---
title: O.C.G.A. § 44-12-196. When instruments on which banking or financial organization directly liable presumed abandoned; service charges.
collection: code
id: 44-12-196
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 44-12-196 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/44-12-196
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/44-12-196.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/44-12-196/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t44-ch8-15-(v32)-2022-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=9e9e06de_0#page=280
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/44-12.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/44-12-195.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/44-12-197.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: PROPERTY / RIGHTS IN PERSONALTY / DISPOSITION OF UNCLAIMED PROPERTY
---

# O.C.G.A. § 44-12-196. When instruments on which banking or financial organization directly liable presumed abandoned; service charges.

Any sum payable on a check, draft, or similar instrument, except money orders, traveler’s checks, and other similar instruments subject to Code Section 44-12-195, on which a banking or financial organization is directly liable, including but not limited to, cashier’s checks and certified checks, which has been outstanding for more than five years after it was payable or after its issuance if payable on demand, is presumed abandoned unless the owner, within five years, has communicated in writing with the banking or financial organization concerning it or otherwise indicated an interest as evidenced by a memorandum or other record on file prepared by an employee of the banking or financial organization. Except for charges imposed with respect to issuance, no banking or financial organization shall deduct a service charge from, or otherwise impose a service charge on, any instrument described in this Code section unless such instrument is not presented for payment within two years of the date of issuance. Service charges may be imposed for each month of the 12 months following such two-year period.

## History

Code 1981, § 44-12-196, enacted by Ga. L. 1990, p. 1506, § 1; Ga. L. 1992, p. 1237, § 2; Ga. L. 1995, p. 1368, § 1.