Indiana Code

Ind. Code § 26-1-3.1-309 (2026)

Enforcement of lost, destroyed, or stolen instrument

✓ current as of May 2026
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     Sec. 309. (a) A person not in possession of an instrument is entitled to enforce the instrument if:

(1) the person seeking to enforce the instrument:

(A) was entitled to enforce the instrument when loss of possession occurred; or

(B) has directly or indirectly acquired ownership of the instrument from a person who was entitled to enforce the instrument when loss of possession occurred;

(2) the loss of possession was not the result of a transfer by the person or a lawful seizure; and

(3) the person cannot reasonably obtain possession of the instrument because the instrument was destroyed, its whereabouts cannot be determined, or it is in the wrongful possession of an unknown person or a person that cannot be found or is not amenable to service of process.

     (b) A person seeking enforcement of an instrument under subsection (a) must prove the terms of the instrument and the person's right to enforce the instrument. If that proof is made, IC 26-1-3.1-308 applies to the case as if the person seeking enforcement had produced the instrument. The court may not enter judgment in favor of the person seeking enforcement unless it finds that the person required to pay the instrument is adequately protected against loss that might occur by reason of a claim by another person to enforce the instrument. Adequate protection may be provided by any reasonable means.

As added by P.L.222-1993, SEC.5. Amended by P.L.135-2009, SEC.7.

 

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 4 cases, 1997–2015 · leading case: Yanoff v. Muncy, 688 N.E.2d 1259 (Ind. 1997).
Yanoff v. Muncy, 688 N.E.2d 1259 (Ind. 1997). · cites it 2× “In pertinent part, Indiana Code § 26-1-3.1-309 provides: (a) A person not in possession of an instrument is entitled to enforce the instrument if: (1).”
Douglas L. Krasnoff v. The Educ. Resources Inst., 44 N.E.3d 781 (Ind. Ct. App. 2015). · cites it 4× “Section 26-1-3.1-309 applies to those parties entitled to enforce an instrument but who lost possession of the instrument outside of “a transfer .”
Yanoff v. Muncy, 676 N.E.2d 765 (Ind. Ct. App. 1997). · cites it 14× “In such a case, the party not in possession of the instrument is entitled to enforcement when he meets the statutory requirements of I.C. § 26-1-3.1-309. This statute provides: "(a) A person not in possession of an instrument is entitled to enforce the instrument if: (1) The…”
Bonilla v. Com. Servs. of Perry, Inc., 900 N.E.2d 22 (Ind. Ct. App. 2009). · cites it 10× “Code section 26-1-3.1-309, Perry was not required to present the promissory notes underlying the debts in question in order to proceed with its case.”
— Ind. Code § 26-1-3.1-309(a)(2) — 1 case
Douglas L. Krasnoff v. The Educ. Resources Inst., 44 N.E.3d 781 (Ind. Ct. App. 2015). “Section 26-1-3.1-309 applies to those parties entitled to enforce an instrument but who lost possession of the instrument outside of “a transfer .”
— Ind. Code § 26-1-3.1-309(b) — 1 case
Yanoff v. Muncy, 676 N.E.2d 765 (Ind. Ct. App. 1997). “In such a case, the party not in possession of the instrument is entitled to enforcement when he meets the statutory requirements of I.C. § 26-1-3.1-309. This statute provides: "(a) A person not in possession of an instrument is entitled to enforce the instrument if: (1) The…”
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