Mo. Rev. Stat. § 461.062

Current with changes from the 2024 Legislative Session

Section 461.062 - Nonprobate transfer rules

1. The rights and obligations of the owner, beneficiary and transferring entity shall be governed by the nonprobate transfers law of Missouri.

2. When provision for a nonprobate transfer is a matter of agreement between the owner and the transferring entity pursuant to section 461.012, a transferring entity may adopt rules for the making, revocation, acceptance and execution of beneficiary designations and a transferring entity may adopt the rules in subdivisions (1) to (15) of subsection 3 of this section in whole or in part by incorporation by reference.

3. The following rules in subdivisions (1) to (15) of this subsection shall apply to all beneficiary designations except as otherwise provided by any governing instrument, the rules of any transferring entity, applicable law or the beneficiary designation:

(1) A beneficiary designation or a request for registration of property in beneficiary form shall be made in writing, signed by the owner and dated, except as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection;

(2) A security that is not presently registered in the name of the owner may be registered in beneficiary form on instructions given by a broker or a person delivering the security;

(3) A beneficiary designation may designate one or more primary beneficiaries and one or more contingent beneficiaries;

(4) On property registered in beneficiary form, primary beneficiaries are the persons shown immediately following the transfer on death direction. Words indicating that the persons shown are primary beneficiaries are not required. If contingent beneficiaries are designated, their names in the registration shall be preceded by the words "contingent beneficiaries", or an abbreviation thereof, or words of similar meaning;

(5) Unless a different percentage or fractional share is stated for each beneficiary, surviving multiple primary beneficiaries or multiple contingent beneficiaries share equally. When a percentage or fractional share is designated for multiple beneficiaries, either primary or contingent, surviving beneficiaries share in the proportion that their designated shares bear to each other;

(6) Provision for a transfer of unequal shares to multiple beneficiaries for property registered in beneficiary form may be expressed in the registration by a number preceding the name of each beneficiary that represents a percentage share of the property to be transferred to that beneficiary. The number representing a percentage share need not be followed by the word "percent" or a percent sign;

(7) A nonprobate transfer of property also transfers any interest, rent, royalties, earnings, dividends or credits earned or declared on the property, but not paid or credited before the owner's death;

(8) If a distribution by a transferring entity pursuant to a nonprobate transfer results in fractional shares in a security or other property that is not divisible, the transferring entity may distribute the fractional shares in the name of all beneficiaries as tenants in common or as the beneficiaries may direct, or the transferring entity may sell the property, that is not divisible and distribute the proceeds to the beneficiaries in the proportions to which they are entitled;

(9) On death of the owner, the property, less a setoff for all amounts and charges owing by the owner to the transferring entity, shall belong to the surviving beneficiaries, and their lineal descendants when required as substitutes, as follows:

(a) If a multiple primary beneficiary does not survive and has no surviving lineal descendant substitutes, the nonsurviving primary beneficiary's share shall belong to the surviving primary beneficiaries in the proportion that their shares bear to each other;

(b) If no primary beneficiary or lineal descendant substitute survives, the property shall belong to the surviving contingent beneficiaries in equal shares or in the percentage or fractional share stated;

(c) If a multiple contingent beneficiary does not survive and has no lineal descendant substitutes, the nonsurviving contingent beneficiary's share shall belong to the surviving contingent beneficiaries in the proportion that their shares bear to each other;

(d) If no beneficiary survives the owner, the property shall belong to the owner's estate;

(10) If a trustee designated as a beneficiary does not survive the owner, resigns or is unable or unwilling to execute the trust as trustee, and, if within one year of the owner's death no successor trustee has been appointed or has undertaken to act, or if a trustee is designated as beneficiary and no trust instrument or probated will creating an express trust has been presented to the transferring entity, the transferring entity may in its discretion make the distribution as it would be made if the trust did not survive the owner;

(11) If, within six months of the owner's death, the transferring entity has not been presented evidence that a nonsurviving beneficiary for whom LDPS distribution applies had lineal descendants who survived the owner, the transferring entity may in its discretion make the transfer as if the beneficiary's descendants, if any, did not survive the owner;

(12) If a beneficiary cannot be located at the time the transfer is made to located beneficiaries, the transferring entity shall hold the missing beneficiary's share. If the missing beneficiary's share is not claimed by the beneficiary or the beneficiary's personal representative or successors within one year of the owner's death, the transferring entity shall transfer the share as if the beneficiary did not survive the owner. The transferring entity shall have no obligation to attempt to locate a missing beneficiary, to pay interest on the share held for a missing beneficiary or to invest the missing beneficiary's share in any different property. Cash, interest, rent, royalties, earnings or dividends payable to the missing beneficiary may be held by the transferring entity at interest or reinvested by the transferring entity in the account or in a dividend reinvestment account associated with a security held for the missing beneficiary;

(13) If a transferring entity is required to make a nonprobate transfer to a minor or a disabled adult the transfer may be made pursuant to the Missouri transfers to minors law, chapter 404, the Missouri personal custodian law, chapter 404, or a similar law of another state;

(14) A written request for execution of a nonprobate transfer may be made by any beneficiary, a beneficiary's legal representative or attorney in fact, or the owner's personal representative. The request shall be under oath or affirmation, subscribed before a notary public or other person authorized to administer oaths, and shall include the following:

(a) The full name, address and tax identification number of each beneficiary;

(b) The percentage or fractional share to be distributed to each beneficiary;

(c) The manner in which percentage or fractional shares in nondivisible property or the proceeds therefrom are to be distributed;

(d) A statement that there are no known disputes as to the persons entitled to a distribution under the nonprobate transfer or the amounts to be distributed to each person, and no known claims that would affect the distribution requested;

(e) Such other information as the transferring entity may require;

(15) A written request pursuant to subdivision (14) of this subsection shall be accompanied by the following:

(a) Any certificate or instrument evidencing ownership of the contract, account, security or property;

(b) Proof of death of the owner and any nonsurviving beneficiary;

(c) An inheritance tax waiver from states that require it;

(d) Where the request is made by a legal representative, a certified copy of the court order appointing the legal representative; and

(e) Such other proof of entitlement as the transferring entity may require.

§ 461.062, RSMo

L. 1989 H.B. 145 § 37, A.L. 1995 S.B. 116