PART 2. DEFINITIONS [20 - 88]
( Part 2 enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79. )
Unless the provision or context otherwise requires, the definitions in this part govern the construction of this code.
(Amended by Stats. 1991, Ch. 82, Sec. 1. Effective June 30, 1991. Operative July 1, 1991, by Sec. 31 of Ch. 82.)
“Account,” when used to mean a contract of deposit of funds between a depositor and a financial institution, includes a checking account, savings account, certificate of deposit, share account, mutual capital certificate, and other like arrangements.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
“Account in an insured credit union” means a share account in a credit union, either federally chartered or state licensed, that is insured under Title II of the Federal Credit Union Act (12 U.S.C. Sec. 1781, et seq.).
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
(a) “Account in an insured savings and loan association” means a savings account or mutual capital certificate of either of the following:
(1) A federal association.
(2) A savings association doing business in this state which is an “insured institution” as defined in Title IV of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. Sec. 1724, et seq.).
(b) As used in this section:
(1) “Federal association” has the meaning given that term in subdivision (b) of Section 5102 of the Financial Code.
(2) “Mutual capital certificate” has the meaning given that term in Section 5111 of the Financial Code.
(3) “Savings account” has the meaning given that term in Section 5116 of the Financial Code.
(4) “Savings association” has the meaning given that term in subdivision (a) of Section 5102 of the Financial Code.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
“Beneficiary” means a person to whom a donative transfer of property is made or that person’s successor in interest, and:
(a) As it relates to the intestate estate of a decedent, means an heir.
(b) As it relates to the testate estate of a decedent, means a devisee.
(c) As it relates to a trust, means a person who has any present or future interest, vested or contingent.
(d) As it relates to a charitable trust, includes any person entitled to enforce the trust.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
“Child” means any individual entitled to take as a child under this code by intestate succession from the parent whose relationship is involved.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
“Community property” means:
(a) Community property heretofore or hereafter acquired during marriage by a married person while domiciled in this state.
(b) All personal property wherever situated, and all real property situated in this state, heretofore or hereafter acquired during the marriage by a married person while domiciled elsewhere, that is community property, or a substantially equivalent type of marital property, under the laws of the place where the acquiring spouse was domiciled at the time of its acquisition.
(c) All personal property wherever situated, and all real property situated in this state, heretofore or hereafter acquired during the marriage by a married person in exchange for real or personal property, wherever situated, that is community property, or a substantially equivalent type of marital property, under the laws of the place where the acquiring spouse was domiciled at the time the property so exchanged was acquired.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
“Conservatee” includes a limited conservatee.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
“Conservator” includes a limited conservator.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
“Devise,” when used as a noun, means a disposition of real or personal property by will, and, when used as a verb, means to dispose of real or personal property by will.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
(a) “Devisee” means any person designated in a will to receive a devise.
(b) In the case of a devise to an existing trust or trustee, or to a trustee on trust described by will, the trust or trustee is the devisee and the beneficiaries are not devisees.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
“Dissolution of marriage” includes divorce.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
(a) “Domestic partner” means one of two persons who have filed a Declaration of Domestic Partnership with the Secretary of State pursuant to Division 2.5 (commencing with Section 297) of the Family Code, provided that the domestic partnership has not been terminated pursuant to Section 299 of the Family Code.
(b) Notwithstanding Section 299 of the Family Code, if a domestic partnership is terminated by the death of one of the parties and Notice of Termination was not filed by either party prior to the date of death of the decedent, the domestic partner who survives the deceased is a surviving domestic partner, and shall be entitled to the rights of a surviving domestic partner as provided in this code.
(Added by Stats. 2001, Ch. 893, Sec. 13. Effective January 1, 2002.)
“Family allowance” means an allowance provided for in Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 6540) of Part 3 of Division 6.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
“Fiduciary” means personal representative, trustee, guardian, conservator, attorney-in-fact under a power of attorney, custodian under the California Uniform Transfer To Minors Act (Part 9 (commencing with Section 3900) of Division 4), or other legal representative subject to this code.
(Amended by Stats. 1997, Ch. 724, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1998.)
