In the case of a minor ward, a general guardian or guardian of the estate has the power to perform in a reasonable and prudent manner every act that a reasonable and prudent person would perform incident to the collection, preservation, management, and use of the ward’s estate to accomplish the desired result of administering the ward’s estate legally and in the ward’s best interest, including but not limited to the following specific powers:

(1) To take possession, for the ward’s use, of all the ward’s estate, as defined in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 35A-1202(5).

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(2) To receive assets due the ward from any source.

(2a) To obtain the ward’s digital assets, as provided in Chapter 36F of the N.C. Gen. Stat., including catalogues and content, and to request and authorize disclosure of the digital assets.

(3) To maintain any appropriate action or proceeding to obtain support to which the ward is legally entitled, to recover possession of any of the ward’s property, to determine the title thereto, or to recover damages for any injury done to any of the ward’s property; also, to compromise, adjust, arbitrate, sue on or defend, abandon, or otherwise deal with and settle any other claims in favor of or against the ward.

(4) To abandon or relinquish all rights in any property when, in the guardian’s opinion, acting reasonably and in good faith, it is valueless, or is so encumbered or is otherwise in such condition that it is of no benefit or value to the ward or his estate.

(4a) To renounce any interest in property as provided in Chapter 31B of the N.C. Gen. Stat., or as otherwise allowed by law.

(5) To vote shares of stock or other securities in person or by general or limited proxy, and to pay sums chargeable or accruing against or on account of securities owned by the ward.

(6) To insure the ward’s assets against damage or loss, at the expense of the ward’s estate.

(7) To pay taxes, assessments, and other expenses incident to the collection, care, administration, and protection of the ward’s estate.

(8) To sell or exercise stock subscription or conversion rights; consent, directly or through a committee or other agent, to the reorganization, consolidation, merger, dissolution, or liquidation of a corporation or other business enterprise.

(9) To expend estate income on the ward’s behalf and to petition the court for prior approval of expenditures from estate principal; provided, neither the existence of the estate nor the guardian’s authority to make expenditures therefrom shall be construed as affecting the legal duty that a parent or other person may have to support and provide for the ward.

(10) To pay from the ward’s estate necessary expenses of administering the ward’s estate.

(11) To employ persons, including attorneys, auditors, investment advisors, appraisers, or agents to advise or assist him in the performance of his duties as guardian.

(12) To continue any business or venture or farming operation in which the ward was engaged, where such continuation is reasonably necessary or desirable to preserve the value, including goodwill, of the ward’s interest in such business.

(13) To acquire and retain every kind of property and every kind of investment, including specifically, but without in any way limiting the generality of the foregoing bonds, debentures, and other corporate or governmental obligations; stocks, preferred or common; real estate mortgages; shares in building and loan associations or savings and loan associations; annual premium or single premium life, endowment, or annuity contracts; and securities of any management type investment company or investment trust registered under the Federal Investment Company Act of 1940, as from time to time amended.

(14) a. Without a court order to lease any of the ward’s real estate for a term of not more than three years, or to sell, lease or exchange any of the ward’s personal property including securities, provided that the aggregate value of all items of the ward’s tangible personal property sold without court order shall not exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) per accounting period. When any item of the ward’s tangible personal property has a value which when increased by the value of all other tangible personal property previously sold in the estate without a court order would exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) in the current accounting period, a guardian may sell the item only as provided in subdivision (14)b.

b. A guardian who is required by subdivision (14)a to do so shall, and any other guardian who so desires may, by motion in the cause, request the court to issue him an order to lease any of the ward’s real estate or to sell any item or items of the ward’s personal property. Notice of the motion and of the date, time and place of a hearing thereon shall be served, as provided in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1A-1, Rule 5, Rules of Civil Procedure, upon all parties of record and upon such other persons as the clerk may direct, and the court may issue the order after hearing and upon such conditions as the court may require; provided that:

1. A sale, lease, or exchange under this subdivision may not be subject to Article 29A of Chapter 1 of the N.C. Gen. Stat. unless the order so requires; and

2. The power granted in this subdivision shall not affect the power of the guardian to petition the court for prior approval of expenditures from estate principal under subdivision (9) of this section.

(15) To foreclose, as an incident to the collection of any bond, note or other obligation, any mortgage, deed of trust, or other lien securing such bond, note or other obligation, and to bid in the property at such foreclosure sale, or to acquire the property by deed from the mortgagor or obligor without foreclosure; and to retain the property so bid in or taken over without foreclosure.

(16) To borrow money for such periods of time and upon such terms and conditions as to rates, maturities, renewals, and security as the guardian shall deem advisable, including the power of a corporate guardian to borrow from its own banking department, for the purpose of paying debts, taxes, and other claims against the ward, and to mortgage, pledge, or otherwise encumber such portion of the ward’s estate as may be required to secure such loan or loans; provided, in respect to the borrowing of money on the security of the ward’s real property, Subchapter III of this Chapter is controlling.

(17) To execute and deliver all instruments that will accomplish or facilitate the exercise of the powers vested in the guardian. (1987, c. 550, s. 1; 1989, c. 473, s. 4; 1995, c. 235, s. 7; 2008-87, s. 2; 2016-53, s. 8.)