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Terms Used In Vermont Statutes Title 14 Sec. 4011

  • 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. See
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
  • Fiduciary: includes executor, administrator, special administrator, trustee, conservator, guardian of a minor, guardian of a spendthrift, voluntary guardian of a person who has an infirmity and total or limited guardian of an adult with a developmental disability, but excludes one who is merely a guardian ad litem. See
  • 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. See
  • Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. Source: OCC
  • 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. See
  • Principal: means an individual who grants authority to an agent in a power of attorney. See

§ 4011. Co-agents and successor agents

(a) A principal may designate two or more persons to act as co-agents. Unless the power of attorney otherwise provides, each co-agent may exercise its authority independently.

(b) A principal may designate one or more successor agents to act if an agent resigns, dies, becomes incapacitated or unavailable, is not qualified to serve, or declines to serve. A principal may grant authority to designate one or more successor agents to an agent or other person designated by name, office, or function. Unless the power of attorney otherwise provides, a successor agent:

(1) has the same authority as that granted to the original agent; and

(2) may not act until all predecessor agents have resigned, died, become incapacitated or unavailable, are no longer qualified to serve, or have declined to serve.

(c) Except as otherwise provided in the power of attorney and subsection (d) of this section, an agent who does not participate in or conceal a breach of fiduciary duty committed by another agent, including a predecessor agent, is not liable for the actions of the other agent.

(d) An agent who has actual knowledge of a breach or imminent breach of fiduciary duty by another agent shall notify the principal and, if the principal is incapacitated or unavailable, take any action reasonably appropriate in the circumstances to safeguard the principal’s best interests. An agent who fails to notify the principal or take action as required by this subsection is liable for the reasonably foreseeable damages that could have been avoided if the agent had notified the principal or taken such action. (Added 2023, No. 60, § 1, eff. July 1, 2023.)