N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 5-1502I

Current through 2024 NY Law Chapter 553

Section 5-1502I - Construction-personal and family maintenance

In a statutory short form power of attorney, the language conferring general authority with respect to "personal and family maintenance" must be construed to mean that the principal authorizes the agent:

1. To do all acts necessary for maintaining the customary standard of living of the spouse and children, and other dependents of the principal, including by way of illustration and not by way of restriction, power to provide living quarters by purchase, lease or by other contract, or by payment of the operating costs, including interest, amortization payments, repairs and taxes, of premises owned by the principal and occupied by his family or dependents, to provide normal domestic help for the operation of the household, to provide usual vacations and usual travel expenses, to provide usual educational facilities, and to provide funds for all the current living costs of such spouse, children and other dependents, including, among other things, shelter, clothing, food and incidentals;

2. To provide, whenever necessary, medical, dental and surgical care, hospitalization and custodial care for the spouse, children and other dependents of the principal;

3. To continue whatever provision has been made by the principal, prior to the creation of the agency or thereafter, for his spouse, children and other dependents, with respect to automobiles, or other means of transportation, including by way of illustration but not by way of restriction, power to license, to insure and to replace any automobiles owned by the principal and customarily used by the spouse, children or other dependents of the principal;

4. To continue whatever charge accounts have been operated by the principal prior to the creation of the agency or thereafter, for the convenience of his spouse, children or other dependents, to open such new accounts as the agent shall think to be desirable for the accomplishment of any of the purposes enumerated in this section, and to pay the items charged on such accounts by any person authorized or permitted by the principal to make such charges prior to the creation of the agency;

5. To continue the discharge of any services or duties assumed by the principal, prior to the creation of the agency or thereafter, to any parent, relative or friend of the principal;

6. To supervise and to enforce, to defend or to settle any claim by or against the principal arising out of property damages or personal injuries suffered by or caused by the principal, or under such circumstances that the loss resulting therefrom will, or may fall on the principal;

7. To continue payments incidental to the membership or affiliation of the principal in any church, club, society, order or other organization or to continue contributions thereto;

8. To demand, to receive, to obtain by action, proceeding or otherwise any money or other thing of value to which the principal is or may become or may claim to be entitled as salary, wages, commission or other remuneration for services performed, or as a dividend or distribution upon any stock, or as interest or principal upon any indebtedness, or any periodic distribution of profits from any partnership or business in which the principal has or claims an interest, and to endorse, collect or otherwise realize upon any instrument for the payment so received;

9. To prepare, to execute and to file all tax, social security, unemployment insurance and information returns required by the laws of the United States, or of any state or subdivision thereof, or of any foreign government, to prepare, to execute and to file all other papers and instruments which the agent shall think to be desirable or necessary for the safeguarding of the principal against excess or illegal taxation or against penalties imposed for claimed violation of any law or other governmental regulation, and to pay, to compromise, or to contest or to apply for refunds in connection with any taxes or assessments for which the principal is or may be liable;

10. To utilize any asset of the principal for the performance of the powers enumerated in this section, including by way of illustration and not by way of restriction, power to draw money by check or otherwise from any bank deposit of the principal, to sell any land, chattel, bond, share, commodity interest, chose in action or other asset of the principal, to borrow money and to pledge as security for such loan, any asset, including insurance, which belongs to the principal;

11. To execute, to acknowledge, to verify, to seal, to file and to deliver any application, consent, petition, notice, release, waiver, agreement or other instrument which the agent may think useful for the accomplishment of any of the purposes enumerated in this section;

12. To prosecute, to defend, to submit to alternative dispute resolution, to settle, and to propose or to accept a compromise with respect to, any claim existing in favor of, or against, the principal based on or involving any transaction enumerated in this section or to intervene in any action or proceeding relating thereto;

13. To hire, to discharge, and to compensate any attorney, accountant, expert witness or other assistant or assistants when the agent shall think such action to be desirable for the proper execution by him of any of the powers described in this section, and for the keeping of needed records thereof;

14. To continue gifts that the principal customarily made to individuals and charitable organizations prior to the creation of the agency, provided that in any one calendar year all such gifts shall not exceed five thousand dollars in the aggregate; and

15. In general, and in addition to all the specific acts in this section enumerated, to do any other act or acts, which the principal can do through an agent, for the welfare of the spouse, children or dependents of the principal or for the preservation and maintenance of the other personal relationships of the principal to parents, relatives, friends and organizations.

All powers described in this section 5-1502I of the general obligations law shall be exercisable equally whether the acts required for their execution shall relate to real or personal property owned by the principal at the giving of the power of attorney or thereafter acquired and whether such acts shall be performable in the state of New York or elsewhere.

N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 5-1502I

Amended by New York Laws 2020, ch. 323,Sec. 10, eff. 6/13/2021.