(a) The right to renounce property or an interest therein is barred by:

(1) An assignment, conveyance, encumbrance, pledge, or transfer of the property or interest, or a contract therefor by the person authorized to renounce,

Need help with a review of a will?
Have it reviewed by a lawyer, get answers to your questions and move forward with confidence.
Connect with a lawyer now

Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 31B-4

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
  • Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
  • Grantor: The person who establishes a trust and places property into it.
  • property: shall include all property, both real and personal. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
  • Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories, so called; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the said district and territories and all dependencies. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3

(2) A written waiver of the right to renounce, or

(3) Repealed by Session Laws 1998-148, s. 4.

(4) A sale of the property or interest under judicial sale made before the renunciation is effected.

(b) An instrument waiving or barring the right to renounce is binding upon the person waiving the right to renounce or the person barred from renouncing and all persons claiming through or under that person.

(c) A fiduciary‘s application for appointment or assumption of duties as fiduciary does not waive or bar the fiduciary’s right to renounce a right, power, privilege, or immunity.

(d) No person shall be liable for distributing or disposing of property in reliance upon the terms of a renunciation that is invalid for the reason that the right of renunciation has been waived or barred, if the distribution or disposition is otherwise proper, and the person has no actual knowledge or record notice of the facts that constitute a waiver or bar to the right of renunciation.

(e) The right to renounce property or an interest in property pursuant to this Chapter is not barred by an acceptance of the property, interest, or benefit thereunder; provided, however, an acceptance of the property, interest, or benefit thereunder may preclude such renunciation from being a qualified renunciation for federal and State inheritance, estate, and gift tax purposes.

(f) An instrument waiving or barring the right to renounce an interest in real property is not effective as to persons protected under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 47-18 or N.C. Gen. Stat. § 47-20 until either (i) registered as provided in those sections or (ii) registered pursuant to a judicial sale proceeding as described in subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of this section in which the person renouncing is a party. The instrument of waiver or bar shall be indexed in the grantor‘s index under (i) the name of the transferor of the property or interest in the property or creator of the power or holder of the power and (ii) the name of the person whose renunciation is waived or barred. (1975, c. 371, s. 1; 1989, c. 684, s. 6; 1998-148, ss. 4, 5; 2000-140, s. 8; 2009-48, s. 7.)