2018 Indiana Code
TITLE 32. Property
ARTICLE 17. INTERESTS IN PROPERTY
CHAPTER 14. Transfer on Death Property Act
32-17-14-27. Powers and duties of a transferring entity

     Sec. 27. (a) An owner who makes arrangements for a transfer on death transfer under this chapter gives to the transferring entity the protections provided in this section for executing the owner's beneficiary designation.

     (b) A transferring entity may execute a transfer on death transfer with or without a written request for execution.

     (c) A transferring entity may rely and act on:

(1) a certified or authenticated copy of a death certificate issued by an official or an agency of the place where the death occurred as showing the fact, place, date, and time of death and the identity of the decedent; and

(2) a certified or authenticated copy of a report or record of any governmental agency that a person is missing, detained, dead, or alive, and the dates, circumstances, and places disclosed by the record or report.

     (d) A transferring entity has no duty to verify the information contained within a written request for the execution of a beneficiary designation. The transferring entity may rely and act on a request made by a beneficiary or a beneficiary's attorney in fact, guardian, conservator, or other agent.

     (e) A transferring entity has no duty to:

(1) except as provided in subsection (g), give notice to any person of the date, manner, and persons to whom a transfer will be made under beneficiary designation;

(2) attempt to locate any beneficiary or lineal descendant substitute;

(3) determine whether a nonsurviving beneficiary or descendant had a lineal descendant who survived the owner;

(4) locate a trustee or custodian;

(5) obtain the appointment of a successor trustee or custodian;

(6) discover the existence of a trust instrument or will that creates an express trust; or

(7) determine any fact or law that would:

(A) cause the beneficiary designation to be revoked in whole or in part as to any person because of a change in marital status or other reason; or

(B) cause a variation in the distribution provided in the beneficiary designation.

     (f) A transferring entity has no duty to withhold making a transfer based on knowledge of any fact or claim adverse to the transfer to be made unless before making the transfer the transferring entity receives a written notice that:

(1) in manner, place, and time affords a reasonable opportunity to act on the notice before making the transfer; and

(2) does the following:

(A) Asserts a claim of beneficial interest in the transfer adverse to the transfer to be made.

(B) Gives the name of the claimant and an address for communications directed to the claimant.

(C) Identifies the deceased owner.

(D) States the nature of the claim as it affects the transfer.

     (g) If a transferring entity receives a timely notice meeting the requirements of subsection (f), the transferring entity may discharge any duty to the claimant by sending a notice by certified mail to the claimant at the address provided by the claimant's notice of claim. The notice must advise the claimant that a transfer adverse to the claimant's asserted claim will be made at least forty-five (45) days after the date of the mailing unless the transfer is restrained by a court order. If the transferring entity mails the notice described by this subsection to the claimant, the transferring entity shall withhold making the transfer for at least forty-five (45) days after the date of the mailing. Unless the transfer is restrained by court order, the transferring entity may make the transfer at least forty-five (45) days after the date of the mailing.

     (h) Neither notice that does not comply with the requirements of subsection (f) nor any other information shown to have been available to a transferring entity, its transfer agent, or its employees affects the transferring entity's right to the protections provided by this chapter.

     (i) A transferring entity is not responsible for the application or use of property transferred to a fiduciary entitled to receive the property.

     (j) Notwithstanding the protections provided a transferring entity by this chapter, a transferring entity may require parties engaged in a dispute over the propriety of a transfer to:

(1) adjudicate their respective rights; or

(2) furnish an indemnity bond protecting the transferring entity.

     (k) A transfer by a transferring entity made in accordance with this chapter and under the beneficiary designation in good faith and reliance on information the transferring entity reasonably believes to be accurate discharges the transferring entity from all claims for the amounts paid and the property transferred.

     (l) All protections provided by this chapter to a transferring entity are in addition to the protections provided by any other applicable Indiana law.

As added by P.L.143-2009, SEC.41. Amended by P.L.149-2012, SEC.16.