Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 81 - BANKS AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS (§§ 81-1-1 — 81-29-3) › Chapter 5 - GENERAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO BANKS AND BANKING (§§ 81-5-1 — 81-5-153) › GENERAL PROVISIONS (§§ 81-5-1 — 81-5-107) › Section 81-5-62 - Accounts payable at death

Accounts payable at death may be established under the following conditions:
(a)
An account in a bank, including a national bank, may be opened by any person or persons with directions to make such an account payable on the death of the person or persons opening such an account to the named beneficiary or beneficiaries. When an account is so opened, the bank shall pay any monies to the credit of the account from time to time to, or pursuant to the order of, the person or persons opening such an account during his or their lifetime in the same manner as if the account were in the sole name or names of such person or persons. The term "accounts" or "account" as used in this section shall include, but not be limited to, any form of deposit or account, such as a savings account, checking account, time deposit, demand deposit or certificate of deposit, whether negotiable, nonnegotiable or otherwise.
(b)
If the named beneficiary or one (1) of the beneficiaries so named is an individual beneficiary and the individual beneficiary or beneficiaries survive the death of the person opening such an account, and the individual beneficiary or all of the individual beneficiaries so named are sixteen (16) years of age or over at the death of the person opening such an account, the bank shall pay the monies to the credit of the account, less all setoffs and charges, to the named individual beneficiary or beneficiaries or upon his or their order, as hereinafter provided, and such payment by the bank shall be valid, notwithstanding any lack of legal age of the named beneficiary or beneficiaries; provided, however, where such an account is opened or subsequently held by more than one (1) person, the death of one (1) of such persons shall not terminate the account and the account shall continue as to the surviving person or persons and the named beneficiary or beneficiaries subject to the provisions of paragraphs (c) through (j) of this section. For purposes of this section, the term "individual beneficiary" shall refer to a living person who is the named beneficiary of a payable on death account.
(c)
If the named individual beneficiary or all of the individual beneficiaries so named survive the death of the person or persons opening such an account and are under sixteen (16) years of age at such time, the bank shall pay the monies to the credit of the account, less all setoffs and charges:
(i)
When or after the named individual beneficiary becomes sixteen (16) years of age, to the named beneficiary or upon his order; or
(ii)
When more than one (1) individual beneficiary is named, the bank shall pay to each individual beneficiary so named his proportionate interest in such account as each severally becomes sixteen (16) years of age; or
(iii)
To the legal guardian of the named individual beneficiary, wherever appointed and qualified, or where more than one (1) beneficiary is named, the bank shall pay such individual beneficiary's proportionate interest in such account to his legal guardian wherever and whenever appointed and qualified; or
(iv)
If no guardian is appointed and qualified, payment may be made in accordance with the provisions of Section
93-20-209
or
93-20-431
in situations to which such section or sections are applicable.
(d)
Where the death of the person or persons opening such an account terminates the account under the provisions of paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, and where one or more of the named individual beneficiaries are under sixteen (16) years of age and the remainder of the named individual beneficiaries are sixteen (16) years of age or over, the bank shall pay the monies, less all setoffs and charges, to:
(i)
The named individual beneficiaries sixteen (16) years of age or over at the time of termination of such account pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section; and
(ii)
The named individual beneficiaries under sixteen (16) years of age at the time of termination of such account pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section.
(e)
If the named beneficiary or one (1) of the beneficiaries so named is a revocable trust, evidenced by a written trust agreement, which trust is still in existence at the death of the person opening such an account, the bank shall pay the monies to the credit of the account, less all setoffs and charges, to the trustee of the named revocable trust or upon his or their order, as hereinafter provided, upon being presented an affidavit by the trustee stating that the name of the trust, the names of the current trustees, and that the trust is still in existence at the time of presentment of the affidavit. Such payment by the bank shall be valid, notwithstanding any lack of actual authority by the trustee, and the bank shall be discharged and released to the same extent as if the bank had dealt with the personal representative of the decedent. Such bank shall not be required to see to the proper application of the monies or evidence thereof or to inquire into the truth of any statement presented in the affidavit by the trustee.
(f)
Where such account is opened or subsequently held by more than one (1) person, the bank, in the absence of any written instructions to the contrary which are consented to by the bank, shall accept payments made to such account and may pay any monies to the credit of such account from time to time to, or pursuant to the order of, either or any of such persons during their life or lives in the same manner as if the account were in the sole name of either or any of such persons.
(g)
When a person or persons open an account in a bank in the form set forth in paragraph (a) of this section, and makes a payment or payments to such account or causes a payment or payments to be made to such account, it shall be conclusively presumed that such person or persons intend to vest in the named beneficiary or beneficiaries a present beneficial interest in such payment so made and in the monies to the credit of the account from time to time, to the end that, if the named beneficiary or beneficiaries survive the person or persons opening such an account, all the right and title of the person or persons opening such an account in and to the monies to the credit of the account at the death of such person or persons, less all setoffs and charges, shall, at such death, vest solely and indefeasibly in the named beneficiary or beneficiaries subject to the conditions and limitations of paragraphs (b) through (j) of this section.
(h)
If the named individual beneficiary predeceases the person opening such an account, or if the named beneficiary is a revocable trust that is terminated, the present beneficial interest presumed to be vested in the named beneficiary pursuant to paragraph (g) of this section shall terminate at the death of the named individual beneficiary or upon the termination of the revocable trust named as a beneficiary. In such case, the personal representatives of the named individual beneficiary, the beneficiaries of the revocable trust, and all others claiming through or under the named beneficiary, shall have no right in or title to the monies to the credit of the account, and the bank shall pay such monies, less all setoffs and charges, to the person opening such an account or pursuant to his order in the same manner as if the account were in the sole name of the person opening such an account; provided, however, where such an account names more than one (1) beneficiary, the death of one (1) of the individual beneficiaries or the termination of a revocable trust beneficiary so named shall not terminate the account and the account shall continue as to the surviving beneficiary or beneficiaries subject to the provisions of paragraphs (b) through (j) of this section.
(i)
A bank which makes any payment pursuant to paragraphs (b) through (h) of this section, prior to service upon the bank of an order of court restraining such payment, shall, to the extent of each payment so made, be released from all claims of the person or persons opening such an account, the named beneficiary or beneficiaries, their legal representatives, and all others claiming through or under them.
(j)
When an account is opened in a form described in paragraph (a) of this section, the right of the named beneficiary or beneficiaries to be vested with sole and indefeasible title to the monies to the credit of the account on the death of the person or persons opening such an account shall not be denied, abridged or in anyway affected because such right has not been created by a writing executed in accordance with the law of this state prescribing the requirements to effect a valid testamentary disposition of property.
Laws, 1984, ch. 326, § 2; Laws, 1988, ch. 484, § 2; Laws, 2008, ch. 327, § 1, eff. 7/1/2008.
Amended by Laws, 2019, ch. 463, SB 2828,§ 5, eff. 1/1/2020.