Section 17-20-1301 - Patronage Capital Contributions, Allocations and Refunds; Deposits and Advance Payments

17-20-1301. Patronage capital contributions, allocations and refunds; deposits and advance payments. (a) Cooperative utilities organized under this act may make distributions to members in the form of patronage capital contributions, allocations and refunds. The bylaws shall provide for patronage capital contributions, allocations and refunds. Refunds may be made only at the discretion of the board of directors. (b) Any patronage capital that has been retired, returned, refunded or tendered to a member of a cooperative that has remained unclaimed by the person appearing on the records of the cooperative entitled thereto for more than two (2) years, shall be determined to be unclaimed. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, including provisions pertaining to unclaimed property, unclaimed patronage capital shall be used by the cooperative for the benefit of the general membership of the cooperative. (c) Notwithstanding W.S. 34-24-109 and any other provision of law, any deposit or advance payment that has been refunded, including any interest thereon, that has not been claimed by the member appearing on the records of the cooperative for more than five (5) years and for which

advance payment that has been refunded, including any interest thereon, that has not been claimed by the member appearing on the records of the cooperative for more than five (5) years and for which the cooperative has made good faith efforts to deliver to the member shall be determined to be unclaimed. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, including provisions pertaining to unclaimed property, unclaimed refunds for deposits or advance payments shall be used by the cooperative utility for the benefit of the general membership of the cooperative. The right of an owner to unclaimed refunds for deposits or advance payments held by a cooperative utility is extinguished when the unclaimed refunds are used by the cooperative utility for the benefit of its general membership in accordance with this subsection. Nothing in this subsection precludes a cooperative utility from refunding subsequently claimed funds at the cooperative utility's discretion.