2014 Vol. 98 No. 3

21 HќќѠіђџȱ юћјђџ юџѐѕ 2014 yer,7 the terms contained on the ac- Œ˜ž—ȱœ’—Šž›ŽȱŒŠ›ȱŒ˜—Ě’ŒŽȱ ’‘ȱ the apparent intent of the parties and created an unintended result. In that instance, the signature card stated that “any funds placed in or added to the account by any one of the parties is and shall be conclusively intended to be a gift … to the other signatory … to the extent of his or their pro rata interest.8 The court found the language on the signature card to unambiguously demonstrate a donative intent. In addition, funds held in a joint account would potentially be subject to the claims of the creditors of each party to the account. With respect to the second reason, Šȱ™›˜™Ž›•¢ȱ›ŠŽȱ™˜ Ž›ȱ˜ȱŠĴ˜›- —Ž¢ȱ ’••ȱ™Ž›–’ȱ‘ŽȱŠĴ˜›—Ž¢ȱ’—ȱŠŒȱ to conduct banking transactions on behalf of the principal, while minimizing many of the risks associated with a joint account. A power of ŠĴ˜›—Ž¢ȱ’œȱȃŠȱ ›’’—ȱ˜›ȱ˜‘Ž›ȱ›ŽŒ˜›ȱ ‘Šȱ›Š—œȱŠž‘˜›’¢ȱ˜ȱŠ—ȱŠĴ˜›—Ž¢ȱ in fact or agent to act in place of a principal, whether the term ‘power of ŠĴ˜›—Ž¢Ȃȱ’œȱžœŽǯȄ9 Assuming that the ™˜ Ž›ȱ˜ȱŠĴ˜›—Ž¢ȱ’œȱ™›˜™Ž›•¢ȱ›ŠŽȱ Š—ȱœŠ’œęŽœȱ‘Žȱ–’—’–ž–ȱŒ˜—’’˜—œȱ for validity,10 the principal may grant ŒŽ›Š’—ȱœŠž˜›’•¢ȱŽę—Žȱ™˜ Ž›œ11 to ‘ŽȱŠĴ˜›—Ž¢ȱ’—ȱŠŒȱ‹¢ȱ›ŽŽ›Ž—ŒŽȱ˜ȱ‘Žȱ œ™ŽŒ’ęŒȱœŽŒ’˜—œȱ˜ȱ‘Žȱ —’Š—Šȱ ˜Žǰȱ or by reference to the descriptive language contained in the relevant sections.12 ȱ ‘ŽȱŽę—Žȱ™˜ Ž›œȱ›Ž•Š’—ȱ˜ȱ banking transactions are very broad and cover substantially all of the actions that a principal could take with respect to their own accounts. Notwithstanding this broad statutory grant of authority, a principal may limit or modify the granted powers,13 or may terminate them at any time.14 Further, unlike a joint owner of an ŠŒŒ˜ž—ǰȱŠ—ȱŠĴ˜›—Ž¢ȱ’—ȱŠŒȱ’œȱ›Ž- quired by law to “use due care to act ˜›ȱ‘Žȱ‹Ž—Žęȱ˜ȱ‘Žȱ™›’—Œ’™Š•ȱž—Ž›ȱ ‘ŽȱŽ›–œȱ˜ȱ‘Žȱ™˜ Ž›ȱ˜ȱŠĴ˜›—Ž¢15 and to “exercise all powers granted ž—Ž›ȱ‘Žȱ™˜ Ž›ȱ˜ȱŠĴ˜›—Ž¢ȱ’—ȱŠȱ ꍞŒ’Š›¢ȱŒŠ™ŠŒ’¢ǯȄ16 Accordingly, a ™›˜™Ž›•¢ȱ›ŠŽȱ™˜ Ž›ȱ˜ȱŠĴ˜›—Ž¢ȱ ™Ž›–’œȱ‘ŽȱŠĴ˜›—Ž¢ȱ’—ȱŠŒȱ˜ȱŒ˜—- This information is provided for general education purposes and is not intended to be legal advice. •ŽŠœŽȱŒ˜—œž•ȱ•ŽŠ•ȱŒ˜ž—œŽ•ȱ˜›ȱœ™ŽŒ’ęŒȱž’Š—ŒŽȱŠœȱ to how this information applies to your institution’s circumstances or situation. 1 Ind. Code § 32-17-11-4. 2 § 32-17-11-17(a). 3 § 32-17-11-18(a). 4 § 32-17-11-20. 5 437 N.E.2d 92 (Ind. Ct.App. 1982) 6Id. at 96. 7 388 N.E.2d 611 (Ind. Ct.App. 1979). 8 Id. at 612. duct banking transactions on behalf of the principal and minimizes the —ŽŽȱ˜›ȱŠ—ȱŠĴ˜›—Ž¢ȱ’—ȱŠŒȱ˜ȱ‹ŽȱŠȱ joint owner of a deposit account.  ABOUT COMPLIANCE CONNECTION In order to address compliance inquiries from members, IBA provides Compliance Connection, an assistance ™›˜›Š–ȱ˜ěŽ›’—ȱŠŸ’ŒŽȱ˜—ȱ —’Š—ŠȬœ™ŽŒ’ęŒȱŒ˜–™•’Š—ŒŽȱ šžŽœ’˜—œǯȱ ȱ‘Žȱ–ŠĴŽ›ȱ›Žšž’›Žœȱ•ŽŠ•ȱŠŸ’ŒŽǰȱ ȱ Compliance Connection will refer the bank to a law ꛖǯȱ ‘Žȱ–ŠŽ›’Š•ȱ’—ȱ‘’œȱ’œœžŽȱ Šœȱ™›Ž™Š›Žȱ‹¢ȱLarry C. Tomlin, partner with Krieg DeVault LLP, Indianapolis, and IBA compliance consultant. Submit Compliance Connection questions to IBA’s –‹Ž›ȱ ǯȱ Š—ȱ ’•ȱat avantil@indianabankers.org. Trusted. Partner. 9 Ind. Code § 30-5-2-7. 10 See § 30-5-4-1. 11 See §§ 30-5-5-2 through 19. 12 See § 30-5-5-1. 13 See § 30-5-5-1. 14 See § 30-5-10-1. 15 § 30-5-6-2. 16 § 30-5-6-3.

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