WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller announced that his state will join 20 other states in suing the State of Delaware for allegations of failing to turn over millions of dollars in unclaimed property funds the other states believe belong to them.
The dispute between the plaintiff states and Delaware revolves around MoneyGram, a money-transfer services company. MoneyGram operates in all 50 states and internationally. The company sold millions of dollars in money order products that were never claimed or redeemed. The money initially went to the state of Delaware, where the company is incorporated. The plaintiff states believe that the money should go to the states where the money orders were purchased.
“This is an extraordinary legal step and one we do not undertake lightly. We respect our counterparts in Delaware state government, but we contend they have misinterpreted state and federal law, to the detriment of unclaimed property programs in Indiana and elsewhere that should administer these funds for their rightful owners,” Zoeller said. “When state governments have legal disputes against each other that cannot be resolved through informal efforts, it is appropriate to raise the legal question to the U.S. Supreme Court to answer.”