Maine Revised Statutes Title 18-C Sec. 5-919 – Acceptance of and reliance upon acknowledged power of attorney
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1. Acknowledged. For purposes of this section and section 5-920, “acknowledged” means purportedly verified before a notary public or other individual authorized to take acknowledgments.
[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes Title 18-C Sec. 5-919
- Agent: includes an original agent, coagent, successor agent and a person to whom an agent's authority is delegated. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 18-C Sec. 5-902
- Good faith: means honesty in fact. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 18-C Sec. 5-902
- 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 Maine Revised Statutes Title 18-C Sec. 5-902
- 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 Maine Revised Statutes Title 18-C Sec. 5-902
- Principal: means an individual who grants authority to an agent in a power of attorney. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 18-C Sec. 5-902
2. Signature not genuine. A person that in good faith accepts an acknowledged power of attorney without actual knowledge that the signature is not genuine may rely upon the presumption under section 5?905 that the signature is genuine.
[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
3. Void, invalid or terminated; exceeding or improper authority. A person that in good faith accepts an acknowledged power of attorney without actual knowledge that the power of attorney is void, invalid or terminated, that the purported agent‘s authority is void, invalid or terminated or that the agent is exceeding or improperly exercising the agent’s authority may rely upon the power of attorney as if the power of attorney were genuine, valid and still in effect, the agent’s authority were genuine, valid and still in effect and the agent had not exceeded and had properly exercised the authority.
[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
4. Request and rely upon. A person that is asked to accept an acknowledged power of attorney may request, and rely upon, without further investigation:
A. An agent’s certification under penalty of perjury of any factual matter concerning the principal, agent or power of attorney; [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
B. An English translation of the power of attorney if the power of attorney contains, in whole or in part, language other than English; and [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
C. An opinion of counsel as to any matter of law concerning the power of attorney if the person making the request provides in a writing or other record the reason for the request. [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).]
5. Expense of translation or opinion of counsel. An English translation or an opinion of counsel requested under this section must be provided at the principal’s expense unless the request is made more than 7 business days after the power of attorney is presented for acceptance.
[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
6. Employee without actual knowledge. For purposes of this section and section 5?920, a person that conducts activities through employees is without actual knowledge of a fact relating to a power of attorney, a principal or an agent if the employee conducting the transaction involving the power of attorney is without actual knowledge of the fact.
[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).