24 U.S.C. § 420 Disposition of Effects of Deceased Persons; Unclaimed Property

• Library: United States Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current through P.L. 118-34 (published on www.congress.gov on 12/26/2023), except for [P. L. 118-31]
• Year: 2023
• Citation: 24 U.S.C. § 420

(a) Disposition of effects of deceased persons

The Administrator of a facility of the Retirement Home shall safeguard and dispose of the estate and personal effects of deceased residents, including effects delivered to such facility under sections 7712(f) and 9712(f) of title 10, and shall ensure the following:

(1) A will or other instrument of a testamentary nature involving property rights executed by a resident shall be promptly delivered, upon the death of the resident, to the proper court of record.

(2) If a resident dies intestate and the heirs or legal representative of the deceased cannot be immediately ascertained, the Administrator shall retain all property left by the decedent for a three-year period beginning on the date of the death. If entitlement to such property is established to the satisfaction of the Administrator at any time during the three-year period, the Administrator shall distribute the decedent's property, in equal pro-rata shares when multiple beneficiaries have been identified, to the highest following categories of identified survivors (listed in the order of precedence indicated):

(A) The surviving spouse or legal representative.

(B) The children of the deceased.

(C) The parents of the deceased.

(D) The siblings of the deceased.

(E) The next-of-kin of the deceased.

(b) Sale of effects

(1)

(A) If the disposition of the estate of a resident of the Retirement Home cannot be accomplished under subsection (a)(2) or if a resident dies testate and the nominated fiduciary, legatees, or heirs of the resident cannot be immediately ascertained, the entirety of the deceased resident's domiciliary estate and the entirety of any ancillary estate that is unclaimed at the end of the three-year period beginning on the date of the death of the resident shall escheat to the Retirement Home.

(B) Upon the sale of any such unclaimed estate property, the proceeds of the sale shall be deposited in the Armed Forces Retirement Home Trust Fund.

(C) If a personal representative or other fiduciary is appointed to administer a deceased resident's estate and the administration is completed before the end of such three-year period, the balance of the entire net proceeds of the estate, less expenses, shall be deposited directly in the Armed Forces Retirement Home Trust Fund. The heirs or legatees of the deceased resident may file a claim made with the Secretary of Defense to reclaim such proceeds. A determination of the claim by the Secretary shall be subject to judicial review exclusively by the United States Court of Federal Claims.