RCW 11.95.060 Exercise of powers of appointment.

(1) The holder of a testamentary or lifetime power of appointment may exercise the power by appointing property outright or in trust and may grant further powers to appoint. The powerholder may designate the trustee, powers, situs, and governing law for property appointed in trust.

(2) The holder of a testamentary power may exercise the power only by the powerholder's last will, signed before or after the effective date of the instrument granting the power, that manifests an intent to exercise the power. Unless the person holding the property subject to the power has within six months after the holder's death received written notice that the powerholder's last will has been admitted to probate or an adjudication of testacy has been entered with respect to the powerholder's last will in some jurisdiction, the person may, until the time the notice is received, transfer the property subject to appointment on the basis that the power has not been effectively exercised. The person holding the property shall not incur liability to anyone for transfers so made if the person had no knowledge that the power had been exercised and had made a reasonable effort to determine if the power had been exercised. A testamentary residuary clause which does not manifest an intent to exercise a power is not deemed the exercise of a testamentary power.

(3) The holder of a lifetime power of appointment shall exercise that power only by delivering a written instrument, signed by the holder, to the person holding the property subject to the power. If the holder conditions the distribution of the appointed property on a future event, the written instrument may be revoked in the same manner at any time before the property becomes distributable upon occurrence of the event specified, except that any contrary provisions in the written instrument exercising the power, including provisions stating the exercise of the power is irrevocable, shall be controlling. If the written instrument is revoked, the holder of the power may reappoint the property that was appointed in the instrument. In the absence of signing and delivery of such a written instrument, a lifetime power is not deemed exercised.

[ 1989 c 33 § 1; 1985 c 30 § 36. Prior: 1984 c 149 § 38.]

NOTES:

Short title—Application—Purpose—Severability—1985 c 30: See RCW 11.02.900 through 11.02.903.

Severability—Effective dates—1984 c 149: See notes following RCW 11.02.005.