(a) A person is not required to honor the attorney-in-fact's authority or to conduct business with the attorney-in-fact if the person is not otherwise required to conduct business with the principal in the same circumstances.
(b) Without limiting the generality of subsection (a) of this section, nothing in this Article requires a person to do any of the following:
(1) Engage in any transaction with an attorney-in-fact if the attorney-in-fact has previously breached any agreement with the person, whether in an individual or fiduciary capacity.
(2) Open an account for a principal at the request of an attorney-in-fact if the principal is not currently a customer of the person.
(3) Make a loan to the principal at the request of the attorney-in-fact.
(c) A person who is presented with a power of attorney shall not be deemed to have unreasonably refused to accept the power of attorney solely on the basis of failure to accept the power of attorney within seven business days.
(d) A person who has reasonable cause to question the authenticity or validity of a power of attorney may refuse to accept the authority granted by that document.
(e) A person who promptly requests, and does not within a reasonable time receive, an affidavit as described in G.S. 32A-40(b), is not deemed under G.S. 32A-41 to have unreasonably refused to accept a power of attorney.
(f) The principal, the attorney-in-fact, or a person presented with a power of attorney may initiate a special proceeding in accordance with the procedures of Article 33 of Chapter 1 of the General Statutes to request a determination of the validity of the power of attorney. If the decision in that special proceeding is that reasonable cause to refuse to accept the power of attorney existed, and that the attorney-in-fact willfully misrepresented the authenticity or validity of the power of attorney, the attorney-in-fact, and not the principal, is liable for reasonable attorneys' fees and costs incurred in that action.
(g) Nothing in this Article requires a person who accepts a power of attorney to permit an attorney-in-fact to conduct business not authorized by the terms of the power of attorney, or otherwise not permitted by applicable statute or regulation.
(h) Nothing in this Article amends or modifies the rights of banks and other depository institutions to terminate any deposit account in accordance with applicable law. (2005-178, s. 1; 2006-264, s. 39(a).)
Sections: Previous 32A-24 32A-25.1 32A-26 32A-27 32A-28 32A-29 32A-30 32A-31 32A-32 32A-33 32A-34 32A-40 32A-41 32A-42 32A-43 Next
Last modified: March 23, 2014