Unclaimed Mutual Fund Dividends:
Rajesh received dividend in 2008 for one of its mutual fund investment.Meanwhile Rajesh closed his bank account and not updated it with mutual funds.Since dividend warrant contains bank account number,Rajesh was not able to deposit it in another account.As time passed thereafter Rajesh forget about it and now he wish to reclaim that dividend declared in 2008,,nearly 04 yrs back.
Common Reasons Of Unclaimed Dividends:
- Unclaimed dividends of deceased person : Possibly , this is important reason where nominees have not claimed the investment and dividends also remain unclaimed.
- Change of address: There are number of old investors who have not opted for NEFT facility.In such cases,dividend is received through warrants and if address is not updated in mutual fund folio, then warrant goes to older address.
- Closure Of Bank account : Investor have closed his bank account registered with said mutual fund and not updated with mutual fund.As dividend warrent carries name and bank account number,investor need to seek fresh warrant.
What happens to unclaimed dividends:
As per SEBI guidelines,each mutual fund house need to maintain a separate account for unclaimed investment and such unclaimed dividends are transferred to this account.
How to claim old unencashed dividend:
- First find out the reason why you was not able to encash the dividend.
- If address change is the issue then get Address updated through KYC process.
- To update bank account,you need to provide cancelled copy of cheque of new account.[Few fund houses demands proof of old account also.].Avail NEFT facility to receive dividends and maturity proceeds.
- Investor need to return old dividend warrants which have not encashed.
What if you have lost past dividend warrants:
Its possible that investors have lost old warrants or not have received at all.Then one need to sign a letter of indemnity,One can get format of indemnity from concerned mutual fund house .General format of which can be as follows:
General Format of Letter of Indemnity:
To,
……………………..
The following dividend warrant appear to have been lost or misplaced from my custody / Lost in postal transit or not returned to the comapany or its registrars.
Mutual Fund Folio No:
Scheme Name:
Date:
Amount:
In consideration of mutual fund scheme [Name Of Sceme] issuing to me Pay Order/Demand Draft for the dividend warrant of Rs……. ,in lieu of the original dividend warrant which has been lost,destroyed or misplaced ,I hereby undertake and engage myself ,executors,Administrators and Assigns , to hold the Company and the Trustees thereof harmless and indemnified against all suits,actions,procedings,charges,damages,demands,costs,losses and expenses which may arise in the event of said original Dividend Warrant being paid or forthcoming at any future time.
I further undertake that in the event of the original Dividend Warrant eventually coming into my possession,I will forward it to the Company for Cancellation.
Yours Faithfully,
[Signature,Name & address]
Signature Of Witness withName & Address:
In general if amount of dividend to be claimed is more than Rs.500/- then it needs to be executed on non-judicial stamp paper of said Rs. [Generally Rs.10/-] or as adviced by mutual fund house .
If you have any unclaimed dividend then you can approach said mutual fund house or registrar of the concerned mutual funds.
Click Here to view sample application form for Misplaced / Lost dividend warrants.
Click Here to know about the Mutual Funds serviced by CAMS and Karvy.
