Section 149A. ”Unclaimed funds” within the meaning of this section and sections one hundred and forty-nine B to one hundred and forty-nine D, inclusive, shall mean and include all monies held and owing by any life insurance company doing business in this commonwealth which shall have remained unclaimed and unpaid for seven years or more after it is established from the records of such company that such monies became due and payable under any life or endowment insurance policy or annuity contract which has matured or terminated and which monies are payable to a person whose last known address is within this commonwealth, provided, that if a person other than the insured or annuitant be entitled to such funds and no address of such person be known to such company or if it be not definite and certain from the records of such company what person is entitled to such funds, then in either event it shall be presumed for the purposes of this section that the last known address of the person entitled to such funds is the same as the last known address of the insured or annuitant according to the records of such company. A life insurance policy not matured by actual proof of the prior death of the insured shall be deemed to be matured and the proceeds thereof shall be deemed to be ”due and payable” within the meaning of this section if such policy is in force when the insured shall have attained the limiting age under the mortality table on which the reserve is based. Monies otherwise admittedly due and payable shall be deemed to be ”held and owing” within the meaning of this section although the policy or contract shall not have been surrendered as required. This section shall not apply to amounts which have been paid to another state or jurisdiction prior to its effective date.

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Terms Used In Massachusetts General Laws ch. 175 sec. 149A

  • Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.