Unclaimed Checks Policy

The University at Buffalo (UB, university) requires departments to make a good faith effort to deliver reimbursement checks, pay checks, and direct deposit advices to employees. Checks or direct deposit advices that cannot be delivered because the department cannot locate the employee must be returned to the appropriate business office.

The University at Buffalo is subject to New York State (NYS) Abandoned Property Laws (Chapter 62, Part P of the Laws of 2003; Section 102 of the State Finance Law; and Section 1315) requiring that unclaimed funds be remitted to the NYS Abandoned Property Fund after the dormancy period. The dormancy period is one year for state checks and three years for Research Foundation (RF) checks.

This policy applies to state and RF payroll and reimbursement checks and direct deposit advices that cannot be delivered because the employee cannot be located.

Good Faith

Honest intent to act without taking an unfair advantage over another person.

Unclaimed Check

Check held by a university department for issuance or delivery to the payee, including checks mailed to a payee that were returned to the university. 

• Determine whether an employee is entitled to the check or direct deposit advice.
• Make a good faith effort to deliver checks and direct deposit advices to all employees.
• When an employee cannot be located, confirm the employee’s current mailing address is the address shown on the check or direct deposit advice and return to the appropriate business office within the required time period.
• Work with the appropriate business office to contact/locate the employee whose check cannot be delivered.

• Work with the department to make a good faith effort to contact an employee whose check has been returned to Financial Management because the employee could not be located.
• Perform additional review and follow-up in response to requests initiated by NYS or RF Central Administration.

• For each returned state and RF pay check or direct deposit advice for an employee who could not be located:
  • Confirm the payment is appropriate
  • Make a good faith effort to contact the employee
• Return unclaimed state payroll checks to the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance, Division of the Treasury within thirty days of the check date.
• Destroy unclaimed state deposit advices after thirty days.
• Return unclaimed RF payroll checks to RF Central Administration after 120 days.

• Work with the department to make a good faith effort to contact an employee whose check has been returned to Procurement because the employee could not be located.
• Perform additional review and follow-up in response to requests initiated by NYS or RF Central Administration.

• Make a good faith effort to contact an individual whose check has been returned to Sponsored Projects Services because the individual could not be located.
• Perform additional review and follow-up in response to requests initiated by RF Central Administration.

All Payroll Checks and Direct Deposit Advices

• The department should determine if an employee is entitled to the pay check or direct deposit advice.
• If the employee is entitled to the pay check or direct deposit advice, the department should make a good faith effort to deliver all checks and direct deposit advices to each employee.
• If the department cannot deliver a pay check or direct deposit advice because the employee cannot be located or the department does not have a current forwarding address, send the pay check or direct deposit advice to Human Resources (with an explanatory note and contact information) within two weeks of the date of an unclaimed pay check or direct deposit advice.
• If the employee is not entitled to the pay check or direct deposit advice, call Human Resources immediately.
• Human Resources will make another attempt to contact the employee whose pay check or direct deposit advice has been sent to Human Resources.
• Depending on the funding source, undeliverable checks and direct deposit advices are handled as follows:

State

•   If, after thirty days, a check cannot be delivered to the employee, Human Resources will forward NYS payroll checks to the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance, Division of Treasury along with an Undeliverable Payroll Check Report (Form AC2714).

•   NYS checks will be held by the NYS Department of Tax and Finance, Division of the Treasury for three months and then destroyed. Checks returned to the Division of the Treasury can be replaced for up to one year, upon request. To request a NYS payroll replacement check, call Human Resources.

•   After the one year waiting period, state pay checks are deposited into the NYS Abandoned Property Fund. Claims for these funds must be directed to the Office of the State Comptroller, Office of Unclaimed Funds.

•   State direct deposit advices will be held by Human Resources for thirty days and if not claimed by the employee, will be destroyed in a safe and secure manner.

Research Foundation

•   Research Foundation pay checks are valid for 120 days from the date of issuance. After 120 days, Human Resources will send a stale-dated check letter to the employee. If the letter is returned as undeliverable, it is retained as evidence of abandoned property.

•   After a three year waiting period, RF pay checks are deposited into the NYS Abandoned Property Fund. Claims for these funds must be directed to the Office of the State Comptroller, Office of Unclaimed Funds.

All Travel and Other Reimbursement Checks

• The department should determine if an employee is entitled to the reimbursement check.
• If the employee is entitled to the reimbursement, the department should make a good faith effort to deliver the check.
• If the department cannot deliver a reimbursement check because the employee cannot be located or the department does not have a current forwarding address, send the check to the appropriate business office (with an explanatory note and contact information) within a month of the date of the check.
• The department and appropriate business office should work together to contact/locate the employee whose check cannot be delivered.
• Additional review and follow-up is performed in response to requests initiated by NYS or RF Central Administration.
• After the one year waiting period, state travel and other reimbursement checks are deposited into the NYS Abandoned Property Fund. After a three year waiting period, RF travel and other reimbursement checks are deposited into the NYS Abandoned Property Fund. Claims for these funds must be directed to the Office of the State Comptroller, Office of Unclaimed Funds.