The Florida Senate

660.25  Definitions.--Subject to other definitions contained in other sections of this code, and unless the context otherwise requires, in this chapter:

(1)  "Commercial department" of a bank or association having trust powers means the functional divisions or departments of the bank or association which conduct its general bank or association business, including, but not limited to, the divisions or departments which accept demand and time deposits and paychecks, but excluding the trust department.

(2)  "Fiduciary account" means the estate, trust, or other fiduciary relationship which, by any governing instrument or in any other lawful manner, has been or is established or provided for with a trust company, trust department, or other person and includes the assets, rights, liabilities, and obligations thereof.

(3)  "Fiduciary capacity" means the status or position, assigned or assumed, of a fiduciary.

(4)  "Governing instrument" means a will, trust agreement, trust indenture, or other communication which creates or provides for a trust in any lawful form or manner; an order, judgment, or decree of a court or an appointment by a court in any form; or any other designation, appointment, agreement, statement, instruction, message, or information, the terms or effect of which creates, establishes, or otherwise provides for a fiduciary account or relationship, or the terms or effect of which creates, appoints, or otherwise provides for or requires a person to act in a fiduciary capacity, or the terms or effect of which contains or provides for grants or limitations of, or directions or instructions to or with respect to, the authorities, powers, or discretions exercisable by a fiduciary with respect to a fiduciary account. A governing instrument may be written, transcribed, or recorded or otherwise transmitted or made if the contents thereof, if not in writing, can be converted to writing which can be determined to be a sufficient transcription of the appointment, designation, directions, instructions, message, or information of the originator thereof; however, nothing in this subsection shall be construed as amending, modifying, or otherwise affecting any law relating to wills, trust agreements, or other instruments required by law to be in writing, or the execution or manner of execution or amendment of any thereof.

(5)  "Investment authority" means the responsibility or power conferred by action or operation of law or by a provision of a governing instrument to make, select, or change investments.

(6)  Terms used but not defined in this chapter, but which are expressly defined in chapter 518, the financial institutions codes, chapter 732, chapter 733, chapter 734, chapter 735, chapter 737, chapter 738, chapter 744, or chapter 747, shall in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, have the meanings ascribed to them in said chapters; and references in any of said chapters to a "trust company" or to "trust companies" shall include every trust department as defined in s. 658.12.

History.--ss. 123, 152, ch. 80-260; s. 461, ch. 81-259; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; s. 1, ch. 91-307; ss. 1, 141, ch. 92-303.