Texas Estates Code 111.054 – Application of State Law to Certain Nontestamentary Transfers
(a) This section applies if more than 50 percent of the:
(1) assets in an account at a financial institution, in a retirement account, or in another similar arrangement are owned, immediately before a possible nontestamentary transfer of the assets, by one or more persons domiciled in this state; or
(2) interests under an insurance contract, annuity contract, beneficiary designation, or other similar arrangement are owned, immediately before a possible nontestamentary transfer of the interests, by one or more persons domiciled in this state.
(b) Notwithstanding a choice of law or other contractual provision in an agreement prepared or provided by a contracting third party, Texas law applies to determine:
(1) whether a nontestamentary transfer of assets or interests described by Subsection (a) has occurred; and
(2) the ownership of the assets or interests following a possible nontestamentary transfer.
Terms Used In Texas Estates Code 111.054
- Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
- Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
- Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
- Person: includes a natural person and a corporation. See Texas Estates Code 22.027
- personal representative: include :
(1) an executor and independent executor;
(2) an administrator, independent administrator, and temporary administrator; and
(3) a successor to an executor or administrator listed in Subdivision (1) or (2). See Texas Estates Code 22.031 - Property: means real and personal property. See Texas Government Code 311.005
(c) Notwithstanding a choice of law or other contractual provision in an agreement prepared or provided by a contracting third party, any person, including a personal representative, who is asserting an ownership interest in assets or interests described by Subsection (a) subject to a possible nontestamentary transfer shall have access to the courts of this state for a judicial determination of:
(1) whether a nontestamentary transfer of the assets or interests has occurred; or
(2) the ownership of the assets or interests following a possible nontestamentary transfer.
(d) Subsections (a), (b), and (c) do not apply to an obligation:
(1) owed by a party to the contracting third party; or
(2) owed by the contracting third party to a party.
(e) This section applies to a community property survivorship agreement governed by Chapter 112 and a multiple-party account governed by Chapter 113.