(1)  Except as otherwise provided in Section 70A-5-109, an issuer shall honor a presentation that, as determined by the standard practice referred to in Subsection (5), appears on its face strictly to comply with the terms and conditions of the letter of credit. Except as otherwise provided in Section 70A-5-113 and unless otherwise agreed with the applicant, an issuer shall dishonor a presentation that does not appear so to comply.

Terms Used In Utah Code 70A-5-108

  • Applicant: means a person at whose request or for whose account a letter of credit is issued. See Utah Code 70A-5-102
  • 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
  • Beneficiary: means a person who under the terms of a letter of credit is entitled to have its complying presentation honored. See Utah Code 70A-5-102
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • 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.
  • Forgery: The fraudulent signing or alteration of another's name to an instrument such as a deed, mortgage, or check. The intent of the forgery is to deceive or defraud. Source: OCC
  • Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
  • Issuer: means a bank or other person that issues a letter of credit, but does not include an individual who makes an engagement for personal, family, or household purposes. See Utah Code 70A-5-102
  • Letter of credit: means a definite undertaking that satisfies the requirements of Section 70A-5-104 by an issuer to a beneficiary at the request or for the account of an applicant or, in the case of a financial institution, to itself or for its own account, to honor a documentary presentation by payment or delivery of an item of value. See Utah Code 70A-5-102
  • 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.
  • Presentation: means delivery of a document to an issuer or nominated person for honor or giving of value under a letter of credit. See Utah Code 70A-5-102
  • Presenter: means a person making a presentation as or on behalf of a beneficiary or nominated person. See Utah Code 70A-5-102
  • Recourse: An arrangement in which a bank retains, in form or in substance, any credit risk directly or indirectly associated with an asset it has sold (in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles) that exceeds a pro rata share of the bank's claim on the asset. If a bank has no claim on an asset it has sold, then the retention of any credit risk is recourse. Source: FDIC
  • Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
  • Signature: includes a name, mark, or sign written with the intent to authenticate an instrument or writing. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
(2)  An issuer has a reasonable time after presentation, but not beyond the end of the seventh business day of the issuer after the day of its receipt of documents:

(a)  to honor;

(b)  if the letter of credit provides for honor to be completed more than seven business days after presentation, to accept a draft or incur a deferred obligation; or

(c)  to give notice to the presenter of discrepancies in the presentation.

(3)  Except as otherwise provided in Subsection (4), an issuer is precluded from asserting as a basis for dishonor any discrepancy if timely notice is not given, or any discrepancy not stated in the notice if timely notice is given.

(4)  Failure to give the notice specified in Subsection (2) or to mention fraud, forgery, or expiration in the notice does not preclude the issuer from asserting as a basis for dishonor fraud or forgery as described in Subsection 70A-5-109(1) or expiration of the letter of credit before presentation.

(5)  An issuer shall observe standard practice of financial institutions that regularly issue letters of credit. Determination of the issuer’s observance of the standard practice is a matter of interpretation for the court. The court shall offer the parties a reasonable opportunity to present evidence of the standard practice.

(6)  An issuer is not responsible for:

(a)  the performance or nonperformance of the underlying contract, arrangement, or transaction;

(b)  an act or omission of others; or

(c)  observance or knowledge of the usage of a particular trade other than the standard practice referred to in Subsection (5).

(7)  If an undertaking constituting a letter of credit under Subsection 70A-5-102(10) contains nondocumentary conditions, an issuer shall disregard the nondocumentary conditions and treat them as if they were not stated.

(8)  An issuer that has dishonored a presentation shall return the documents or hold them at the disposal of, and send advice to that effect to, the presenter.

(9)  An issuer that has honored a presentation as permitted or required by this chapter:

(a)  is entitled to be reimbursed by the applicant in immediately available funds not later than the date of its payment of funds;

(b)  takes the documents free of claims of the beneficiary or presenter;

(c)  is precluded from asserting a right of recourse on a draft under Sections 70A-3-414 and 70A-3-415;

(d)  except as otherwise provided in Sections 70A-5-110 and 70A-5-117, is precluded from restitution of money paid or other value given by mistake to the extent the mistake concerns discrepancies in the documents or tender which are apparent on the face of the presentation; and

(e)  is discharged to the extent of its performance under the letter of credit unless the issuer honored a presentation in which a required signature of a beneficiary was forged.

Repealed and Re-enacted by Chapter 241, 1997 General Session

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