§ 45a-559c — Renunciation, resignation, death or removal of custodian. Designation of successor custodian.

(a) A person nominated under section 45a-558 or designated under section 45a-558f as custodian may decline to serve by delivering a valid disclaimer to the person who made the nomination or to the transferor or the transferor's legal representative. If the event giving rise to a transfer has not occurred and no substitute custodian able, willing and eligible to serve was nominated under section 45a-558, the person who made the nomination may nominate a substitute custodian under section 45a-558; otherwise the transferor or the transferor's legal representative shall designate a substitute custodian at the time of the transfer, in either case from among the persons eligible to serve as custodian for that kind of property under subsection (a) of section 45a-558f. The custodian so designated has the rights of a successor custodian. (b) A custodian at any time may designate a trust company or an adult other than a transferor under section 45a-558a as successor custodian by executing and dating an instrument of designation before a subscribing witness other than the successor. If the instrument of designation does not contain or is not accompanied by the resignation of the custodian, the designation of the successor does not take effect until the custodian resigns, dies, becomes incapacitated or is removed. (c) A custodian may resign at any time by delivering written notice to the minor if the minor has attained the age of twelve years and to the successor custodian and by delivering the custodial property to the successor custodian. (d) If a custodian is ineligible, dies or becomes incapacitated without having effectively designated a successor and the minor has attained the age of twelve years, the minor may designate as successor custodian, in the manner prescribed in subsection (b) of this section, an adult member of the minor's family, a guardian of the minor or a trust company. If the minor has not attained the age of twelve years or fails to act within sixty days after the ineligibility, death or incapacity, the guardian of the minor becomes successor custodian. If the minor has no guardian or the guardian declines to act, the transferor, the legal representative of the transferor or of the custodian, an adult member of the minor's family or any other interested person may petition the court to designate a successor custodian. (e) A custodian who declines to serve under subsection (a) of this section or resigns under subsection (c) of this section, or the legal representative of a deceased or incapacitated custodian, as soon as practicable, shall put the custodial property and records in the possession and control of the successor custodian. The successor custodian by action in a probate court may enforce the obligation to deliver custodial property and records and becomes responsible for each item as received. (f) A transferor, the legal representative of a transferor, an adult member of the minor's family, a guardian of the person of the minor, the guardian of the minor or the minor if the minor has attained the age of twelve years may petition the court to remove the custodian under section 45a-242 and to designate a successor custodian other than a transferor under section 45a-558a or to require the custodian to give appropriate bond.

Legislative History

(P.A. 95-117, S. 19.) Placing the burden of proof on the party who seeks the removal of the custodian of a Connecticut Uniform Transfers to Minors Act account is consistent with the rule that removal is an extraordinary remedy, and the court improperly placed the burden of proof on the plaintiff custodian. 207 CA 433.