If your securities is lost, accidentally destroyed, or stolen, you should immediately contact us to request a stop transfer on the certificate. Brokerage firms, banks, transfer agents and corporations have procedures in place to help investors replace lost or stolen certificates. This process can be both complicated and expensive, which is why we recommend exhausting all efforts to locate the lost certificate before attempting to replace it.
Forms Needed:
Lost Certificate Replacement
Prompt delivery of completed forms, with fees as specified below, will help to expedite the replacement process.
Step 1: Report Lost Stock Certificate. To process requests for the replacement of lost or stolen stock certificates, West Coast Stock Transfer, Inc. (WCST), will need the Form X-17 completed and returned to us by shareholder. This first step authorizes WCST to place a stop on the certificate and report the security as lost through the Securities Information Center which is accessible to brokerage firms and other custodians.
Step 2: Apply for Indemnity Bond for replacement Certificate. In order to replace the lost certificate, we will need the original Lost Securities Affidavit and Lost Securities Application completed and mailed to our office. These two forms are used to secure an indemnity bond to protect the issuer and WCST the possibility that the lost certificate may be the subject of a fraudulent transaction presented later by an innocent purchaser. The bond premium percentage is between 2% for domestic shareholders and 4% for non-US holders. Mail all original items to WCST with payment. If not payment is provided with paperwork, please provide an email to send invoice information.
Tip(s) for completing the Westfield Application and Indemnity Agreement
- BOND INFORMATION: The Bond Amount is the bond premium multiplied by the market value of the securities at the time of loss report. You may leave the BOND INFORMATION section blank which includes the Bond Amount. We can calculate the include the information for this section.
- SECURITY INFORMATION: Lost Securities Description should be as descriptive as possible, such as ABC Corporation Common Stock. The Date of Issue is the date on the physical stock certificate. You many need to contact WCST to obtain if you do not a copy of the lost certificate.
- If the registered owner is an entity, you must include a copy of a corporate resolution or similar documentation, authorizing the officer who is signing these documents to sign on behalf of the corporation.
Lost Mail
If your certificate(s) were lost by the U.S. postal service, courier or parcel service, please call West Coast Stock Transfer to see if you are eligible to file for a mail loss bond to replace them. Keep in mind, it is best to transfer securities via courier service such as Federal Express, United Parcel Service, certified mail, etc).
Finding a Lost Certificate
If a lost certificate is found by the shareholder or a related party, the shareholder will be subject to a recovery-filing fee to reactivate the stock certificate. To re-activate the lost certificate with West Coast Stock Transfer, shareholders will need to send the applicable fees and the Stop Release Letter stating that the certificate was found. Once this letter is received, West Coast Stock Transfer will reactivate the certificate and remove the stop previously placed.