Exception to presumption of unlimited authority

Colo. Rev. Stat. § 15-2.5-204, under CREATION, REVOCATION, AND AMENDMENT OF POWER OF APPOINTMENT.

Colo. Rev. Stat. § 15-2.5-204

(1) Unless the terms of the instrument creating a power of appointment manifest a contrary intent, the power is nongeneral if:

(a) The power is exercisable only at the powerholder's death; and

(b) The permissible appointees of the power are a defined and limited class that does not include the powerholder's estate, the powerholder's creditors, or the creditors of the powerholder's estate.

Source: L. 2014: Entire article added, (HB 14-1353), ch. 209, p. 775, § 1, effective July 1, 2015.

OFFICIAL COMMENT

This section is designed to remedy a recurring drafting mistake. A testamentary power of appointment created in a defined and limited class that happens to include the powerholder is usually intended to be a nongeneral power. For example, a testamentary power created in one of the donor's descendants (such as the donor's child or grandchild) to appoint among the donor's "descendants" or "issue" is typically intended to be a nongeneral power. See, for example, PLR 201229005 (stating the ruling of the Internal Revenue Service that a testamentary power of appointment in the donor's son, exercisable in favor of the donor's "issue," is a nongeneral power for purposes of 26 U.S.C. § 2041). Accordingly, the presumption of this Section is that such a power is nongeneral.

On the meaning of the well-accepted term of art "defined and limited," see the Comment to Section 205. See also Restatement Third of Property: Wills and Other Donative Transfers § 17.5, Comment c.