West Virginia § 39B-2-101 Authority that requires specific grant; grant of general authority

West Virginia Statutes

§ 39B-2-101 — Authority that requires specific grant; grant of general authority

West Virginia § 39B-2-101

Ch. 39BUNIFORM POWER OF ATTORNEY ACT

Art. 2AUTHORITY

This text of West Virginia § 39B-2-101 (Authority that requires specific grant; grant of general authority) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering West Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

W. Va. Code § 39B-2-101 (2026).

Text

(a)An agent under a power of attorney may do the following on behalf of the principal or with the principal’s property only if the power of attorney expressly grants the agent the authority and exercise of the authority is not otherwise prohibited by another agreement or instrument to which the authority or property is subject to:

(1)Create, amend, revoke or terminate an inter vivos trust;

(2)Make a gift;

(3)Create or change rights of survivorship;

(4)Create or change a beneficiary designation;

(5)Delegate authority granted under the power of attorney;

(6)Waive the principal’s right to be a beneficiary of a joint and survivor annuity, including a survivor benefit under a retirement plan;

(7)Exercise fiduciary powers that the principal has authority to delegate; or

(8)Discl

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(a) An agent under a power of attorney may do the following on behalf of the principal or with the principal’s property only if the power of attorney expressly grants the agent the authority and exercise of the authority is not otherwise prohibited by another agreement or instrument to which the authority or property is subject to:

(1) Create, amend, revoke or terminate an inter vivos trust;

(2) Make a gift;

(3) Create or change rights of survivorship;

(4) Create or change a beneficiary designation;

(5) Delegate authority granted under the power of attorney;

(6) Waive the principal’s right to be a beneficiary of a joint and survivor annuity, including a survivor benefit under a retirement plan;

(7) Exercise fiduciary powers that the principal has authority to delegate; or

(8) Disclaim property, including a power of appointment.

(9) Exercise authority over the content of electronic communications, as defined in 18 U.S.C. Section 2510(12) sent or received by the principal.

(b) Notwithstanding a grant of authority to do an act described in this section, unless the power of attorney otherwise provides, an agent may not exercise authority under a power of attorney to create in the agent, or in an individual to whom the agent owes a legal obligation of support, an interest in the principal’s property, whether by gift, right of survivorship, beneficiary designation, disclaimer or otherwise.

(c) Subject to subsections (a), (b), (d) and (e) of this section, if a power of attorney grants to an agent authority to do all acts that a principal could do, the agent has the general authority described in §39B-2-104 through §39B-2-116 of this code.

(d) Unless the power of attorney otherwise provides, a grant of authority to make a gift is subject to the provisions of §39B-2-117 of this code.

(e) Subject to subsections (a), (b) and (d) of this section, if the subjects over which authority is granted in a power of attorney are similar or overlap, the broadest authority controls.

(f) Authority granted in a power of attorney is exercisable with respect to property that the principal has when the power of attorney is executed or acquires later, whether or not the property is located in this state and whether or not the authority is exercised or the power of attorney is executed in this state.

(g) An act performed by an agent pursuant to a power of attorney has the same effect and inures to the benefit of and binds the principal and the principal’s successors in interest as if the principal had performed the act.