Are there any restrictions imposed on finders under Ohio law?
A. Yes. In order to allow the owners of unclaimed property time to claim the funds on their own, a person interested in entering into an agreement to act as a finder is not permitted to initiate any contact with an owner of unclaimed funds until the funds have been with the Division for more than two years. Finders are not permitted to engage in finding activity for the recovery of funds reported to the Division without a valid certificate of registration; and finders are prohibited from operating under an invalid finder’s agreement. Engaging in finder activity in the State of Ohio under an invalid finder agreement or without having first obtained a certificate of registration from the Director of Commerce is a misdemeanor of the first degree for a first offense and a felony of the fifth degree for any subsequent offense.