“Financial institution” means a state or national bank, state or federal savings and loan association or credit union, or like organization.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
“General personal representative” is defined in subdivision (b) of Section 58.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
“Heir” means any person, including the surviving spouse, who is entitled to take property of the decedent by intestate succession under this code.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
“Instrument” means a will, a document establishing or modifying a trust, a deed, or any other writing that designates a beneficiary or makes a donative transfer of property.
(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 56, Sec. 1. (SB 308) Effective January 1, 2020.)
“Insured account in a financial institution” means an account in a bank, an account in an insured credit union, and an account in an insured savings and loan association, to the extent that the account is insured.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
(a) Subject to subdivision (b), “interested person” includes any of the following:
(1) An heir, devisee, child, spouse, creditor, beneficiary, and any other person having a property right in or claim against a trust estate or the estate of a decedent which may be affected by the proceeding.
(2) Any person having priority for appointment as personal representative.
(3) A fiduciary representing an interested person.
(b) The meaning of “interested person” as it relates to particular persons may vary from time to time and shall be determined according to the particular purposes of, and matter involved in, any proceeding.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
“Issue” of a person means all his or her lineal descendants of all generations, with the relationship of parent and child at each generation being determined by the definitions of child and parent.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
“Letters”:
(a) As it relates to a personal representative, means letters testamentary, letters of administration, letters of administration with the will annexed, or letters of special administration.
(b) As it relates to a guardian or conservator, means letters of guardianship or conservatorship or temporary guardianship or conservatorship.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
“Parent” means any individual entitled to take as a parent under this code by intestate succession from the child whose relationship is involved.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
“Pay-on-death account” or “P.O.D. account” is defined in Section 5140.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
“Person” means an individual, corporation, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, or other entity.
(Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 1010, Sec. 202. Effective January 1, 1995.)
(a) “Personal representative” means executor, administrator, administrator with the will annexed, special administrator, successor personal representative, public administrator acting pursuant to Section 7660, or a person who performs substantially the same function under the law of another jurisdiction governing the person’s status.
(b) “General personal representative” excludes a special administrator unless the special administrator has the powers, duties, and obligations of a general personal representative under Section 8545.
(Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 888, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2005.)
“Predeceased spouse” means a person who died before the decedent while married to the decedent, except that the term does not include any of the following:
(a) A person who obtains or consents to a final decree or judgment of dissolution of marriage from the decedent or a final decree or judgment of annulment of their marriage, which decree or judgment is not recognized as valid in this state, unless they (1) subsequently participate in a marriage ceremony purporting to marry each to the other or (2) subsequently live together as spouses.
(b) A person who, following a decree or judgment of dissolution or annulment of marriage obtained by the
decedent, participates in a marriage ceremony to a third person.
(c) A person who was a party to a valid proceeding concluded by an order purporting to terminate all marital property rights.
(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 50, Sec. 76. (SB 1005) Effective January 1, 2017.)
“Probate homestead” means a homestead provided for in Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 6520) of Part 3 of Division 6.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
(a) “Professional fiduciary” means a person who is a professional fiduciary as defined under subdivision (f) of Section 6501 of the Business and Professions Code.
(b) On and after January 1, 2009, no person shall act or hold himself or herself out to the public as a professional fiduciary unless he or she is licensed as a professional fiduciary under Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 6500) of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code.
(Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 354, Sec. 70. Effective January 1, 2008.)
“Property” means anything that may be the subject of ownership and includes both real and personal property and any interest therein.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
“Quasi-community property” means the following property, other than community property as defined in Section 28:
(a) All personal property wherever situated, and all real property situated in this state, heretofore or hereafter acquired by a decedent while domiciled elsewhere that would have been the community property of the decedent and the surviving spouse if the decedent had been domiciled in this state at the time of its acquisition.
(b) All personal property wherever situated, and all real property situated in this state, heretofore or hereafter acquired in exchange for real or personal property, wherever situated, that would have been the community property of the decedent and the surviving spouse if the decedent had been domiciled in this state at the time the property so exchanged was acquired.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
“Real property” includes a leasehold interest in real property.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
“Revocable transfer on death deed” or “revocable TOD deed” means a revocable transfer on death deed as described in Section 5614.
