Montana Code 72-31-310. Termination of power of attorney or agent’s authority
72-31-310. Termination of power of attorney or agent‘s authority. (1) A power of attorney terminates when:
Terms Used In Montana Code 72-31-310
- 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 Montana Code 72-31-302
- Good faith: means honesty in fact. See Montana Code 72-31-302
- Incapacity: means inability of an individual to manage property or business affairs because the individual:
(a)has an impairment in the ability to receive and evaluate information or make or communicate decisions even with the use of technological assistance; or
(b)is:
(i)missing; or
(ii)outside the United States and unable to return. See Montana Code 72-31-302
- 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 Montana Code 72-31-302
- 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 Montana Code 72-31-302
- Principal: means an individual who grants authority to an agent in a power of attorney. See Montana Code 72-31-302
(a)the principal dies;
(b)the principal becomes incapacitated if the power of attorney is not durable;
(c)the principal revokes the power of attorney;
(d)the power of attorney provides that it terminates;
(e)the purpose of the power of attorney is accomplished; or
(f)the principal revokes the agent’s authority or the agent dies, becomes incapacitated, or resigns and the power of attorney does not provide for another agent to act under the power of attorney.
(2)An agent’s authority terminates when:
(a)the principal revokes the authority;
(b)the agent dies, becomes incapacitated, or resigns;
(c)an action is filed for the dissolution or annulment of the agent’s marriage to the principal or their legal separation unless the power of attorney otherwise provides; or
(d)the power of attorney terminates.
(3)Unless the power of attorney otherwise provides, an agent’s authority is exercisable until the authority terminates under subsection (2), notwithstanding a lapse of time since the execution of the power of attorney.
(4)Termination of an agent’s authority or of a power of attorney is not effective as to the agent or another person that, without actual knowledge of the termination, acts in good faith under the power of attorney. An act so performed, unless otherwise invalid or unenforceable, binds the principal and the principal’s successors in interest.
(5)Incapacity of the principal of a power of attorney that is not durable does not revoke or terminate the power of attorney as to an agent or other person that, without actual knowledge of the incapacity, acts in good faith under the power of attorney. An act so performed, unless otherwise invalid or unenforceable, binds the principal and the principal’s successors in interest.
(6)The execution of a power of attorney does not revoke a power of attorney previously executed by the principal unless the subsequent power of attorney provides that the previous power of attorney is revoked or that all other powers of attorney are revoked.