When a report is received from the Comptroller General or other proper officer of the United States, the Controller shall prepare and forward a copy thereof to the clerk of the superior court of each county within this state and the clerk shall post a copy at the courthouse for a period of 60 days. Any person asserting an interest in property mentioned in the report may elect to claim against the United States under the laws of the United States, in which event and within 90 days following the date of initial posting by the clerk the person shall notify the Controller of the asserted interest and intention to so claim. The Controller shall omit the property from any claim by the state until such time as the asserted interest may be finally determined against the claimant. The interest may not thereafter be asserted against the state.
§ 1607.Copy of Report Posted At Superior Court Courthouses; Claim Against United States By Person Asserting Interest In Property
Title 10. Unclaimed Property · Chapter 8. Property in Custody of Federal Officers, Agencies, and Departments · Last amended 2004 · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceSection 1607 requires the Controller to forward a federal unclaimed-property report to every county's superior court clerk for a 60-day courthouse posting, and lets anyone with an interest in the listed property choose within 90 days of posting to pursue a claim against the United States instead, which removes that property from any state claim.
Full Text of § 1607
Plain-English Summary
Once the federal government reports unclaimed property back to California, this section makes that information public and gives interested owners a choice. The Controller prepares and sends a copy of the federal report to the superior court clerk in every county, and each clerk posts a copy at the courthouse for 60 days, giving people a real chance to see whether property they might own shows up on the list.
Owners aren't required to let California pursue the property on their behalf. Anyone asserting an interest in listed property can instead choose to claim directly against the United States under federal law, but only by notifying the Controller of that interest and intention within 90 days of the report's initial posting. Once notified, the Controller sets that property aside and leaves it out of any state claim until the owner's federal claim is finally resolved against the claimant; if it's resolved that way, the claimant can't come back and assert the interest against the state afterward.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Controller do once a federal report on unclaimed property arrives?
Prepares and forwards a copy to the clerk of the superior court of every county in the state.
How long is the report posted, and where?
The clerk posts a copy at the courthouse for a period of 60 days.
How does an owner choose to pursue a claim against the United States instead of California?
By notifying the Controller of the asserted interest and intention to claim within 90 days of the report's initial posting.
What happens to property once an owner notifies the Controller of an intent to claim against the United States?
The Controller omits it from any state claim until the federal claim is finally determined against the claimant, after which the claimant can't assert the interest against the state.
Amendment History
Amended by Stats 2003 ch 62 (SB 600),s 27, eff. 1/1/2004. Amended by Stats 2002 ch 784 (SB 1316),s 84, eff. 1/1/2003.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 29, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: posting unclaimed federal property report courthouseclaim against united states instead of state