Purpose

The purpose of this bulletin is to provide agencies with information regarding the outreach and escheatment of uncashed payroll checks for calendar year 2021.

Affected Employees

Employees with one or more uncashed payroll checks originally issued in calendar year 2021 are affected.

Background

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

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

• An initial outreach letter will be mailed to all employees with a 2021 uncashed payroll check greater than $19.99 in September of 2022. A second outreach letter will be sent via certified mail to all employees with a 2021 uncashed payroll check greater than $999.99 in October of 2022.
• Signed outreach letters that are returned to OSC will be treated as a written request for reissuance of a payroll check. If responses are received prior to January 1, 2023, the checks will be reissued. Any checks that remain uncashed as of April 2023 will be stopped and the funds will be remitted to the New York State Office of Unclaimed Funds (OUF).

Effective Dates

Effective for payroll checks issued between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021.

Eligibility Criteria

Employees with non-negotiated payroll checks are listed on the Control-D report NPAY539 for agency use.

OSC Actions

OSC will remit all payroll checks originally issued in 2021, that remain uncashed as of April 2023, to OUF in April 2023.

Agency Actions

Agencies must notify affected employees that stop payments will be issued for all uncashed payroll checks originally issued in 2021 and the funds will be remitted to OUF in April 2023. Employees can visit the Unclaimed Funds - Search for Lost Money website to search for money remitted to OUF and submit a claim to recover funds.

Questions

Questions regarding this bulletin may be directed to the Uncashed NYS Payroll Checks mailbox.