2005 North Carolina Code - General Statutes Article 2 - Durable Power of Attorney.

Article 2.

Durable Power of Attorney.

§ 32A‑8.  Definition.

A durable power of attorney is a power of attorney by which a principal designates another his attorney‑in‑fact in writing and the writing contains a statement that it is executed pursuant to the provisions of this Article or the words "This power of attorney shall not be affected by my subsequent incapacity or mental incompetence," or "This power of attorney shall become effective after I become incapacitated or mentally incompetent," or similar words showing the intent of the principal that the authority conferred shall be exercisable notwithstanding the principal's subsequent incapacity or mental incompetence. Unless the durable power of attorney provides otherwise, where the grant of power or authority conferred by a durable power of attorney is effective only upon the principal's subsequent incapacity or mental incompetence, any person to whom such writing is presented, in the absence of actual knowledge to the contrary, shall be entitled to rely on an affidavit, executed by the attorney‑in‑fact and setting forth that such condition exists, as conclusive proof of such incapacity or mental incompetence, subject to the provisions of G.S. 32A‑13. (1983, c. 626, s. 1; 1991, c. 173, s. 1.)

 

§ 32A‑9.  Registered durable power of attorney not affected by incapacity or mental incompetence.

(a)       All acts done by an attorney‑in‑fact pursuant to a durable power of attorney during any period of incapacity or mental incompetence of the principal have the same effect and inure to the benefit of and bind the principal and his successors in interest as if the principal were not incapacitated or mentally incompetent if the power of attorney has been registered under the provisions of subsection (b).

(b)       No power of attorney executed pursuant to the provisions of this Article shall be valid subsequent to the principal's incapacity or mental incompetence unless it is registered in the office of the register of deeds of that county in this State designated in the power of attorney, or if no place of registration is designated, in the office of the register of deeds of the county in which the principal has his legal residence at the time of such registration or, if the principal has no legal residence in this State at the time of registration or the attorney‑in‑fact is uncertain as to the principal's residence in this State, in some county in the State in which the principal owns property or the county in which one or more of the attorneys‑in‑fact reside. A power of attorney executed pursuant to the provision of this Article shall be valid even though the time of such registration is subsequent to the incapacity or mental incompetence of the principal.

(c)       Any person dealing in good faith with an attorney‑in‑fact acting under a power of attorney executed under this Article shall be protected to the full extent of the powers conferred upon such attorney‑in‑fact, and no person so dealing with such attorney‑in‑fact shall be responsible for the misapplication of any money or other property paid or transferred to such attorney‑in‑ fact. (1983, c. 626, s. 1; 1987, c. 77, s. 2.)

 

§ 32A‑10.  Relation of attorney‑in‑fact to court‑appointed fiduciary.

(a)       If, following execution of a durable power of attorney, a court of the principal's domicile appoints a conservator, guardian of the principal's person or estate, or other fiduciary charged with the management of all of the principal's property or all of his property except specified exclusions, the attorney‑in‑fact is accountable to the fiduciary as well as to the principal. The fiduciary has the same power to revoke or amend the power of attorney that the principal would have had if he were not incapacitated or mentally incompetent.

(b)       A principal may nominate, by a durable power of attorney, the conservator, guardian of his estate, or guardian of his person for consideration by the court if protective proceedings for the principal's person or estate are thereafter commenced. The court shall make its appointment in accordance with the principal's most recent nomination in a durable power of attorney except for good cause or disqualification. (1983, c. 626, s. 1.)

 

§ 32A‑11.  File with clerk, records, inventories, accounts, fees, and commissions.

(a)       Within 30 days after registration of the power of attorney as provided in G.S. 32A‑9(b), the attorney‑in‑fact shall file with the clerk of superior court in the county of such registration a copy of the power of attorney. Every attorney‑in‑fact acting under a power of attorney under this Article subsequent to the principal's incapacity or mental incompetence shall keep full and accurate records of all transactions in which he acts as agent of the principal and of all property of the principal in his hands and the disposition thereof.

