Effective 28 Aug 2004

456.007. Lessor, trustee of deposits by lessee, when — exception. — 1. Whenever any person, firm or corporation, engaged in the leasing of personal property, shall require a deposit or advance payment to be made by the lessee to bind the lessee to the performance of such contract, then such money so deposited, with any accruing interest thereon, shall, until returned or applied in accordance with the terms of such contract or agreement, continue to be the money of the person making the deposit and shall become and remain a trust fund in the possession of the person with whom such deposit shall be made, and the person, firm or corporation, receiving such deposit shall be the holder of such fund as trustee, and as the trustee as herein defined shall forthwith, and within seven days after the receipt of such trust fund, deposit the same in some bank or trust company in the county in which the cestui que trust shall reside or have his principal office or place of business, and such fund shall not be mingled with any other funds or assets of such trustee. Any person, firm or corporation receiving any money in trust, as herein defined, who shall violate any of the provisions of this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor; provided, however, that this section and section 456.009 shall not apply to such transactions where the property used or leased is delivered to lessee at time of agreement and remains in the actual and continuous possession of lessee during the term of such agreement.

2. Subsection 1 of this section shall not apply to any lease entered into by lessors which are banks, trust companies, savings and loan associations, savings banks and credit unions, their subsidiaries and affiliates, or to any other financial institutions as defined in subdivision (4) of section 381.410, or to other lessors in commercial lease transactions of at least twenty-five thousand dollars.

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(RSMo 1939 § 3540, A.L. 1999 S.B. 386, A.L. 2004 H.B. 1511)

Prior revision: 1929 § 3150

Transferred 2004; formerly 456.040