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<section article="gfi" article_name="Financial Institutions" number="1-204" title_number="1" title_name="Definitions; General Provisions" subtitle_number="2" subtitle_name="General Provisions">
  <level label="a">
    <text>A provision in an account agreement for a transfer on death in compliance with this section is nontestamentary and shall be effective according to the provisions of this section. Transfers pursuant to this section are effective in the form and manner prescribed by this section and are not to be considered testamentary.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>“Account” means any type of deposit or share account at a depository institution.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>“Account” includes:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>Checking and other demand deposit accounts;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Negotiable order of withdrawal and other savings accounts;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>Share draft accounts; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>Certificated and uncertificated time deposit accounts.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>“Account agreement” means a written agreement, whether in one or more instruments, that establishes the type of account, the terms of account, and the relationship between the depository institution and the party or parties to the account.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>“Beneficiary” means any person designated on a trust account as a person:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>To whom the account belongs after the death of all trustees for the account; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Who does not possess a present right to draw upon funds in the account during the lifetime of any trustee for the account.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>“Convenience person” means any person who is authorized to draw upon funds in an account:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Under a power of attorney given by one or more parties to the account; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>By virtue of a designation in the account agreement appointing that person as agent of a party or the parties to the account for the convenience of the party or parties.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>“Depository institution” means any State–chartered or federally chartered financial institution, other–state bank, or foreign bank that:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Is located in this State or maintains a branch in this State; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Is authorized to maintain accounts.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>“Joint account” means any account other than a P.O.D. account or a trust account established in the name of two or more parties.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="8">
      <level label="i">
        <text>“Multiple–party account” means any of the following types of accounts at a depository institution:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>Joint account;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <level label="P">
            <level label="O">
              <level label="D">
                <text>account; or</text>
              </level>
            </level>
          </level>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>Trust account.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>“Multiple–party account” does not include any:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>Account established and designated for the deposit of funds of a corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, or other association of persons for business purposes;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Account established and designated for the deposit of funds of a charitable or civic organization;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>Fiduciary account where the relationship is established other than by the account agreement;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>Account established and designated as governed under the Maryland Uniform Transfers to Minors Act;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="5">
          <text>Account established and designated as governed under Title 13, Subtitle 4 of the Estates and Trusts Article; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="6">
          <text>Account that would not be a multiple–party account except for the fact that one or more convenience persons are authorized to draw upon funds in the account.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="9">
      <level label="i">
        <text>“Party” means any person who, by the terms of the account agreement, possesses a present right to draw upon funds in a multiple–party account.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>“Party” includes a trustee of a trust account.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>“Party” does not include a:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>Beneficiary of a trust account;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <level label="P">
            <level label="O">
              <level label="D">
                <text>payee of a P.O.D. account; or</text>
              </level>
            </level>
          </level>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>Convenience person.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="10">
      <text>“P.O.D. account” means any account established in the name of one or more parties where funds in the account may be drawn upon:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>By one party during the party’s lifetime and by one or more P.O.D. payees on the party’s death; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>By one or more parties during their respective lifetimes and, upon the death of all the parties, by one or more P.O.D. payees.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="11">
      <text>“P.O.D. payee” means any person designated on a P.O.D. account as a person:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>To whom the account belongs after the death of all parties to the account; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Who does not possess a present right to draw upon funds in the account during the lifetime of any party to the account.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="12">
      <level label="i">
        <text>“Power of attorney” means any writing signed by one or more parties to an account that authorizes one or more persons to draw upon funds in the account as agent or agents for the signing party or parties.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The designation of a person as a convenience person on an account shall be deemed to be a durable power of attorney appointing that person as agent for the party or parties to the account regardless of any disability of the party or parties subsequent to the designation.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="13">
      <level label="i">