(b)       Any provision in the power of attorney waiving or requiring the rendering of inventories and accounts shall govern, and a power of attorney that waives the requirement to file inventories and accounts need not be filed with the clerk of superior court. Otherwise, subsequent to the principal's incapacity or mental incompetence, the attorney‑in‑fact shall file in the office of the clerk of the superior court of the county in which the power of attorney is filed, inventories of the property of the principal in his hands and annual and final accounts of the receipt and disposition of property of the principal and of other transactions in behalf of the principal. The power of the clerk to enforce the filing and his duties in respect to audit and recording of such accounts shall be the same as those in respect to the accounts of administrators, but the fees and charges of the clerk shall be computed or fixed only with relation to property of the principal required to be shown in the accounts and inventories. The fees and charges of the clerk shall be paid by the attorney‑in‑fact out of the principal's money or other property and allowed in his accounts. If the powers of an attorney‑in‑fact shall terminate for any reason whatever, he, or his executors or administrators, shall have the right to have a judicial settlement of a final account by any procedure available to executors, administrators or guardians.

(c)       In the event that any power of attorney executed pursuant to the provisions of this Article does not contain the amount of compensation that the attorney‑in‑fact is entitled to receive or the way such compensation is to be determined, and the principal should thereafter become incapacitated or mentally incompetent, then, subsequent to the principal's incapacity or mental incompetence, the attorney‑in‑fact shall be entitled to receive reasonable compensation as determined by the clerk of superior court after considering the factors set forth in G.S. 32‑54(b). (1983, c. 626, s. 1; 2004‑139, s. 3.)

 

§ 32A‑12.  Appointment, resignation, removal, and substitutions.

(a)       A power of attorney executed under this Article may contain any provisions, not unlawful, relating to the appointment, resignation, removal and substitution of an attorney‑in‑fact, and to the rights, powers, duties and responsibilities of the attorney‑in‑ fact.

(b)       If all attorneys‑in‑fact named in the instrument or substituted shall die, or cease to exist, or shall become incapable of acting, and all methods for substitution provided in the instrument have been exhausted, such power of attorney shall cease to be effective. Any substitution by a person authorized to make it shall be in writing signed and acknowledged by such person. Notice of every other substitution shall be in writing and acknowledged by the person substituted. No substitution or notice subsequent to the principal's subsequent incapacity or mental incompetence shall be effective until it has been recorded in the office of the register of deeds of the county in which the power of attorney has been recorded. (1983, c. 626, s. 1.)

 

 

§ 32A‑13.  Revocation.

(a)       Every power of attorney executed pursuant to the provisions of this Article and registered in an office of the register of deeds in this State as provided in G.S. 32A‑9(b) shall be revoked by:

(1)       The death of the principal; or

(2)       Registration in the office of the register of deeds where the power of attorney has been registered of an instrument of revocation executed and acknowledged by the principal while he is not incapacitated or mentally incompetent, or by the registration in such office of an instrument of revocation executed by any person or corporation who is given such power of revocation in the power of attorney, or by this Article, with proof of service thereof in either case on the attorney‑in‑fact in the manner prescribed for service of summons in civil actions.

(b)       Every power of attorney executed pursuant to the provisions of this Article which has not been registered in an office of the register of deeds in this State shall be revoked by:

(1)       The death of the principal;

(2)       Any method provided in the power of attorney;

(3)       Being burnt, torn, canceled, obliterated, or destroyed, with the intent and for the purpose of revoking it, by the principal himself or by another person in his presence and by his direction, while the principal is not incapacitated or mentally incompetent; or

(4)       A subsequent written revocatory document executed and acknowledged in the manner provided herein for the execution of durable powers of attorney by the principal while not incapacitated or mentally incompetent and delivered to the attorney‑in‑fact in person or to his last known address by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested.

(c)       As to acts undertaken in good faith reliance upon an affidavit executed by the attorney‑in‑fact stating that he did not have, at the time of exercise of the power, actual knowledge of the termination of the power by revocation pursuant to the provisions of G.S. 32A‑13(b) or by the principal's death, such affidavit is conclusive proof of the nonrevocation or nontermination of the power at that time. This section does not affect any provision in a power of attorney for its termination by the expiration of time or occurrence of an event other than an express revocation.  (1983, c. 626, s. 1; 1991, c. 173, s. 2.)

 

§ 32A‑14.  Powers of attorney executed under the provisions of G.S. 47‑115.1; reference to Chapter 32B.

(a)       A power of attorney executed prior to October 1, 1988, pursuant to G.S. 47‑115.1 as it existed prior to October 1, 1983, shall be deemed to be a durable power of attorney as defined in G.S. 32A‑8.

(b)       A power of attorney under the provisions of this Article may refer to Chapter 32B as the same is set out in Chapter 626 of the 1983 Session Laws. (1983, c. 626, s. 1; 1985, c. 609, s. 5; 1989 (Reg. Sess., 1990), c. 992.)