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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>58539</law_id><section_number>55.1-2500</section_number><catch_line>Definitions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>13.1-322</reference><reference>15.2-1719</reference><reference>15.2-1721</reference><reference>2.2-3705.7</reference><reference>22.1-142</reference><reference>30-34.2:2</reference><reference>45.2-1620</reference><reference>45.2-605</reference><reference>46.2-427</reference><reference>51.1-124.4</reference><reference>52-11.4</reference><reference>52-11.5</reference><reference>55.1-2500</reference><reference>55.1-2524</reference><reference>55.1-2540</reference><reference>55.1-2601</reference><reference>56-231.31:1</reference><reference>58.1-3</reference><reference>6.2-1168</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="55.1">Property and Conveyances</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="V">Miscellaneous</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="25">Virginia Disposition Of Unclaimed Property Act</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="1">Definitions; Property Abandoned or Assumed Abandoned</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Act</span>&#x201D;  means the Virginia <span class="dictionary">Disposition</span> of <span class="dictionary">Unclaimed Property</span> <span class="dictionary">Act</span> (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/55.1-2500/">55.1-2500</a> et seq.).
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Administrator</span>&#x201D;  means the State Treasurer or his designee.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Apparent owner</span>&#x201D;  means the <span class="dictionary">person</span> whose name appears on the records of the <span class="dictionary">holder</span> as the <span class="dictionary">person</span> entitled to property held, issued, or owing by the <span class="dictionary">holder</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Banking organization</span>&#x201D;  means any bank, trust company, savings bank (industrial bank, land bank, safe deposit company), or private banker or any other organization defined by <span class="dictionary">law</span> as a bank or <span class="dictionary">banking organization</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Business association</span>&#x201D;  means any corporation, joint-stock company, investment company, business trust, partnership, limited liability company, cooperative, or association for business purposes of two or more individuals, whether or not for profit, including a <span class="dictionary">banking organization</span>, <span class="dictionary">financial organization</span>, <span class="dictionary">insurance company</span>, or <span class="dictionary">utility</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Credit balance</span>&#x201D;  means an item of <span class="dictionary">intangible property</span> resulting from or attributable to the sale of goods or services, including an overpayment, credit memo, refund, discount, rebate, unidentified remittance, or deposit.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Domicile</span>&#x201D;  means (i) the state of incorporation, in the case of a corporation incorporated under the <span class="dictionary">laws</span> of a state; (ii) the state of organization, in the case of an unincorporated <span class="dictionary">business association</span> formed under the <span class="dictionary">laws</span> of a state; (iii) the state of the principal place of business, in the case of a nonnatural <span class="dictionary">person</span> not incorporated or formed under the <span class="dictionary">laws</span> of a state; and (iv) the state of principal residency, in the case of a natural <span class="dictionary">person</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Due diligence</span>&#x201D;  includes the mailing of a letter by first-class mail to the <span class="dictionary">last known address</span> of the owner as indicated on the records of the <span class="dictionary">holder</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Financial organization</span>&#x201D;  means any savings and loan association (cooperative bank), building and loan association, or credit union.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Gift certificate</span>&#x201D;  means a certificate, electronic card, or other medium that <span class="dictionary">evidences</span> the giving of consideration in exchange for the right to redeem the certificate, electronic card, or other medium for goods, food, services, credit, or money of an equal value.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Holder</span>&#x201D;  means a <span class="dictionary">person</span>, wherever organized or domiciled, that is (i) in <span class="dictionary">possession</span> of property belonging to another; (ii) a trustee, in the case of a trust; or (iii) indebted to another on an obligation.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Insurance company</span>&#x201D;  means an association, corporation, or fraternal or mutual benefit organization, whether or not for profit, that is engaged in providing insurance coverage, including accident, burial, casualty, <span class="dictionary">contract</span> performance, credit life, dental, fidelity, fire, health, hospitalization, illness, life (including endowments and annuities), malpractice, marine, mortgage, <span class="dictionary">surety</span>, and wage protection insurance.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Intangible property</span>&#x201D;  includes (i) moneys, checks, drafts, deposits, interest, and dividend income; (ii) credits, customer overpayments, <span class="dictionary">gift certificates</span>, security deposits, refunds, unpaid wages, and unidentified remittances; (iii) stocks and other intangible ownership interests in <span class="dictionary">business associations</span>; (iv) moneys deposited to redeem stocks, <span class="dictionary">bonds</span>, coupons, and other securities or to make distributions; (v) amounts due and <span class="dictionary">payable</span> under the terms of insurance policies; and (vi) amounts distributable from a trust or custodial fund established under a plan to provide any health, welfare, pension, vacation, severance, retirement, death, stock purchase, profit sharing, employee savings, supplemental unemployment insurance, or similar benefit.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Last known address</span>&#x201D;  means a description of the location of the <span class="dictionary">apparent owner</span> sufficient to identify the state of residence of the <span class="dictionary">apparent owner</span> for the purpose of the delivery of mail.
		&#x201C;Owner&#x201D;  means (i) a depositor, in the case of a deposit; (ii) a beneficiary, in the case of a trust, other than a deposit in trust; (iii) a <span class="dictionary">creditor</span>, claimant, or payee, in the case of other <span class="dictionary">intangible property</span>; or (iv) a <span class="dictionary">person</span> having a legal or <span class="dictionary">equitable</span> interest in property subject to this chapter or his legal representative.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Payable</span>&#x201D;  means the earliest date upon which the owner of property could become entitled to the payments, <span class="dictionary">possession</span>, delivery, or distribution of such property from a <span class="dictionary">holder</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Person</span>&#x201D;  means an individual; a <span class="dictionary">business association</span>; a government or governmental subdivision or agency, public corporation, or public authority; an estate; a trust; two or more <span class="dictionary">persons</span> having a joint or common interest; or any other legal or commercial entity.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Promotional incentive</span>&#x201D;  means a coupon, rebate, or other promotional device offered to induce a consumer to purchase goods, food, or services and for which (i) no direct consideration is given by the consumer or (ii) the consideration given is less than the value of the goods, food, or services to be received.
		&#x201C;State,&#x201D;  when applied to a part of the United States, includes any state, district, commonwealth, territory, and insular <span class="dictionary">possession</span> and any other area subject to the legislative authority of the United States.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Unclaimed property</span>&#x201D;  means property for which the owner, as shown by the records of the <span class="dictionary">holder</span> of his property, has ceased, failed, or neglected, within the times provided in this chapter, to make <span class="dictionary">presentment</span> and demand for payment and satisfaction or to do any other <span class="dictionary">act</span> in relation to or concerning such property. As used in this definition, &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">act</span>&#x201D; excludes any <span class="dictionary">act</span> of a <span class="dictionary">holder</span> of <span class="dictionary">unclaimed property</span> not done at the express request or authorization of the owner.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Utility</span>&#x201D;  means a <span class="dictionary">person</span> that owns or operates, for public use, any plant, equipment, property, franchise, or license for the transmission of communications or the production, storage, transmission, sale, delivery, or furnishing of electricity, water, steam, or gas.</p></section></text><history>1960, c. 330, &#xA7; 55-210.2; 1981, c. 47; 1982, c. 331; 1983, c. 190; 1984, c. 121; 1988, c. 378; 2000, cc. 733, 745; 2019, c. 712.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
