State Agencies Bulletin No. 2152.1

Subject
Outreach and Escheatment of 2022 Uncashed NYS Payroll Checks
Date Issued
March 28, 2024
Status
The Bulletin was updated with information on the completed outreach for 2022
Uncashed Payroll checks and provides additional information
on the timing of the escheatment process to the Office of Unclaimed Funds.

This Bulletin Supersedes Payroll Bulletin No. 2152.

Purpose: 

The purpose of this bulletin is to provide agencies with information regarding the outreach and escheatment of uncashed payroll checks for calendar year 2022.

Affected Employees:

Employees with one or more uncashed payroll checks originally issued in calendar year 2022 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 was mailed to all employees with a 2022 uncashed payroll check greater than $19.99 in September of 2023. A second outreach letter was mailed via certified mail to all employees with a 2022 uncashed payroll check greater than $999.99 in October of 2023.
  • Signed outreach letters that were returned to OSC were treated as a written request for reissuance of a payroll check. Responses received prior to March 29, 2024, will continue to be processed and reissued. Any checks that remain uncashed as of April 2024 will be stopped and the funds will be escheated to the New York State Office of Unclaimed Funds (OUF).

Effective Dates:

Effective for payroll checks issued between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022.

Eligibility Criteria:

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

OSC Actions:

In accordance with Abandoned Property Law §1422, an initial outreach letter was sent to all employees with a 2022 uncashed payroll check greater than $19.99 on September 22, 2023. A second outreach letter was sent via certified mail to all employees with a 2022 uncashed payroll check greater than $999.99 on October 20, 2023.

Signed outreach letters returned to OSC prior to March 29, 2024, will be treated as a written request for reissuance of a payroll check. 

Stop payments will be processed for any 2022 pay checks that remain uncashed and the funds will be escheated and sent to OUF.

Agency Actions:

Agencies must notify affected employees that stop payments will be issued for all uncashed payroll checks originally issued in 2022 and the funds escheated to OUF in April 2024. Employees can visit the Unclaimed Funds - Search for Lost Money website to search for money escheated to OUF and submit a claim to recover funds.

Questions:

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

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