Florida Statutes 709.2111 – Co-agents and successor agents
Current as of: 2023 | Check for updates
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(1) A principal may designate two or more persons to act as co-agents. Unless the power of attorney otherwise provides, each co-agent may exercise its authority independently.
(2) A principal may designate one or more successor agents to act if an agent resigns, dies, becomes incapacitated, is not qualified to serve, or declines to serve. Unless the power of attorney otherwise provides, a successor agent:
(a) Has the same authority as that granted to the original agent; and
Terms Used In Florida Statutes 709.2111
- Agent: means a person granted authority to act for a principal under a power of attorney, whether denominated an agent, attorney in fact, or otherwise. See Florida Statutes 709.2102
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
- Knowledge: means a person has actual knowledge of the fact, has received a notice or notification of the fact, or has reason to know the fact from all other facts and circumstances known to the person at the time in question. See Florida Statutes 709.2102
- Power of attorney: means a writing that grants authority to an agent to act in the place of the principal, whether or not the term is used in that writing. See Florida Statutes 709.2102
- Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. Source: OCC
- Principal: means an individual who grants authority to an agent in a power of attorney. See Florida Statutes 709.2102
(b) May not act until the predecessor agents have resigned, have died, have become incapacitated, are no longer qualified to serve, or have declined to serve.
(3) Except as otherwise provided in the power of attorney and subsection (4), an agent who does not participate in or conceal a breach of fiduciary duty committed by another agent, including a predecessor agent, is not liable for the actions or omissions of the other agent.
(4) An agent who has actual knowledge of a breach or imminent breach of fiduciary duty by another agent, including a predecessor agent, must take any action reasonably appropriate in the circumstances to safeguard the principal’s best interests. If the agent in good faith believes that the principal is not incapacitated, giving notice to the principal is a sufficient action. An agent who fails to take action as required by this subsection is liable to the principal for the principal’s reasonably foreseeable damages that could have been avoided if the agent had taken such action.
(5) A successor agent does not have a duty to review the conduct or decisions of a predecessor agent. Except as provided in subsection (4), a successor agent does not have a duty to institute any proceeding against a predecessor agent, or to file any claim against a predecessor agent’s estate, for any of the predecessor agent’s actions or omissions as agent.
(6) If a power of attorney requires that two or more persons act together as co-agents, notwithstanding the requirement that they act together, one or more of the agents may delegate to a co-agent the authority to conduct banking transactions as provided in s. 709.2208(1), whether the authority to conduct banking transactions is specifically enumerated or incorporated by reference to that section in the power of attorney.