§ 6-2025. Share or deposit account payable on death – Application.

A.  Share and deposit account proceeds that are payable to a beneficiary upon the death of the account owner shall be offered pursuant to the following provisions:

1.  When shares are owned or a deposit has been made or shall hereafter be made in any credit union using the terms "Payable on Death" or "P.O.D.", such deposits shall be payable on the death of the account owner to one or more designated P.O.D. beneficiaries, or to an individual or individuals named beneficiary if living and if not living, to the named estate of the beneficiary, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained in Sections 41 through 57 of Title 84 of the Oklahoma Statutes.  Each designated P.O.D. beneficiary shall be a trust, an individual, or a nonprofit organization exempt from taxation pursuant to the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C., Section 501(c)(3);

2.  A share or deposit account with a P.O.D. designation shall constitute a contract between the account owner, or owners, if there is more than one, and the credit union that upon the death of the last surviving owner of the account, and after payment of account proceeds to any secured party with a valid security interest in the account, the credit union will hold the funds for or pay the funds to the named primary beneficiary or beneficiaries, if living.  If any named primary beneficiary is not living, the share of that beneficiary shall instead be held for or paid to the estate of that deceased beneficiary unless contingent beneficiaries have been designated by the account owner as allowed by paragraph 4 of this subsection;

3.  Each P.O.D. beneficiary designated on an account shall be a primary beneficiary unless specifically designated as a contingent beneficiary;

4.  If there is only one primary P.O.D. beneficiary on an account and that beneficiary is an individual, the account owner may designate one or more contingent beneficiaries for whom the funds shall be held or to whom the funds shall be paid if the primary beneficiary is not living when the last surviving owner of the account dies.  If there is more than one primary P.O.D. beneficiary on an account, contingent beneficiaries shall not be allowed on that account;

5.  If the only primary P.O.D. beneficiary is not living and one or more contingent beneficiaries have been designated as allowed by paragraph 4 of this subsection, the funds shall be held for or paid to the contingent beneficiaries in equal shares, and shall not belong to the estate of the deceased primary beneficiary.  If the only primary beneficiary is not living, and a contingent beneficiary or contingent beneficiaries have been designated as allowed by paragraph 4 of this subsection, but one or more designated contingent beneficiaries are also not living, the share that otherwise would belong to any deceased contingent beneficiary shall instead be held for or paid to the estate of that deceased contingent beneficiary;

6.  In order to designate multiple primary P.O.D. beneficiaries for an 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.";

7.  If only one primary P.O.D. beneficiary has been designated on an account, the account owner may add the following, or words of similar meaning, in the style of the account or in the account agreement:  "If the designated P.O.D. beneficiary is deceased, then payable on the death of the account owner to (Name of Beneficiary), (Name of Beneficiary), and (Name of Beneficiary), as contingent beneficiaries, in equal shares.";

8.  Adjustments may be made in the styling, depending upon the number of owners of the account, to allow for survivorship rights, and the number of beneficiaries.  It is to be understood that each beneficiary is entitled to a proportionate share of the account proceeds only after the death of the last surviving account owner, and after payment of account proceeds to any secured party with a valid security interest in the account.  In the event of the death of a beneficiary prior to the death of the account owner, the share of that beneficiary shall go to the estate of that beneficiary unless one or more contingent beneficiaries have been designated to take the place of that beneficiary as provided in paragraph 4 of this subsection.  All designated primary P.O.D. beneficiaries shall have equal shares.  All designated contingent P.O.D. beneficiaries shall have equal shares as if the sole primary beneficiary is deceased;

9.  A credit union may require the owner of an account to provide an address for any primary or contingent P.O.D. beneficiary.  If the P.O.D. account is an interest-bearing account and the funds are not claimed by the P.O.D. beneficiary or beneficiaries within sixty (60) days after the death of the last surviving account holder, or after the credit union has notice of the death of the last surviving account holder, whichever is later, the credit union has the right to convert the account to a non-interest-bearing account;

10.  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 credit union; however, this section shall be subject to the provisions of Section 178 of Title 15 of the Oklahoma Statutes.  Until the death of the member or owner, the member or owner shall possess and may exercise all rights, respecting the shares or deposits, including the power to vote, pledge, withdraw, in whole or in part, make additions to, and to in any way deal with the shares or deposit.  The receipt or acquittance of the member or owner shall be a valid and sufficient release and discharge of the credit union as to any payment to the member or owner;

11.  The receipt or acquittance of the named beneficiary so paid, or of the legal representative of such named beneficiary's estate, if the beneficiary is deceased and there is no contingent beneficiary designated to take the place of that beneficiary, shall be valid and sufficient release and discharge to the credit union for any payment so made; and

12.  After January 1, 2008, a credit union shall provide a customer creating a P.O.D. account with a written notice that the distribution of the proceeds in the P.O.D. account shall be consistent with the provisions of this section.

B.  The provisions of this section shall apply to all forms of deposit accounts including, but not limited to, share accounts, transaction accounts, savings accounts, certificates of deposits, negotiable order of withdrawal (N.O.W.) accounts, and M.M.D.A. accounts.

Added by Laws 1981, c. 156, § 5, emerg. eff. May 8, 1981.  Amended by Laws 1994, c. 313, § 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1994; Laws 2007, c. 80, § 8, eff. Jan. 1, 2008.