Senate Bill sb1428c1

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    Florida Senate - 2002                           CS for SB 1428

    By the Committee on Regulated Industries; and Senator Garcia





    315-1952-02

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to land trusts; amending s.

  3         689.071, F.S.; prescribing additional entities

  4         that receive an ownership interest in trust

  5         property when named trustee; amending s.

  6         475.01, F.S.; clarifying that ch. 475, F.S.,

  7         applies to real estate brokers acting as

  8         trustees; providing exceptions; amending s.

  9         689.21, F.S.; revising provisions governing the

10         time within which a disclaimer of interest in

11         certain property may be made; providing for the

12         effect of disclaimer of tenancy-by-the-entirety

13         property; providing for the extent of

14         disclaimed interest in tenancy-by-the-entirety

15         property; providing an effective date.

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17  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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19         Section 1.  Subsection (4) is added to section 475.01,

20  Florida Statutes, to read:

21         475.01  Definitions.--

22         (4)  A broker acting as a trustee of a trust created

23  under chapter 689 is subject to the provisions of this chapter

24  unless the trustee is a nonprofit organization as defined in

25  s. 259.041(7) or the trustee is a bank, state or federal

26  association, or trust company possessing trust powers as

27  defined in s. 658.12(23).

28         Section 2.  Subsection (1) of section 689.071, Florida

29  Statutes, is amended to read:

30         689.071  Land trusts transferring interests in real

31  estate; ownership vests in trustee.--

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    Florida Senate - 2002                           CS for SB 1428
    315-1952-02




  1         (1)  Every conveyance, deed, mortgage, lease

  2  assignment, or other instrument heretofore or hereafter made,

  3  hereinafter referred to as "the recorded instrument,"

  4  transferring any interest in real property in this state,

  5  including but not limited to a leasehold or mortgagee

  6  interest, to any person, corporation, bank, or trust company,

  7  or other entity qualified to act as a fiduciary in this state,

  8  in which recorded instrument the person, corporation, bank, or

  9  trust company, or other entity is designated "trustee," or "as

10  trustee," without therein naming the beneficiaries of such

11  trust, whether or not reference is made in the recorded

12  instrument to any separate collateral unrecorded declarations

13  or agreements, is effective to vest, and is hereby declared to

14  have vested, in such trustee full rights of ownership over the

15  real property or interest therein, with full power and

16  authority as granted and provided in the recorded instrument

17  to deal in and with the property or interest therein or any

18  part thereof; provided, the recorded instrument confers on the

19  trustee the power and authority either to protect, conserve

20  and to sell, or to lease, or to encumber, or otherwise to

21  manage and dispose of the real property described in the

22  recorded instrument.

23         Section 3.  Subsection (5) of section 689.21, Florida

24  Statutes, is amended, and subsections (10) and (11) are added

25  to that section, to read:

26         689.21  Disclaimer of interests in property passing

27  under certain nontestamentary instruments or under certain

28  powers of appointment.--

29         (5)  TIME IN WHICH DISCLAIMER SHALL BE MADE.--A

30  disclaimer shall be filed for recording at any time after the

31  creation of the interest but, in any event, within 12 months

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    Florida Senate - 2002                           CS for SB 1428
    315-1952-02




  1  after the effective date of the nontestamentary instrument

  2  creating the interest, or, if the disclaimant is not then

  3  finally ascertained as a beneficiary or her or his interest

  4  has not then become indefeasibly fixed both in quality and

  5  quantity, such disclaimer shall be filed not later than 12

  6  months after the event which would cause her or him so to

  7  become finally ascertained and her or his interest to become

  8  indefeasibly fixed both in quality and quantity. Nevertheless,

  9  for purposes of this section, the survivorship interest in a

10  joint tenancy with rights of survivorship or the deceased

11  tenant's interest in tenancy-by-the-entirety property to which

12  the survivor succeeds by operation of law upon death of the

13  cotenant must be disclaimed within 9 months after the date of

14  death of the deceased cotenant.

15         (10)  EFFECT OF DISCLAIMER OF TENANCY-BY-THE-ENTIRETY

16  PROPERTY.--A disclaimer of an interest in real property held

17  as tenants by the entirety shall not cause the disclaimed

18  interest to be homestead property for purposes of descent and

19  distribution under ss. 732.401 and 732.4015.

20         (11)  EXTENT OF DISCLAIMED INTEREST IN

21  TENANCY-BY-THE-ENTIRETY PROPERTY.--For the purposes of this

22  section, the deceased tenant's interest in

23  tenancy-by-the-entirety property shall be deemed to be an

24  undivided one-half interest.

25         Section 4.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

26  law.

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    Florida Senate - 2002                           CS for SB 1428
    315-1952-02




  1          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
  2                             SB 1428

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  4  Clarifies that the provisions of ch. 475, F.S., apply to
    brokers acting as trustees of a trust created under ch. 689,
  5  F.S., unless the trustee is a non-profit organization as
    defined in s. 259.041(7), F.S., or the trustee is a bank,
  6  state or federal association, or trust company possessing
    trust powers as defined in s. 658.12(23), F.S.
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    Adds the term "other entity" to s. 689.071, to recognize the
  8  ability of limited partnerships and limited liabilities
    companies to act as trustees of land trusts. The change
  9  clarifies the existing law and conforms the statute to current
    practice.
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    Modifies s. 689.21, F.S., to allow a surviving co-owner of a
11  joint tenancy with rights of survivorship or tenancy by the
    entirety to make a tax-qualified disclaimer under section 2518
12  of the IRS Code within nine months of the cotenant's death;
    clarifies that the disclaimed interest does not become
13  homestead property for the purposes of ss. 732.401 and
    732.4015, F.S.; and clarifies that the disclaimed interest is
14  equal to one-half of the property interest.

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