2023 Oklahoma Statutes › Title 18. Corporations › §18-381.39a. Joint accounts – P.O.D. accounts – Designation of beneficiaries - Payment.

A. When a deposit has been made or shall hereafter be made in any association in the names of two or more persons, payable to any of them or payable to any of them or their survivor, such deposit, or any part thereof, or any interest thereon, may be paid to either of the persons, whether one of such persons shall be a minor or not, and whether the other be living or not. The receipt or acquittance of the person so paid shall be valid and sufficient release and discharge to the association for any payment so made.
B. 1. When a deposit has been made or shall hereafter be made in any association using the terms "Payable on Death" or "P.O.D.", such deposits shall be payable on the designated person's death to a trust designated in the deposit account agreement as the P.O.D. beneficiary, or to an individual or individuals named beneficiary, if living, and if not, to the named beneficiary's estate, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained in Sections 41 through 57 of Title 84 of the Oklahoma Statutes. Such deposit shall constitute a contract between the depositor and the association that upon the death of the named owner of the account the association will hold the funds for or pay them to the named beneficiary or the estate of the named beneficiary.
2. In order to designate multiple payable-on-death beneficiaries for a deposit account, the account should be styled as follows: "(Name of Account Owner), payable on death (or P.O.D.) to (Name of Beneficiary), (Name of Beneficiary), and (Name of Beneficiary), in equal shares".
3. Adjustments may be made in the styling, depending upon the number of beneficiaries. It is to be understood that each beneficiary is entitled to a proportionate share of the account proceeds upon the owner's death. In the event of the death of a beneficiary prior to the death of the owner, the beneficiary's share shall go to the beneficiary's estate. It is not permissible for an account to designate unequal shares for different payable-on-death beneficiaries.
4. An association may require the owner of an account to provide an address for any payable-on-death beneficiary. If the P.O.D. account is an interest-bearing account and the funds are not claimed by the payable-on-death beneficiary or beneficiaries within sixty (60) days after the death of the account holder, or after the association has notice of the account holder's death, whichever is later, the association has the right to convert the account to a noninterest-bearing account.
5. No change in the designation of a named beneficiary shall be valid unless executed by the owner of the fund and in the form and manner prescribed by the association; however, this section shall be subject to the provisions of Section 178 of Title 15 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
6. The receipt or acquittance of the named beneficiary so paid or the legal representative of such named beneficiary's estate, if deceased, shall be valid and sufficient release and discharge to the association for any payment so made, unless, prior to such payment, the association receives notice in the form and manner required in Section 905 of Title 6 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
C. The provisions of this section shall apply to all forms of deposit accounts, including, but not limited to, transaction accounts, savings accounts, certificates of deposits, negotiable order of withdrawal (N.O.W.) accounts, and money market deposit accounts (M.M.D.A.).
Added by Laws 2000, c. 81, § 37, eff. Nov. 1, 2000.