Unclaimed Property Program's office at 250 S. Hotel Street, Room 304.
Microfiche and paper copies containing the Public Disclosure files of abandoned property are located in the major public libraries in their Hawai`i documents section. Interested individuals should contact the libraries to determine the closest appropriate branch.
Contact Information
Questions regarding Unclaimed Property should be addressed to the program on Oahu at (808) 586-1589. The toll-free voice access numbers for those with touch-tone phones for each island are:
Island Number
Kauai (808) 274-3141
Maui (808) 984-2400
Hawai`i (808) 974-4000
After dialing the local number, voice prompts will inform you to dial the desired number. At that time you should dial “61589”. Residents of the islands of Molokai and Lanai will retain the exclusive use of the 1-800-GOV-INHI number.
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