HB 22 Summary

• Amends the definition of "abandoned personal property" in Delaware Code Title 25 to require that the rightful owner must have failed to maintain, pay for storage, exercise control, or assert ownership rights for 1 year.

• Adds exclusions from "abandoned personal property" classification for marital property in divorce proceedings, stolen property, converted property, intestate property, unclaimed property held by banks, and intangible property under Delaware's unclaimed property law.

• Reduces the notice period for sale of abandoned property from 30 days to 15 days and requires posting in 5 public places plus newspaper advertising in the county where the sale occurs.

• Allows owners or interested parties to file a replevin action at any time before final court determination of title without posting a bond as prerequisite.

• Requires courts to establish simple and non-technical language standards for applications, notices, and declarations related to abandoned property proceedings.