MEMBER BETRAYAL

 Allowing  administrators to profit from unclaimed property, incentivizes the  growth of unclaimed property, resulting in a loss to the cooperative and  a rejection of fiduciary responsibility. (The growth of unclaimed  property can be achieved by inflating margins to increase capital credit  awards, lengthening rotation periods, a failure to locate relocated Co-Op owners of retired capital credits, and the retention of capital credits of  deceased members that exceed $500. None of these actions benefit coop members. If boards and CEOs devise schemes to retain and use unclaimed capital credits rather than return margins to owners as promised, there is no incentive to shape policy to return capital credits. In fact, administrators that scheme to retain and use unclaimed property can be expected to craft policy and practice to grow unclaimed property.) If administrators scheme to take property from rightful owners for their use, they reject their fiduciary responsibility because their action results in a loss to the coop. For administrators to devise and lobby legislation to commandeer and use member capital credits is a serious betrayal of member trust.