Maine Revised Statutes
Part 6: RULES OF CONSTRUCTION APPLICABLE ONLY TO WILLS
18-C §2-603. Antilapse; deceased devisee; class gifts

§2-603. Antilapse; deceased devisee; class gifts
1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.
A. "Alternative devise" means a devise that is expressly created by a will and, under the terms of the will, can take effect instead of another devise on the happening of one or more events, including survival of the testator or failure to survive the testator, whether an event is expressed in condition-precedent, condition-subsequent or any other form. A residuary clause constitutes an alternative devise with respect to a nonresiduary devise only if the will specifically provides that, upon lapse or failure, the nonresiduary devise, or nonresiduary devises in general, pass under the residuary clause. [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
B. "Class member" includes an individual who fails to survive the testator but who would have taken under a devise in the form of a class gift had the individual survived the testator. [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
C. "Descendant of a grandparent" means an individual who qualifies as a descendant of a grandparent of the testator or of the donor of a power of appointment under the:
(1) Rules of construction applicable to a class gift created in the testator's will if the devise or exercise of the power is in the form of a class gift; or
(2) Rules for intestate succession if the devise or exercise of the power is not in the form of a class gift. [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
D. "Devise" includes an alternative devise, a devise in the form of a class gift and an exercise of a power of appointment. [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
E. "Devisee" includes:
(1) A class member if the devise is in the form of a class gift;
(2) An individual or class member who was deceased at the time the testator executed the testator's will as well as an individual or class member who was then living but who failed to survive the testator; and
(3) An appointee under a power of appointment exercised by the testator's will. [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
F. "Stepchild" means a child of the surviving, deceased or former spouse of the testator or of the donor of a power of appointment and not of the testator or donor. [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
G. "Surviving devisee" or "surviving descendant" means a devisee or descendant, respectively, who neither predeceased the testator nor is deemed to have predeceased the testator under section 2‑702. [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
H. "Testator" includes the donee of a power of appointment if the power is exercised in the testator's will. [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
2. Substitute gift. If a devisee fails to survive the testator and is a grandparent, a descendant of a grandparent or a stepchild of either the testator or the donor of a power of appointment exercised by the testator's will, the following apply.
A. Except as provided in paragraph D, if the devise is not in the form of a class gift and the deceased devisee leaves surviving descendants, a substitute gift is created in the devisee's surviving descendants. The surviving descendants take per capita at each generation the property to which the devisee would have been entitled had the devisee survived the testator. [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
B. Except as provided in paragraph D, if the devise is in the form of a class gift, other than a devise to "issue," "descendants," "heirs of the body," "heirs," "next of kin," "relatives" or "family," or a class described by language of similar import, a substitute gift is created in the surviving descendants of any deceased devisee. The property to which the devisees would have been entitled had all of them survived the testator passes to the surviving devisees and the surviving descendants of the deceased devisees. Each surviving devisee takes the share to which the devisee would have been entitled had the deceased devisee survived the testator. Each deceased devisee's surviving descendants who are substituted for the deceased devisee take per capita at each generation the share to which the deceased devisee would have been entitled had the deceased devisee survived the testator. For the purposes of this paragraph, "deceased devisee" means a class member who failed to survive the testator and left one or more surviving descendants. [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
C. For the purposes of section 2‑601, words of survivorship, such as in a devise to an individual "if he survives me," or in a devise to "my surviving children," are, in the absence of additional evidence, a sufficient indication of an intent contrary to the application of this section. [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
D. If the will creates an alternative devise with respect to a devise for which a substitute gift is created by paragraph A or B, the substitute gift is superseded by the alternative devise if:
(1) The alternative devise is in the form of a class gift and one or more members of the class is entitled to take under the will; or
(2) The alternative devise is not in the form of a class gift and the expressly designated devisee of the alternative devise is entitled to take under the will. [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
E. Unless the language creating a power of appointment expressly excludes the substitution of the descendants of an appointee for the appointee, a surviving descendant of a deceased appointee of a power of appointment may be substituted for the appointee under this section, whether or not the descendant is an object of the power. [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
"Descendant," in the phrase "surviving descendant," used in reference to a deceased devisee or class member, means the descendant of a deceased devisee or class member in paragraphs A and B who would take under a class gift created in the testator's will.
[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
3. More than one substitute gift; which one takes effect. If, under subsection 2, substitute gifts are created and not superseded with respect to more than one devise and the devises are alternative devises, one to the other, the devised property passes under the primary substitute gift except that if there is a younger-generation devise, the devised property passes under the younger-generation substitute gift and not under the primary substitute gift.
As used in this subsection, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.
A. "Primary devise" means the devise that would have taken effect had all the deceased devisees of the alternative devises who left surviving descendants survived the testator. [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
B. "Primary substitute gift" means the substitute gift created with respect to the primary devise. [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
C. "Younger-generation devise" means a devise that:
(1) Is to a descendant of a devisee of the primary devise;
(2) Is an alternative devise with respect to the primary devise;
(3) Is a devise for which a substitute gift is created; and
(4) Would have taken effect had all the deceased devisees who left surviving descendants survived the testator except the deceased devisee or devisees of the primary devise. [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
D. "Younger-generation substitute gift" means the substitute gift created with respect to the younger-generation devise. [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW). PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. F, §1 (AFF). PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).