(Added by Stats. 2015, Ch. 293, Sec. 3. (AB 139) Effective January 1, 2016.)
“Security” includes any note, stock, treasury stock, bond, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in an oil, gas, or mining title or lease or in payments out of production under such a title or lease, collateral trust certificate, transferable share, voting trust certificate or, in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a security, or any certificate of interest or participation, any temporary or interim certificate, receipt, or certificate of deposit for, or any warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase, any of the foregoing.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
“Spouse” includes domestic partner, as defined in Section 37 of this code, as required by Section 297.5 of the Family Code.
(Added by Stats. 2016, Ch. 50, Sec. 77. (SB 1005) Effective January 1, 2017.)
“State” includes any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any territory or possession subject to the legislative authority of the United States.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
A “subscribing witness” to a will means a witness who signs the will as provided in Section 6110.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
“Surviving spouse” does not include any of the following:
(a) A person whose marriage to, or registered domestic partnership with, the decedent has been dissolved or annulled, unless, by virtue of a subsequent marriage or registered domestic partnership, the person is married to, or in a registered domestic partnership with, the decedent at the time of death.
(b) A person who obtains or consents to a final decree or judgment of dissolution of marriage or termination of registered domestic partnership from the decedent or a final decree or judgment of annulment of their marriage or termination of registered domestic partnership, which decree or
judgment is not recognized as valid in this state, unless they (1) subsequently participate in a marriage ceremony purporting to marry each to the other or (2) subsequently live together as spouses.
(c) A person who, following a decree or judgment of dissolution or annulment of marriage or registered domestic partnership obtained by the decedent, participates in a marriage ceremony with a third person.
(d) A person who was a party to a valid proceeding concluded by an order purporting to terminate all marital or registered domestic partnership property rights.
(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 50, Sec. 78. (SB 1005) Effective January 1, 2017.)
“Totten trust account” means an account in the name of one or more parties as trustee for one or more beneficiaries where the relationship is established by the form of the account and the deposit agreement with the financial institution and there is no subject of the trust other than the sums on deposit in the account. In a Totten trust account, it is not essential that payment to the beneficiary be mentioned in the deposit agreement. A Totten trust account does not include (1) a regular trust account under a testamentary trust or a trust agreement which has significance apart from the account or (2) a fiduciary account arising from a fiduciary relation such as attorney-client.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
“Transferor” means the testator, settlor, grantor, owner, or other person who executes an instrument.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
“Transferee” means the beneficiary, donee, or other recipient of an interest transferred by an instrument.
(Added by Stats. 1994, Ch. 806, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1995.)
(a) “Trust” includes the following:
(1) An express trust, private or charitable, with additions thereto, wherever and however created.
(2) A trust created or determined by a judgment or decree under which the trust is to be administered in the manner of an express trust.
(b) “Trust” excludes the following:
(1) Constructive trusts, other than those described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), and resulting trusts.
(2) Guardianships and conservatorships.
(3) Personal representatives.
(4) Totten trust accounts.
(5) Custodial arrangements pursuant to the Uniform Gifts to Minors Act or the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act of any state.
(6) Business trusts that are taxed as partnerships or corporations.
(7) Investment trusts subject to regulation under the laws of this state or any other jurisdiction.
(8) Common trust funds.
(9) Voting trusts.
(10) Security arrangements.
(11) Transfers in trust for purpose of suit or enforcement of a claim or right.
(12) Liquidation trusts.
(13) Trusts for the primary purpose of paying debts, dividends, interest, salaries, wages, profits, pensions, or employee benefits of any kind.
(14) Any arrangement under which a person is nominee or escrowee for another.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
“Trust company” means an entity that has qualified to engage in and conduct a trust business in this state.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
“Trustee” includes an original, additional, or successor trustee, whether or not appointed or confirmed by a court.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)
“Undue influence” has the same meaning as defined in Section 15610.70 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. It is the intent of the Legislature that this section supplement the common law meaning of undue influence without superseding or interfering with the operation of that law.
(Added by Stats. 2013, Ch. 668, Sec. 1. (AB 140) Effective January 1, 2014.)
“Will” includes codicil and any testamentary instrument which merely appoints an executor or revokes or revises another will.
(Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.)