§ 52:27G-42 — Registered Professional Guardian Fund.

New Jersey § 52:27G-42

• Jurisdiction: New Jersey
• Title 52: STATE GOVERNMENT, DEPARTMENTS AND OFFICERS

Text

15. a. There is established in the Department of Human Services a special non-lapsing fund to be known as the Registered Professional Guardian Fund, which shall be a dedicated fund to serve as a depository for monies collected from the estate of an incapacitated adult pursuant to this section. The fund shall be administered by the Office of the Public Guardian for Elderly Adults, and all interest on monies in the fund shall be credited to the fund. The monies in the fund shall be made available to the Office of the Public Guardian for Elderly Adults to be used exclusively for the implementation of this act. b. Sixty days after receiving plenary letters of guardianship or letters of guardianship of property, a guardian appointed by the Superior Court of New Jersey, with the exception of the appointment of the public guardian pursuant to P.L.1985, c.298 (C.52:27G-20 et seq.), a guardian for a veteran pursuant to N.J.S.3B:13-1 et seq. and guardianship services provided by the Bureau of Guardianship Services in the Division of Developmental Disabilities in the Department of Human Services pursuant to P.L.1965, c.59 (C.30:4-165.1 et seq.), shall pay out of the estate of the incapacitated adult a fee of $150 to the Office of the Public Guardian for Elderly Adults for deposit into the fund, except that no such charge shall be made to an incapacitated adult's estate for an incapacitated adult whose income is less than 150% of the federal poverty level and whose assets are less than $50,000. c. If the guardian seeks an exemption from the fee based on the ward's income or assets, as set forth in subsection b. of this section, the guardian shall make an application to the Office of the Public Guardian for Elderly Adults on forms adopted by that office. d. If a guardian who is obligated to pay an assessment imposed pursuant to subsection b. of this section fails to pay the assessment, upon application by the Office of the Public Guardian for Elderly Adults, the court shall afford the guardian notice and an opportunity to be heard on the issue of default. Failure to make the assessed payment when due shall be considered a default. The standard of proof shall be by a preponderance of the evidence, and the burden of establishing good cause for a default shall be on the guardian who has defaulted. If the court finds that the guardian has defaulted without good cause, the court may: (1) compel the guardian of the estate to account and ascertain the financial condition of the incapacitated adult's estate; (2) remove the guardian; (3) enter judgment against the guardian of the estate for the amount of the assessment; or (4) take such other action as may be permitted by law. L.2005, c.37, s.15; amended 2012, c.17, s.429.