Missouri Laws 461.005 – Definitions
In sections 461.003 to 461.081, unless the context otherwise requires, the following terms mean:
(1) “Beneficiary”, a person or persons designated or entitled to receive property pursuant to a nonprobate transfer on surviving one or more persons;
Terms Used In Missouri Laws 461.005
- Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- following: when used by way of reference to any section of the statutes, mean the section next preceding or next following that in which the reference is made, unless some other section is expressly designated in the reference. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- Inter vivos: Transfer of property from one living person to another living person.
- Per stirpes: The legal means by which the children of a decedent, upon the death of an ancestor at a level above that of the decedent, receive by right of representation the share of the ancestor
- person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- Property: includes real and personal property. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- Remainderman: One entitled to the remainder of an estate after a particular reserved right or interest, such as a life tenancy, has expired.
- Right of survivorship: The ownership rights that result in the acquisition of title to property by reason of having survived other co-owners.
(2) “Beneficiary designation”, a provision in writing that is not a will that designates the beneficiary of a nonprobate transfer, including the transferee in an instrument that makes the transfer effective on death of the owner, and that complies with the conditions of any governing instrument, the rules of any transferring entity and applicable law;
(3) “Death of the owner”, in the case of joint owners, means death of the last surviving owner;
(4) “In proper form”, a phrase which applies to a beneficiary designation or a revocation or change thereof, or a request to make, revoke or change a beneficiary designation, which complies with the terms of the governing instrument, the rules of the transferring entity and applicable law, including any requirements with respect to supplemental documents;
(5) “Joint owners”, persons who hold property as joint tenants with right of survivorship and a husband and wife who hold property as tenants by the entirety;
(6) “LDPS”, an abbreviation of lineal descendants per stirpes which may be used in a beneficiary designation to designate a substitute beneficiary as provided in section 461.045;
(7) “Nonprobate transfer”, a transfer of property taking effect upon the death of the owner, pursuant to a beneficiary designation. A nonprobate transfer under sections 461.003 to 461.081 does not include survivorship rights in property held as joint tenants or tenants by the entirety, a transfer to a remainderman on termination of a life tenancy, a transfer under a trust established by an individual, either inter vivos or testamentary, a transfer pursuant to the exercise or nonexercise of a power of appointment, or a transfer made on death of a person who did not have the right to designate his or her estate as the beneficiary of the transfer;
(8) “Owner”, a person or persons having a right, exercisable alone or with others, regardless of the terminology used to refer to the owner in any written beneficiary designation, to designate the beneficiary of a nonprobate transfer, and includes joint owners. The provisions of this subdivision shall apply to all beneficiary deeds executed and filed at any time, including, but not limited to, those executed and filed on or before August 28, 2005;
(9) “Ownership in beneficiary form”, holding property pursuant to a registration in beneficiary form or other writing that names the owner of the property followed by a transfer on death direction and the designation of a beneficiary;
(10) “Person”, living individuals, entities capable of owning property and fiduciaries;
(11) “Proof of death”, includes a death certificate or record or report that is prima facie proof or evidence of death under section 472.290;
(12) “Property”, any present or future interest in property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, legal or equitable. Property includes a right to direct or receive payment of a debt, money or other benefits due under a contract, account agreement, deposit agreement, employment contract, compensation plan, pension plan, individual retirement plan, employee benefit plan, trust or law, a right to receive performance remaining due under a contract, a right to receive payment under a promissory note or a debt maintained in a written account record, rights under a certificated or uncertificated security, rights under an instrument evidencing ownership of property issued by a governmental agency and rights under a document of title within the meaning of section 400.1-201;
(13) “Registration in beneficiary form”, titling of an account record, certificate, or other written instrument evidencing ownership of property in the name of the owner followed by a transfer on death direction and the designation of a beneficiary;
(14) “Security”, a certificated or uncertificated security as defined in section 400.8-102, including securities as defined in section 409.401*;
(15) “Transfer on death direction”, the phrase “transfer on death to” or the phrase “pay on death to” or the abbreviation “TOD” or “POD” after the name of the owners and before the designation of the beneficiary; and
(16) “Transferring entity”, a person who owes a debt or is obligated to pay money or benefits, render contract performance, deliver or convey property, or change the record of ownership of property on the books, records and accounts of an enterprise or on a certificate or document of title that evidences property rights, and includes any governmental agency, business entity or transfer agent that issues certificates of ownership or title to property and a person acting as a custodial agent for an owner’s property.