Section 1217. Procedure

   Whenever it appears, after investigation by the
  comptroller or otherwise, that  there  exists  or  may  exist  escheated
  property  under  this  article,  the attorney general may take action to
  recover such  property.  For  such  purpose  the  attorney  general  may
  institute  special proceedings in the name of the people of the state of
  New York in the supreme court of this  state.  In  any  such  proceeding
  there shall be named as respondents
    (a) All last known owners or claimants appearing in the records of the
  United States. These may be described as a class when
    (i)  they  own  or  claim property of the same nature and the value of
  such property as shown on the account of each such owner or claimant  in
  the records of the United States does not exceed five hundred dollars in
  value, or
    (ii)  the  records of the United States show more than ten such owners
  or claimants for a particular fund, item or category of property, or
    (iii) the records of the United States fail to disclose the number  of
  owners  or claimants for a particular fund, item or category of property
  with a reasonable degree of certainty.
    (b) All unknown owners or claimants.  These  may  be  described  as  a
  class.