Sec. 12. (a) A deed of gift, bill of sale, or other writing intended to transfer an interest in tangible personal property is effective on the death of the owner and transfers ownership to the designated transferee beneficiary if the document:
(1) expressly creates ownership in beneficiary form;
(2) is in other respects sufficient to transfer the type of property involved; and
(3) is executed by the owner and acknowledged before a notary public or other person authorized to administer oaths or executed in the presence of a disinterested witness.
(b) A beneficiary transfer document described in this section is not required to be supported by consideration or delivered to the transferee beneficiary.
(c) This section does not preclude other methods of transferring ownership of tangible personal property that are permitted by law and have the effect of postponing enjoyment of the property until after the death of the owner.
(d) For purposes of this section, a witness is disinterested if the witness is not:
(1) the designated transferee beneficiary;
(2) the spouse of the designated transferee beneficiary;
(3) a descendant of the designated transferee beneficiary; or
(4) the spouse of a descendant of the designated transferee beneficiary.
(e) A disinterested witness may prove the owner's execution of a deed of gift, bill of sale, or other writing under this section as a witness may prove the signature of a grantor, principal, or affiant making a conveyance, mortgage, or other instrument of writing under IC 32-21-2-3(a).
As added by P.L.143-2009, SEC.41. Amended by P.L.185-2021, SEC.31.
Structure Indiana Code
Article 17. Interests in Property
Chapter 14. Transfer on Death Property Act
32-17-14-0.2. Application of Prior Law
32-17-14-2.1. Application of Chapter to Preexisting Transfer on Death Transfers
32-17-14-5. General Rules Concerning Transfer on Death Transfers
32-17-14-6. Authority of a Transferring Entity
32-17-14-7. Agreement Between Owner and Transferring Entity
32-17-14-8. Transferring Entity's Acceptance of a Beneficiary Designation
32-17-14-9. Beneficiary Designation; Effects; Requirements
32-17-14-10. Assignment of Contract Rights
32-17-14-11. Transfer on Death Deeds
32-17-14-12. Transfer on Death Transfers of Tangible Personal Property
32-17-14-13. Direct Transfer to a Transferee to Hold as Owner in Beneficiary Form
32-17-14-14. Registration in Beneficiary Form
32-17-14-16. Changing or Revoking a Beneficiary Designation
32-17-14-17. Powers of an Attorney in Fact, a Guardian, a Conservator, or an Agent
32-17-14-20. Beneficiary Required to Survive the Owner
32-17-14-21. Trusts as Designated Beneficiaries
32-17-14-22. Substitution for Designated Beneficiaries Who Do Not Survive the Owner
32-17-14-23. Effect of Dissolution or Annulment
32-17-14-24. Fraud, Duress, Undue Influence, Mistake, or Lack of Capacity
32-17-14-25. Rights of Surviving Spouses and Children
32-17-14-26. General Rules Applying to a Beneficiary Designation
32-17-14-27. Powers and Duties of a Transferring Entity
32-17-14-28. Effect of Improper Distributions
32-17-14-29. Creditors of an Owner