§ 18-16-5. Bond, share and commodity transactions. (a) In a statutory short form power of attorney, the language conferring general authority with respect to bond, share and commodity transactions shall be construed to mean that the principal authorizes the agent:

(1) To accept as a gift, or as security for a loan, to reject, to demand, to buy, to receive, or otherwise to acquire either ownership or possession of, any bond, share, instrument of similar character, commodity interest or any instrument with respect to it, together with the interest, dividends, proceeds or other distributions connected with it;

(2) To sell, including short sales, exchange, transfer either with or without a guaranty, release, surrender, hypothecate, pledge, grant options concerning, loan, trade in, or otherwise dispose of any bond, share instrument of similar character, commodity interest or any instrument with respect to it;

(3) To release in commodity interest or any instrument with respect to it; to release in whole or in part, assign the whole or a part of, satisfy in whole or in part, and enforce by action, proceeding or otherwise, any pledge, encumbrance, lien or other claim as to any bond, share, instrument of similar character, commodity interest or any interest with respect to it, when the pledge, encumbrance, lien or other claim is owned, or claimed to be owned, by the principal;

(4) To do any act of management or of conservation with respect to any bond, share, instrument of similar character, commodity interest or any instrument with respect to it, owned or claimed to be owned by the principal or in which the principal has or claims to have an interest, including, but not limited to, power to insure against any casualty, liability or loss; to obtain or regain possession or protect the principal's interest in the instrument by action, proceeding or otherwise; to pay, compromise or contest taxes or assessments; to apply for refunds in connection with the instrument; to consent to and participate in any reorganization, recapitalization, liquidation, merger, consolidation, sale or lease, or other change in or revival of a corporation or other association, or in the financial structure of any corporation or other association, or in the priorities, voting rights of other special rights with respect to it; to become a depositor with any protective, reorganization or similar committee of the bond, share, other instrument of similar character, commodity interest or any instrument with respect to it, belonging to the principal; to make any payments reasonably incident to the preceding provisions; to exercise or sell an option, conversion or similar right; to vote in persons or by the granting of a proxy, with or without the power of substitution, either discretionary, general or otherwise, for the accomplishment of any of the purposes enumerated in this section;

(5) To carry in the name of a nominee selected by the agent any evidence of the ownership of any bond, share, other instrument of similar character, commodity interest or instrument with respect to it, belonging to the principal;

(6) To employ, in any way believed to be desirable by the agent, any bond, share, other instrument of similar character, commodity interest or any instrument with respect to it, in which the principal has or claims to have any interest, for the protection or continued operation of any speculative or margin transaction personally begun or personally guaranteed, in whole or in part, by the principal;

(7) To demand, receive or obtain by action, proceeding or otherwise, any money or other thing of value to which the principal is, or may become, or may claim to be, entitled as the proceeds of any interest in a bond, share, other instrument of similar character, commodity interest or any instrument with respect to it, or of one or more of the transactions enumerated in this section; to conserve, invest, disburse or utilize anything received for purposes enumerated in this section, and to be reimbursed for any expenditures properly made by him or her in the execution of the powers conferred on him or her by the statutory short form power of attorney;

(8) To agree and contract, in any manner, and with any broker or other person, and on any terms, which the agent may select, for the accomplishment of any of the purposes enumerated in this section, and to perform, rescind, reform, release or modify this agreement or contract or any other similar agreement made by or on behalf of the principal;

(9) To execute, acknowledge and deliver any consent, agreement, authorization, assignment, revocation, declaration or modification, notice, waiver of notice, check or other instrument which the agent deems useful for the accomplishment of any of the purposes enumerated in this section;

(10) To execute, acknowledge and file any report or certificate required by law or governmental regulation;

(11) To prosecute, defend, submit to arbitration, settle and propose or accept a compromise with respect to any claim existing in favor of, or against, the principal based on or involving any bond, share or commodity transaction or to intervene in any action or proceeding relating to it;

(12) To hire, discharge and compensate any attorney, accountant, expert witness or other assistant or assistants when the agent deems this action to be desirable for the proper execution by him or her of any of the powers described in this section, and for the keeping of needed records of these actions; and

(13) In general, and in addition to all the specific acts enumerated in this section, to do any other act or acts, which the principal can do through an agent, with respect to any interest in any bond, share or other instrument of similar character, commodity, or instrument with respect to a commodity.

(b) All powers described in this section shall be equally exercisable with respect to any interest in any bond, share or other instrument of similar character, commodity, or instrument with respect to a commodity owned by the principal at the giving of the power of attorney or thereafter acquired, whether located in the state of Rhode Island or elsewhere.

History of Section. (P.L. 1996, ch. 375, § 1.)