Missouri Laws 369.212 – Death of all lessees of safe deposit box, duties of association
1. In the event the sole lessee or all lessees as joint renters named in the lease agreement covering a safe deposit box rental shall die, the association by contract may accept the following additional duties: The safe deposit box may be opened at any time thereafter, in the presence of persons claiming to be interested in the contents thereof, by two employees of the association, one of whom shall be an officer of the association; and such employees may remove all instruments of a testamentary nature and deposit the same with the probate divisions of the circuit court, taking its receipt therefor, and such employees in their discretion may deliver life insurance policies therein contained to the beneficiaries named in such policies, and any deed to a cemetery lot and any burial instructions found therein to the appropriate parties; and such lease shall state that the association retains the right to open the safe deposit box on the death of any lessee, including joint renters. When a safe deposit box is opened as authorized in this subsection, the contents not specifically authorized for removal shall remain in the box leased to joint renters. The remaining contents of all other safe deposit boxes so opened shall be kept and retained by the association and shall be delivered only to the parties legally entitled to the same. In the event no person claims to be interested in the contents of a box within sixty days after the death of the lessee, the association may open the box by forcible entry and remove the contents and dispose of the same in accordance with the procedures specified in section 369.211.
2. Upon the death of any lessee of a safe deposit box and upon request of the probate division of the circuit court, the association shall reply to such request and inform such official if the designated person was the lessee of a safe deposit box at the time of death.
Terms Used In Missouri Laws 369.212
- Association: a savings and loan association or a savings association subject to the provisions of this chapter. See Missouri Laws 369.014
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
- following: when used by way of reference to any section of the statutes, mean the section next preceding or next following that in which the reference is made, unless some other section is expressly designated in the reference. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
- Person: any individual, corporation, entity, voting trust, business trust, partnership, association, syndicate, or organized group of persons whether incorporated or not. See Missouri Laws 369.014
- Probate: Proving a will
- State: when applied to any of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" includes such district and territories. See Missouri Laws 1.020