(a) Following notice to the state treasurer that a suit involving escheat property has been commenced, the state treasurer shall notify the attorney general and reporter of the action and together they shall determine what action, if any, shall be taken by the attorney general and reporter in order to protect the state’s interest.

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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 31-6-109

  • Escheat: Reversion of real or personal property to the state when 1) a person dies without leaving a will and has no heirs, or 2) when the property (such as a bank account) has been inactive for a certain period of time. Source: OCC
  • Lawsuit: A legal action started by a plaintiff against a defendant based on a complaint that the defendant failed to perform a legal duty, resulting in harm to the plaintiff.
  • Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
  • Property: includes both real and personal property or any interest therein and means anything that may be the subject of ownership. See Tennessee Code 31-1-101
  • Reporter: Makes a record of court proceedings and prepares a transcript, and also publishes the court's opinions or decisions (in the courts of appeals).
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(b) The state treasurer shall be kept informed by the party filing the initial notice of all pleadings filed with the court regardless of any action taken by the attorney general and reporter.
(c) The state treasurer, through the attorney general and reporter, may intervene in the lawsuit at any stage in the proceeding if necessary to protect the state’s interest.