        <text>“Trust account” means any account established in the name of one or more parties as trustees for one or more beneficiaries where:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>None of the beneficiaries is also a trustee;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>The trust relationship is established by the account agreement; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>There is no corpus of the trust other than the funds in the account.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>“Trust account” does not include a:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>Trust account under a testamentary trust, declaration of trust, or a trust agreement that has significance apart from the account; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Fiduciary account arising from a fiduciary relationship.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>A depository institution is authorized to establish multiple–party accounts subject to the terms of this section.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Multiple–party accounts established on or after October 1, 1993, shall be subject to and comply with the terms of this section.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>A multiple–party account established before October 1, 1993, shall be subject to and comply with the terms of this section if:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The parties expressly state in an account agreement that complies with subsection (e) of this section that the account shall be subject to the terms of this section; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <level label="1">
          <text>The depository institution gives a written notice that:</text>
        </level>
        <level label="A">
          <text>States that the law applicable to the account has changed;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="B">
          <text>States that the party’s rights under the account may change because of the change in law; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="C">
          <text>Repeats the provisions of subsection (d) of this section; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>After that notice is given, any party to the account:</text>
        </level>
        <level label="A">
          <text>Increases or decreases the amount of the deposit in the account;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="B">
          <text>Presents evidence of the account for crediting of interest;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="C">
          <text>Corresponds or responds in writing with the depository institution concerning the account without rejecting in writing the provisions of this section; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="D">
          <text>Otherwise indicates approval of the account being governed by this section as evidenced by a writing on file with the depository institution.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Upon the death of a party to a multiple–party account, the right to any funds in the account shall be determined in accordance with the express terms of the account agreement.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>If the account agreement does not expressly establish the right to funds in the account upon the death of a party, or if there is no account agreement, any funds in the account upon the death of a party shall belong to the surviving party or parties.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Unless the account agreement expressly provides otherwise, upon the death of the last party to a multiple–party account, any funds remaining in the account shall belong to:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The beneficiaries of a trust account who are then living;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The P.O.D. payees of a P.O.D. account who are then living; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Subject to paragraph (4) of this subsection, the personal representative of:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>The last surviving party of a trust account if no beneficiary is then living;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>The last surviving party of a P.O.D. account if no P.O.D. payee is then living; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>The last surviving party of a joint account.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>No payment from a multiple–party account may be made to the personal representative of a deceased party unless:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Proof is presented to the depository institution showing that the deceased party was the last surviving party; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>There is no right of survivorship under this section.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>If there is no right of survivorship under this section, the depository institution may make payment from a multiple–party account to the personal representative of a deceased party without liability to:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Any other party; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Any party’s heirs, personal representatives, or assigns.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>No funds in an account shall belong to any convenience person by reason of that capacity.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Each account agreement for a multiple–party account opened on or after October 1, 1993, shall contain a clear and conspicuous written statement specifying that unless contrary direction is given in the account agreement, upon the death of a party, the funds in the multiple–party account shall belong to the surviving party or parties.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>For multiple–party accounts opened on or after October 1, 1993, the depository institution shall give to the account party or parties:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>A copy of the account agreement; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>A written notice identifying the type of account, the survivorship rights of the parties to the account, and the method by which the account party or parties can obtain a copy of the account agreement.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>Unless the account agreement expressly provides otherwise, the funds in a multiple–party account may be withdrawn by any party or by a convenience person for any party or parties, whether or not any other party to the account is incapacitated or deceased.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>A depository institution may presume that an account established by the parties as a trust account complies with the definitional requirements of a trust account as set forth in subsection (b) of this section unless, prior to the establishment of the account, the depository institution is provided with written notice to the contrary.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <text>Any written materials required by this section to be given to account parties:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Shall be deemed given if:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Delivered in person to any one of the account parties; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Mailed to the account party or parties by first–class mail, postage prepaid, to the address for the account shown on the records of the depository institution; and</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>May be provided along with or as part of other materials given to account parties.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="i">
    <level label="1">
      <text>A person who has an ownership interest in an account that is not a multiple–party account may designate another person as a convenience person on that account.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>No funds in the account shall belong to any convenience person by reason of that capacity.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
