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Terms Used In New Jersey Statutes 3B:9-4.1

  • Decedent: A deceased person.
  • Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
  • Fiduciary: includes executors, general administrators of an intestate estate, administrators with the will annexed, substituted administrators, substituted administrators with the will annexed, guardians, substituted guardians, trustees, substituted trustees and, unless restricted by the subject or context, temporary administrators, administrators pendente lite, administrators ad prosequendum, administrators ad litem and other limited fiduciaries. See New Jersey Statutes 3B:1-1
  • Governing instrument: means a deed, will, trust, insurance or annuity policy, account with the designation "pay on death" (POD) or "transfer on death" (TOD), security registered in beneficiary form with the designation "pay on death" (POD) or "transfer on death" (TOD), pension, profit-sharing, retirement or similar benefit plan, instrument creating or exercising a power of appointment or a power of attorney, or a dispositive, appointive, or nominative instrument of any similar type. See New Jersey Statutes 3B:1-1
  • Heirs: means those persons, including, but not limited to, the surviving spouse, the domestic partner and the descendants of the decedent, who are entitled under the statutes of intestate succession to the property of a decedent. See New Jersey Statutes 3B:1-1
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • 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
67. a. Any fiduciary, including an agent acting on behalf of a principal within the implied or general authority of a power of attorney, may disclaim any power or discretion held by such fiduciary in a fiduciary capacity. Unless the governing instrument specifically authorizes the fiduciary to disclaim such power or discretion without obtaining court authorization to do so, the disclaimer by the fiduciary shall not be effective unless, prior thereto, such fiduciary has been authorized to disclaim by the court having jurisdiction over the fiduciary after finding that it is advisable and will not materially prejudice the rights of: (1) devisees, heirs, or beneficiaries of the decedent; (2) the minor, the incapacitated individual, the conservatee, or the principal; or (3) the beneficiaries of the trust.

b. Unless expressly authorized by the court or by the governing instrument:

(1) Any disclaimer under this section shall be personal to the fiduciary so disclaiming and shall not constitute a disclaimer by a co-fiduciary or a successor or substituted fiduciary of such power or discretion;

(2) No disclaimer shall affect the rights of: (a) devisees, heirs or beneficiaries of the decedent; (b) the minor, the incapacitated individual, the conservatee, or the principal; or (c) the beneficiaries of the trust.

L.2004,c.132,s.67.