(a) A person nominated under § 35-7-104, or designated under § 35-7-110, as custodian may decline to serve by delivering a written disclaimer to the person who made the nomination or to the transferor or the transferor’s legal representative. If the event giving rise to a transfer has not occurred and no substitute custodian able, willing and eligible to serve was nominated, the person who made the nomination may nominate a substitute custodian; otherwise, the transferor or the transferor’s legal representative shall designate a substitute custodian at the time of the transfer, in either case from among the persons eligible to serve as custodian for that kind of property. The custodian so designated has the rights of a successor custodian.

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 Tennessee Code 35-7-119

  • Adult: means an individual who has attained twenty-one (21) years of age. See Tennessee Code 35-7-102
  • Court: means the chancery, probate and juvenile courts and other courts having probate jurisdiction, which shall have concurrent jurisdiction under this chapter. See Tennessee Code 35-7-102
  • Custodial property: means :
    (A) Any interest in property transferred to a custodian under this chapter. See Tennessee Code 35-7-102
  • Custodian: means a person so designated, including a person designated as a joint custodian pursuant to §. See Tennessee Code 35-7-102
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Guardian: means a person appointed by or qualified in a court to act as a general, limited, or temporary guardian or conservator of a minor's property or person or a person legally authorized to perform substantially the same functions. See Tennessee Code 35-7-102
  • Legal representative: means an individual's personal representative, guardian or conservator. See Tennessee Code 35-7-102
  • Minor: means an individual who has not attained twenty-one (21) years of age, although the minor may already be of legal age. See Tennessee Code 35-7-102
  • 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: means an individual, corporation, organization, or other legal entity. See Tennessee Code 35-7-102
  • Property: includes both personal and real property. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Representative: when applied to those who represent a decedent, includes executors and administrators, unless the context implies heirs and distributees. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Transfer: means a transaction that creates custodial property under this chapter. See Tennessee Code 35-7-102
  • Transferor: means a person who makes a transfer under this chapter. See Tennessee Code 35-7-102
  • Trust company: means a financial institution, corporation, or other legal entity, authorized to exercise general trust powers. See Tennessee Code 35-7-102
  • written: includes printing, typewriting, engraving, lithography, and any other mode of representing words and letters. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(b) A custodian at any time may designate a trust company or an adult other than a transferor under this chapter as successor custodian by executing and dating an instrument of designation before a subscribing witness other than the successor. If the instrument of designation does not contain or is not accompanied by the resignation of the custodian, the designation of the successor does not take effect until the custodian resigns, dies, becomes incapacitated, or is removed.
(c) A custodian may resign at any time by delivering written notice to the minor if the minor has attained fourteen (14) years of age and to the successor custodian and by delivering the custodial property to the successor custodian.
(d) If a custodian is ineligible, dies, or becomes incapacitated without having effectively designated a successor and the minor has attained fourteen (14) years of age, the minor may designate as a successor custodian, in the manner prescribed in subsection (b), an adult member of the minor’s family, a guardian or conservator of the minor, or a trust company. If the minor has not attained fourteen (14) years of age or fails to act within sixty (60) days after the ineligibility, death, or incapacity, the guardian of the minor becomes successor custodian. If the minor has no guardian or the guardian declines to act, the transferor, the legal representative of the transferor or of the custodian, an adult member of the minor’s family, or any other interested person may petition the court to designate a successor custodian.
(e) A custodian who declines to serve under subsection (a) or resigns under subsection (c), or the legal representative of a deceased or incapacitated custodian, as soon as practicable, shall put the custodial property and records in the possession and control of the successor custodian. The successor custodian by action may enforce the obligation to deliver custodial property and records and becomes responsible for each item as received.
(f) A transferor, the legal representative of a transferor, an adult member of the minor’s family, a guardian or conservator of the person or property of the minor, or the minor if the minor has attained fourteen (14) years of age may petition the court to remove the custodian for cause and to designate a successor custodian other than a transferor under § 35-7-105, or to require the custodian to give appropriate bond.