§ 924 — Bank deposit accounts in trust form

(a) The following terms shall have the following definitions for the purposes of this section.

(1) A “beneficiary” is a natural person, or a nonprofit organization (as qualified under 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3)), that is described by a depositor as a person for whom a trust account is established and maintained. There shall be no more than 1 beneficiary per trust account, unless otherwise provided by the respective banking organization’s agreements, rules or regulations.

(2) A “depositor” is a natural person in whose name a trust account subject to this part is established or maintained. There shall be no more than 2 depositors per trust account, unless otherwise provided by the respective banking organization’s agreements, rules or regulations.

(3) A “trust account” includes all deposits in a savings account, interest- or noninterest-bearing transaction account, time deposit whether or not evidenced by a certificate or any similar deposit account in a banking organization which:

a. Is established by a depositor as trustee for another, other than a depositor describing the depositor as acting under a will, trust instrument or other document, court order or decree (including so-called Totten Trust accounts); or

b. Pursuant to an agreement with the banking organization, is payable on request to the depositor during the depositor’s lifetime and, on the depositor’s death, to a beneficiary (including so-called payable-on-death accounts).

(b) All funds in a trust account, including any interest or additions thereto, shall be trust funds subject to the following terms:

(1) Except as otherwise provided by the respective banking organization’s agreements, rules or regulations, the trust can be revoked, terminated or modified in whole or in part by any depositor during the depositor’s lifetime by means of, and to the extent of, partial or total withdrawals from or charges against the trust account made or authorized by the depositor or by a writing, other than a will or other similar testamentary disposition, received by the banking organization wherein the account is maintained during the lifetime of the depositor.

(2) The trust account cannot be revoked, terminated or modified in whole or in part by any depositor by will or other similar testamentary disposition.

(3) If the depositor survives the beneficiary, the trust shall terminate and title to the funds shall continue in the depositor free and clear of the trust.

(4) If the beneficiary survives the depositor, the trust shall terminate and title to the funds shall vest in the beneficiary free and clear of the trust.

(5) If the depositor and beneficiary die under circumstances where it is impossible to determine which survived the other, it shall be conclusively presumed that the depositor was the survivor and title to the funds shall vest in the depositor’s estate, free and clear of the trust.

(c) If the beneficiary survives the depositor under the circumstances provided in paragraph (4) of subsection (b) of this section, the funds shall be paid to the beneficiary upon the beneficiary’s order, if, at the time of the beneficiary’s demand for payment of all or part of the funds, the beneficiary is 18 or more years of age. If the beneficiary survives the depositor under the circumstances provided in paragraph (4) of subsection (b) of this section and if the beneficiary is under 18 years of age at the time demand for payment of any part or all of the funds is made, the funds may be paid to the order of the parent or parents of the beneficiary to be held for the use and benefit of such minor beneficiary or to the order of the duly appointed guardian of the property of the beneficiary.

(d) A banking organization which, upon the death of a depositor prior to service upon it of a restraining order, injunction or other appropriate process from a court of competent jurisdiction prohibiting payment, makes payment to a beneficiary or, if the beneficiary is under 18 years of age, to the guardian of the property or to the parent or parents of the minor beneficiary pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, shall, to the extent of such payment, be released from liability to any person claiming a right to the funds and the receipt or acquittance of the person to whom payment is made shall be a valid and sufficient release and discharge of the banking organization.

(e) If a trust account is established in the names of more than 1 depositor, in form to be paid or delivered to any or the survivor of them, in trust for another, or payable on death of all of the depositors to a beneficiary, such account shall be subject to the terms of this section, except that the title to the funds on deposit and any additions and accruals thereon, as between the depositors, shall be the property of such depositors as joint tenants; and the property, together with all the additions and accruals thereon, may be paid or delivered to any of such depositors during the lifetime of such depositors subject to the terms of § 923 of this title, and, after the death of 1 of them, title to the property, together with all additions and accruals thereon, shall become property of the surviving depositor or surviving depositors, subject to the trust which may be revoked, terminated or modified by the surviving depositor or depositors, as the case may be, in accordance with the terms of this section.

Legislative History

66 Del. Laws, c. 263, § 1 ; 72 Del. Laws, c. 15, § 8 ; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1 ; 77 Del. Laws, c. 153, § 1 ; 84 Del. Laws, c. 42, § 62