| | | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: |
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| | | Sec. 1. 33 MRSA §1022, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 699, §1, is | | amended to read: |
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| | | 1. Presumption. In any transfer of real estate or major | | transfer of personal property or money for less than full | | consideration or execution of a guaranty by an elderly person | | who is dependent on others to a person with whom the elderly | | dependent person has a confidential or fiduciary relationship, | it shall be is presumed that the transfer or execution was the | | result of undue influence, unless the elderly dependent person | | was represented in the transfer or execution by independent | | counsel. When the elderly dependent person successfully | | raises the presumption of undue influence by a preponderance | | of the evidence and when the transferee or person who benefits | | from the execution of a guaranty fails to rebut the | presumption, the elderly dependent person shall be is entitled | to avoid the transfer or execution and be entitled to the | | relief set forth in section 1024. |
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| | | 2. Confidential or fiduciary relationship. For the purpose | | of this section, the transfer of property or execution of a | | guaranty is deemed to have been made in the context of a | | confidential or fiduciary relationship if the transferee or | | person who benefits from the execution of a guaranty had a | | close relationship with the elderly dependent person prior to | | the transfer or execution. Confidential or fiduciary | | relationships include the following: |
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| | | A. A family relationship between the elderly dependent | | person and the transferee or person who benefits from the | | execution of a guaranty, including relationships by | | marriage and adoption; |
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| | | B. A fiduciary relationship between the elderly dependent | | person and the transferee or person who benefits from the | | execution of a guaranty, such as with a guardian, | | conservator, trustee, accountant, broker or financial | | advisor; |
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| | | C. A relationship between an elderly dependent person and | | a physician, nurse or other medical or health care | | provider; |
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| | | D. A relationship between the elderly dependent person | | and a psychologist, social worker or counselor; |
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