NJSA 46:2B-11. Authority of Agent in Power of Attorney

46:2B-11. Authority of agent If any power of attorney contains language which confers authority on the agent to "conduct banking transactions as set forth in section 2 of P.L.1991, c.95 (C.46:2B-11)", the agent shall have the following authority under the power of attorney: a. To continue, modify or terminate any account or other banking arrangement made by or on behalf of the principal prior to creation of the agency; b. To open, either in the name of the agent alone, the principal alone or in both their names jointly, or otherwise, an account of any type in any banking institution selected by the agent; to hire, remove the contents of or surrender a safe deposit box or vault space; and to make other contracts for the procuring of other services made available by any banking institution or safe deposit company as the agent shall deem desirable; c. To draw, sign and deliver checks or drafts for any purpose, to withdraw by check, order, draft, wire transfer, electronic funds transfer or otherwise, any funds or property of the principal deposited with, or left in the custody of, any banking institution, wherever located, either prior or subsequent to the creation of the agency, and use any line of credit connected with any such accounts, apply for any automatic teller machine card or debit card or use any automatic teller machine card or debit card, including already existing cards, in connection with any such accounts and apply for and use any bank credit card issued in the name of the agent as an alternate user, but shall not use existing credit cards issued in the name of the principal, on existing bank credit card accounts of the principal; d. To prepare periodic financial statements concerning the assets and liabilities or income and expenses of the principal, and to deliver statements so prepared to the banking institution or other person whom the agent believes to be reasonably entitled; e. To receive statements, vouchers, notices or other documents from any banking institution and to act with respect to them; f. To have free access during normal business hours to any safe deposit box or vault to which the principal would have access if personally present; g. To borrow money by bank overdraft, loan agreement or promissory note of the principal given for a period or on demand and at an interest rate as the agent shall select; to give any security out of the assets of the principal as the agent shall deem desirable or necessary for any borrowing; to pay, renew or extend the time of payment of any agreement or note so given or given by or on behalf of the principal; and to procure for the principal a loan from any banking institution by any other procedure made available by a banking institution; h. To make, assign, endorse, discount, guaranty and negotiate for any purpose all promissory notes, checks, drafts or other negotiable or non-negotiable paper instruments of the principal or payable to the principal or to the principals order; to receive the cash or other proceeds of these transactions; and to accept any draft drawn by any person upon the principal and pay it when due; i. To receive for the principal and deal in or with any trust receipt, warehouse receipt or other negotiable or non-negotiable instrument in which the principal has or claims to have interest; j. To apply for and receive letters of credit or travelers checks from any banking institution selected by the agent, giving any related indemnity or other agreements as the agent shall deem appropriate; k. To consent to an extension in the time of payment for any commercial paper or banking transaction in which the principal has an interest or by which the principal is, or might be, affected in any way; l. To demand, receive, obtain by action, proceeding or otherwise any money or other thing of value to which the principal is, may become or may claim to be entitled to as the proceeds of any banking transaction conducted by the principal or by the agent in the execution of any of the powers described in this section, or partly by the principal and partly by the agent so acting; to conserve, invest, disburse or utilize anything so received for the purposes enumerated in this section; and to reimburse the agent for any expenditures properly made by the agent in the execution of the powers conferred upon the agent by the power of attorney pursuant to the provisions of this section; m. To execute, acknowledge, seal and deliver any instrument in the name of the principal or otherwise which the agent deems useful for the accomplishment of any purpose enumerated in this section; n. To prosecute, defend, submit to arbitration, settle and propose or accept a compromise with respect to any claim existing in favor of or against the principal based on or involving any banking transaction or to intervene in any action or proceeding relating to the banking transaction; o. To hire, discharge and compensate any attorney, accountant, expert witness or other assistant or assistants when the agent deems the action to be appropriate for the proper execution by the agent of any of the powers described in this section and for maintaining the necessary records; and p. In addition to the specific acts set forth in this section, to do any other act which the principal may do through an agent concerning any transaction with a banking institution which affects the financial or other interests of the principal. L.1991,c.95,s.2. 46:2B-12. Powers of agent An agent may exercise all powers described in this act exercisable by the principal upon and after the presentation of the power of attorney to the banking institution with respect to any banking transaction whether conducted in this or any other state. L.1991,c.95,s.3. 46:2B-13. Banking institutions to accept power of attorney 4. With respect to banking transactions, banking institutions shall accept and rely on a power of attorney which conforms to this act and shall permit the agent to act and exercise the authority set forth in this act, provided that: a. The banking institution shall refuse to rely on or act pursuant to a power of attorney if (1) the signature of the principal is not genuine, or (2) the employee of the banking institution who receives, or is required to act on, the power of attorney has received actual notice of the death of the principal, of the revocation of the power of attorney or of the disability of the principal at the time of the execution of the power of attorney; b. The banking institution is not obligated to rely on or act pursuant to the power of attorney if it believes in good faith that the power of attorney does not appear to be genuine, that the principal is dead, that the power of attorney has been revoked or that the principal was under a disability at the time of the execution of the power of attorney. The banking institution shall have a reasonable time under the circumstances within which to decide whether it will rely on or act pursuant to a power of attorney presented to it, but it may refuse to act or rely upon a power of attorney first presented to it more than 10 years after its date or on which it has not acted for a 10-year period unless the agent is either the spouse, parent or a descendant of a parent of the principal; c. If the power of attorney provides that it "shall become effective upon the disability of the principal" or similar words, the banking institution is not obligated to rely on or act pursuant to the power of attorney unless the banking institution is provided by the agent with proof to its satisfaction that the principal is then under a disability as provided in the power of attorney; d. If the agent seeks to withdraw or pay funds from an account of the principal, the agent shall provide evidence satisfactory to the banking institution of his identity and shall execute a signature card in a form as required by the banking institution; e. If the banking institution refuses to rely on or act pursuant to a power of attorney and the agent or principal has, in writing, provided the banking institution with an address of the agent, the institution shall notify the agent by a writing addressed to the address provided to it that the power of attorney has been rejected and the reason for the rejection; f. The banking institution has viewed a form of power of attorney which contains an actual original signature of the principal. Alternatively, if the banking institution receives an affidavit of the agent that such an original is not available to be presented, the banking institution may accept a photocopy of the power of attorney certified to be a true copy of the original by either (1) another banking institution or (2) the county recording office of the county in which the original was recorded.