Cory

Plaintiff, Screen Actors Guild, Inc., appeals from a declaratory judgment decreeing that “residuals,” partially hejd abroad by it on behalf of its members and pursuant to a specific bylaw, are held, nevertheless, subject to escheat to the State of California after they have been unclaimed for a period of seven years by their owners under the Unclaimed Property Law (UPL) administered by defendant, the State Controller. We perceive no error and will therefore affirm the judgment for the reasons stated hereafter.

Facts

The facts in this case are not in dispute. Plaintiff, a California corporation doing business in the County of Los Angeles, is a labor union representing approximately 30,000 actors, stuntmen, and other performers. Plaintiff, as the representative of such performers (who are also its members), negotiated collective bargaining agreements regulating the production of movies, television productions, foreign telecasting, theatrical exhibition of television motion pictures and commercials. Pursuant to these agreements since the early 1950’s producers, under certain circumstances, transfer to plaintiff “residuals” for transmission by plaintiff to the entitled…