The Duff & Phelps
Unclaimed Property and Tax Risk Advisory team has learned that
on December 3, 2018, Univar, Inc. filed an action in the U.S.
District Court for the District of Delaware asserting that an
unclaimed property audit initiated by the
Delaware Department of Finance and its third-party contingent
auditor Kelmar Associates LLC violates the company's rights
under the United States Constitution.
Specifically, Univar claims the audit impinges the company's
rights under the Fourth, Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. Univar
seeks declaratory judgment and injunction relief. The complaint may
be viewed here.
This action appears to fulfil predictions recently outlined in
Duff & Phelps' publication titled, "
What is the Future State of Unclaimed Property" that the
time could be ripe for a lawsuit in Federal Court against
Delaware's audit regime based on due process grounds.