2010 Wyoming Statutes
Title 3 - Guardian And Ward
Chapter 6 - Veterans' Guardianship
CHAPTER 6 - VETERANS' GUARDIANSHIP
3-6-101. Short title.
This act may be cited as the "Uniform Veterans' Guardianship Act".
3-6-102. Definitions.
(a) As used in this act:
(i) The term "person" includes a partnership, corporation or an association;
(ii) The term "bureau" means the United States veterans' bureau or its successor;
(iii) The terms "estate" and "income" shall include only moneys received by the guardian from the bureau and all earnings, interest and profits derived therefrom;
(iv) The term "benefits" shall mean all moneys payable by the United States through the bureau;
(v) The term "director" means the director of the United States veterans' bureau or his successor;
(vi) The term "ward" means a beneficiary of the bureau;
(vii) The term "guardian" as used herein shall mean any person acting as a fiduciary for a ward.
3-6-103. Appointment, confirmation or removal of guardian; administrator of veterans' affairs party in interest.
(a) Whenever, pursuant to any law of the United States or regulation of the bureau, the director requires, prior to payment of benefits, that a guardian be appointed for a ward, such appointment shall be made in the manner hereinafter provided.
(b) The administrator of veterans' affairs, or his successor, is and shall be a party in interest in any proceeding, heretofore or hereafter brought under the Uniform Veterans' Guardianship Act of this state for the appointment, confirmation, or removal of any guardian of the person or estate, or of both, of a minor, or insane or other mentally incompetent person, to whom or in whose behalf benefits have been paid or are payable by the veterans' administration or its predecessors or successors, and in any suit or other proceeding arising out of the administration of such person's estate, or in which the purpose thereof is to remove the disability of minority or of mental incompetency of such person.
3-6-104. Guardian limited to 5 wards; exceptions.
(a) Except as hereinafter provided it shall be unlawful for any person to accept appointment as guardian of any ward if such proposed guardian shall at that time be acting as guardian for five (5) wards. In any case, upon presentation of a petition by an attorney of the bureau under this section alleging that a guardian is acting in a fiduciary capacity for more than five (5) wards and requesting his discharge for that reason, the court, upon proof substantiating the petition, shall require a final accounting forthwith from such guardian and shall discharge such guardian in said case.
(b) The limitations of this section shall not apply where the guardian is a bank or trust company acting for the wards' estates only. An individual may be guardian of more than five (5) wards if they are all members of the same family.
3-6-105. Petition for appointment of guardian; contents thereof.
(a) A petition for the appointment of a guardian may be filed in any court of competent jurisdiction by or on behalf of any person who under existing law is entitled to priority of appointment. If there be no person so entitled or if the person so entitled shall neglect or refuse to file such a petition within thirty (30) days after mailing of notice by the bureau to the last known address of such person indicating the necessity for the same a petition for such appointment may be filed in any court of competent jurisdiction by or on behalf of any responsible person residing in this state.
(b) The petition for appointment shall set forth the name, age, place of residence of the ward, the names and places of residence of the nearest relatives, if known, and the fact that such ward is entitled to receive moneys payable by or through the bureau and shall set forth the amount of moneys then due and the amount of probable future payments.
(c) The petition shall also set forth the name and address of the person or institution, if any, having actual custody of the ward.
(d) In the case of a mentally incompetent ward the petition shall show that such ward has been rated incompetent on examination by the bureau in accordance with the laws and regulations governing the bureau.
3-6-106. Prima facie evidence of necessity for appointment; certificate of minor's age and that appointment condition precedent to payments.
Where a petition is filed for the appointment of a guardian of a minor ward a certificate of the director, or his representative, setting forth the age of such minor as shown by the records of the bureau and the fact that the appointment of a guardian is a condition precedent to the payment of any moneys due the minor by the bureau, shall be prima facie evidence of the necessity for such appointment.
3-6-107. Prima facie evidence of necessity for appointment; certificate of incompetency and that appointment condition precedent to payments.
Where a petition is filed for the appointment of a guardian of a mentally incompetent ward a certificate of the director, or his representative, setting forth the fact that such person has been rated incompetent by the bureau on examination in accordance with the laws and regulations governing such bureau, and that the appointment of a guardian is a condition precedent to the payment of any moneys due such person by the bureau, shall be prima facie evidence of the necessity for such appointment.
3-6-108. Notice upon filing of petition.
Upon the filing of a petition for the appointment of a guardian, under the provisions of this act, the court shall cause such notice to be given as provided by law.
3-6-109. Guardian to be fit and proper person; bond required.
Before making appointment under the provisions of this act the court shall be satisfied that the guardian whose appointment is sought is a fit and proper person to be appointed. Upon the appointment being made the guardian shall execute and file a bond to be approved by the court in an amount not less than the sum then due and estimated to become payable during the ensuing year. The said bond shall be in the form and be conditioned as required of guardians appointed under the guardianship laws of this state. The court shall have power from time to time to require the guardian to file an additional bond. Where a bond is tendered by a guardian with personal sureties, such sureties shall file with the court a certificate under oath which shall describe the property owned, both real and personal, and that they are each worth the sum named in the bond as the penalty thereof over and above all their debts and liabilities and exclusive of property exempt from execution.
3-6-110. Annual accounting; copy of accounts and pleadings to be filed with bureau; notice of hearing; administration of property from other sources.
