2019 Maine Revised Statutes
TITLE 18-C: PROBATE CODE
Article 5: MAINE UNIFORM GUARDIANSHIP, CONSERVATORSHIP AND PROTECTIVE PROCEEDINGS
Part 9: MAINE UNIFORM POWER OF ATTORNEY ACT
Subpart 1: GENERAL PROVISIONS AND DEFINITIONS
18-C §5-902. Definitions

§5-902. Definitions

As used in this Part, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.   [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]

1.  Agent.  "Agent" means a person granted authority to act for a principal under a power of attorney, whether denominated an agent, attorney-in-fact or otherwise. "Agent" includes an original agent, coagent, successor agent and a person to whom an agent's authority is delegated.  

[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]

2.  Durable.  "Durable," with respect to a power of attorney, means not terminated by the principal's incapacity.  

[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]

3.  Electronic.  "Electronic" means relating to technology having electrical, digital, magnetic, wireless, optical, electromagnetic or similar capabilities.  

[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]

4.  Good faith.  "Good faith" means honesty in fact.  

[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]

5.  Incapacity.  "Incapacity" means inability of an individual to effectively manage property or business affairs because the individual:  

A. Is impaired by reason of mental illness, mental deficiency, physical illness or disability, chronic use of drugs, chronic intoxication or other cause to the extent that the individual lacks sufficient understanding, capacity or ability to receive and evaluate information or make or communicate decisions regarding the individual's property or business affairs; or   [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]

B. Is:  

(1) Missing;  

(2) Detained, including incarcerated in a penal system; or  

(3) Outside the United States and unable to return.   [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]

[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]

6.  Person.  "Person" means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, public corporation, government or governmental subdivision, agency or instrumentality or any other legal or commercial entity.  

[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]

7.  Power of attorney.  "Power of attorney" means a writing or other record that grants authority to an agent to act in the place of the principal, whether or not the term "power of attorney" is used.  

[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]

8.  Presently exercisable general power of appointment.  "Presently exercisable general power of appointment," with respect to property or a property interest subject to a power of appointment, means power exercisable at the time in question to vest absolute ownership in the principal individually, the principal's estate, the principal's creditors or the creditors of the principal's estate. "Presently exercisable general power of appointment" includes a power of appointment not exercisable until the occurrence of a specified event, the satisfaction of an ascertainable standard or the passage of a specified period only after the occurrence of the specified event, the satisfaction of the ascertainable standard or the passage of the specified period. "Presently exercisable general power of appointment" does not include a power exercisable in a fiduciary capacity or only by will.  

[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]

9.  Principal.  "Principal" means an individual who grants authority to an agent in a power of attorney.  

[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]

10.  Property.  "Property" means anything that may be the subject of ownership, whether real or personal or legal or equitable, or any interest or right therein.  

[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]

11.  Sign.  "Sign" means, with present intent to authenticate or adopt a record:  

A. To execute or adopt a tangible symbol; or   [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]

B. To attach to or logically associate with the record an electronic sound, symbol or process.   [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]

[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]

12.  Stocks and bonds.  "Stocks and bonds" means stocks, bonds, mutual funds and all other types of securities and financial instruments, whether held directly, indirectly or in any other manner. "Stocks and bonds" does not include commodity futures contracts and call or put options on stocks or stock indexes.  

[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]

SECTION HISTORY

PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW). PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. F, §1 (AFF). PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).