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H.B. 247

             1     

POWER OF ATTORNEY IN RELATION TO A

             2     
TRUST

             3     
2003 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Sponsor: Merlynn T. Newbold

             6      This act modifies and enacts provisions of the Probate Code relating to powers of
             7      attorney. It prohibits powers of attorney holders from creating, modifying, or revoking
             8      trusts without specific authorization, changing interests in the principal's property, or
             9      making loans to the holder of the power of attorney.
             10      This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
             11      AMENDS:
             12          75-5-501, as last amended by Chapter 14, Laws of Utah 2001, First Special Session
             13      ENACTS:
             14          75-5-503, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             15          75-5-504, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             16      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             17          Section 1. Section 75-5-501 is amended to read:
             18           75-5-501. Power of attorney not affected by disability or lapse of time -- Agent
             19      responsibilities.
             20          (1) Whenever a principal designates another his attorney-in-fact or agent by a power of
             21      attorney in writing and the writing contains the words "This power of attorney shall not be
             22      affected by disability of the principal," or "This power of attorney shall become effective upon
             23      the disability of the principal," or similar words showing the intent of the principal that the
             24      authority conferred shall be exercisable notwithstanding his disability, the authority of the
             25      attorney-in-fact or agent is exercisable by him as provided in the power on behalf of the
             26      principal notwithstanding:
             27          (a) later disability or incapacity of the principal at law or later uncertainty as to whether



             28      the principal is dead or alive; or
             29          (b) the lapse of time since the execution of the instrument, unless the instrument states
             30      a time of termination.
             31          (2) If an attorney-in-fact or agent determines that the principal has become
             32      incapacitated or disabled and the power of attorney by its terms remains in effect or becomes
             33      effective as a result of a principal's incapacity or disability, the attorney-in-fact or agent shall:
             34          (a) notify all interested persons of his status as the power of attorney holder within 30
             35      days of the principal's incapacitation, and provide them with his name and address;
             36          (b) provide to any interested persons upon written request, a copy of the power of
             37      attorney [and a statement of the assets to which the power of attorney applies];
             38          (c) provide to any interested persons upon written request, an annual accounting of the
             39      assets to which the power of attorney applies, if the power of attorney specifically directs the
             40      attorney-in-fact or agent to do so; and
             41          (d) notify all interested persons upon the death of the principal.
             42          (3) All interested persons shall be notified within ten days if the attorney-in-fact or
             43      agent changes. The notification shall be made by the new attorney-in-fact or agent who shall
             44      then be accountable to the interested persons in accordance with Subsection (2).
             45          (4) All acts done by the attorney-in-fact or agent pursuant to the power during any
             46      period of disability or incompetence or uncertainty as to whether the principal is dead or alive
             47      have the same effect and inure to the benefit of and bind the principal or his heirs, devisees,
             48      and personal representative as if the principal were alive, competent, and not disabled, except
             49      as provided in Section 75-5-503 .
             50          (5) A conservator may be appointed for a principal even though the principal has a
             51      valid power of attorney in place. If a conservator thereafter is appointed for the principal, the
             52      attorney-in-fact or agent, during the continuance of the appointment, shall account to the
             53      conservator rather than the principal. [The conservator has the same power the principal would
             54      have had if he were not disabled or incompetent to revoke, suspend, or terminate all or any part
             55      of the power of attorney or agency.]
             56          [(5)] (6) For the purposes of this section, "interested person" means any person entitled
             57      to a part of the principal's estate from the principal's will or through the intestacy laws,
             58      whichever is applicable.



             59          Section 2. Section 75-5-503 is enacted to read:
             60          75-5-503. Power of attorney -- Prohibitions and restrictions.
             61          A power of attorney may not be construed to grant authority to an attorney-in-fact or
             62      agent to perform any of the following, unless expressly authorized in the power of attorney:
             63          (1) create, modify, or revoke an inter vivos revocable trust created by the principal;
             64          (2) fund, with the principal's property, a trust not created by the principal or by a person
             65      authorized to create a trust on behalf of the principal;
             66          (3) make or revoke a gift of the principal's property, in trust or otherwise; or
             67          (4) designate or change the designation of beneficiaries to receive any property,
             68      benefit, or contract right on the principal's death.
             69          Section 3. Section 75-5-504 is enacted to read:
             70          75-5-504. Voidable transactions.
             71          Any loan, sale, or encumbrance on behalf of a principal with his attorney-in-fact, or
             72      with the attorney-in-fact's spouse, agent, or attorney, or any entity or trust in which the
             73      attorney-in-fact has a substantial beneficial interest, or any transaction involving the
             74      attorney-in-fact which is affected by a substantial conflict of interest, is voidable unless the
             75      transaction is approved by the court after notice to interested persons and others as directed by
             76      the court.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 1-27-03 10:53 AM


A limited legal review of this legislation raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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