(a) Every guardian, who has received or shall receive on account of his ward, any moneys from the veterans' administration, its predecessors or successor, shall file with the court annually, on the anniversary date of the appointment, in addition to such other accounts as may be required by the court, a full, true, and accurate account under oath, of all moneys so received by him, of all disbursements thereof, and showing the balance thereof in his hands at the date of such account and how invested. A certified copy of each of such accounts filed with the court shall be sent by the guardian to the office of the veterans' administration having jurisdiction over the area in which such court is located. A duplicate signed copy or certified copy of any petition, motion, or other pleading which is filed in the guardianship proceedings, or in any proceeding for the purpose of removing the disability of minority or of mental incompetency, shall be furnished by the person filing the same, to the office of the veterans' administration concerned. The court shall fix a time and place for the hearing on such account, petition, or other pleading, not less than fifteen (15) days nor more than thirty (30) days from the date of filing same, and notice thereof shall be given by the court to the aforesaid veterans' administration office not less than fifteen (15) days prior to the date fixed for the hearing. Notice of such hearing shall in like manner be given to the guardian.
(b) Any guardian appointed under this act shall be accountable for property derived from sources other than the veterans' administration and shall be accountable as is or may be required under the applicable law of this state pertaining to the property of minors or persons of unsound mind who are not beneficiaries of the veterans' administration; provided, however, that he may at his option administer the same as provided in this act and include an accounting for such assets and income in the same account required with respect to assets derived from the veterans' administration, and if so included, the procedure with respect thereto shall be that hereinabove prescribed.
3-6-111. Removal for failure to file accounts.
If any guardian shall fail to file any account of the moneys received by him from the bureau on account of his ward within thirty (30) days after such account is required by either the court or the bureau, or shall fail to furnish the bureau a copy of his accounts as required by this act, such failure shall be grounds for removal.
3-6-112. Compensation of guardian.
Compensation payable to guardian shall not exceed five percent (5%) of the income of the ward during any year. In the event of extraordinary services rendered by such guardian the court may, upon petition and after hearing thereon, authorize additional compensation therefor payable from the estate of the ward. Notice of such petition and hearing shall be given the proper office in the bureau in the manner provided in W.S. 3-6-110. No compensation shall be allowed on the corpus of an estate received from a preceding guardian. The guardian may be allowed from the estate of his ward reasonable premiums paid by him to any corporate surety upon his bond.
3-6-113. Investment of surplus money; notice to bureau.
(a) It shall be the duty of such guardians to invest and keep invested their ward's surplus money, but only in the securities or other property, and in the manner hereinafter indicated, and in which securities or other property the guardian has no interest. The investments, except those provided in paragraphs (i) and (ii) of this subsection hereof, shall be made only upon the prior approval of the court, after notice to the veterans' administration as provided in W.S. 3-6-110, as amended:
(i) Direct obligations of this state and of the United States government, and obligations, the interest and principal of which are both unconditionally guaranteed by the United States government;
(ii) The bonds of this state or of any other state, or any county, school districts, city, or town in the United States with a population of not less than one thousand (1,000) inhabitants; and where the laws do not permit such counties, cities, school districts, or towns to become indebted in excess of six percent (6%) of the assessed valuation of property for taxation therein, and where the total indebtedness of such county, school districts, city, or municipality, does not exceed six percent (6%) of the assessed valuation of property for taxation at the time of such investment: provided always, there has been no default for more than thirty (30) days during the preceding ten (10) years upon any bonds of the issuing state, county, city or town;
(iii) In the legally issued notes of the owner of the fee simple title to improved, unencumbered real property located in this state secured by first mortgage or deed of trust thereon: provided, that the total debt secured by such encumbrances shall not exceed sixty percent (60%) of the actual cash value of such real property at the time of such investment unless such loan be insured and while held by the guardian remain insured, by the federal housing administrator in accordance with the National Housing Act;
(iv) In the entire fee simple title to real estate or lease of real estate in this state and the purchase of all necessary equipment, but only as a home for the ward, or as a home for his dependent family, or to rehabilitate the ward, or to protect his interests. Such purchase or lease of real estate or other investment provided in this paragraph shall not be made except upon the entry of an order of the court after hearing upon verified petition. Notice of such hearing shall be given the veterans' administration as provided in W.S. 3-6-110, as amended. Title shall be taken in the ward's name. This paragraph shall not be construed to limit the right of the guardian, on behalf of his ward, to bid and to become the purchaser of real estate at a sale thereof pursuant to decree of foreclosure of a lien held by or for the ward, or at a tax or a trustee's sale, to protect the ward's right in the property so foreclosed or sold, or at a sale under partition decree, if necessary to protect the ward's interest in such property.
3-6-114. Support and maintenance of persons other than ward.
A guardian shall not apply any portion of the estate of his ward for the support and maintenance of any person other than his ward, except upon order of the court after a hearing, notice of which has been given the proper office of the bureau in the manner provided in W.S. 3-6-110.
3-6-115. Certified copies of public records.
Whenever a copy of any public record is required by the bureau to be used in determining the eligibility of any person to participate in benefits made available by such bureau, the official charged with the custody of such public record shall without charge provide the applicant for such benefits or any person acting on his behalf or the representative of such bureau with a certified copy of such record.
3-6-116. Repealed by Laws 1981, Sp. Sess., ch. 24, 2.
3-6-117. Discharge of guardian.
When a minor ward for whom a guardian has been appointed under the provisions of this act or other laws of this state shall have attained his or her majority, and if incompetent shall be declared competent by the bureau and the court, and when any incompetent ward, not a minor, shall be declared competent by said bureau and the court, the guardian shall upon making a satisfactory accounting be discharged upon a petition filed for that purpose.
3-6-118. Construction and applicability.
This act shall be construed liberally to secure the beneficial intents and purposes thereof, and shall apply only to beneficiaries of the bureau.
3-6-119. Interpretation.
This act shall be so interpreted and construed as to effectuate its general purpose to make uniform the law of those states which enact it.
