if you hold the share certifate, chess or other doco in YOUR NAME then you are the rightful owner. if stock/s held in nominees you are also the rightful owner. it shouldn't matter where the docs are stored. you can check your holdings at most registries online. if in a nominee account there should be no worries. you will get a steatement from your broker at least 6 monthly outlining the holdings held on your behalf. you normally pay a fee for this caretaking but not always.
