(1) A person nominated under RCW 11.114.030 or designated under RCW 11.114.090 as custodian may decline to serve. If the event giving rise to a transfer has not occurred and no substitute custodian able, willing, and eligible to serve was nominated under RCW 11.114.030, the person who made the nomination may nominate a substitute custodian under RCW 11.114.030; otherwise the transferor or the transferor's legal representative shall designate a substitute custodian at the time of the transfer, in either case from among the persons eligible to serve as custodian for that kind of property under RCW 11.114.090(1). The custodian so designated has the rights of a successor custodian.

     (2) A custodian at any time may designate a trust company or an adult other than a transferor under RCW 11.114.040 as successor custodian by executing and dating an instrument of designation. If the instrument of designation does not contain or is not accompanied by the resignation of the custodian, the designation of the successor does not take effect until the custodian resigns, dies, becomes incapacitated, or is removed, and custodial property is transferred to the successor custodian.

     (3) A custodian may resign at any time by delivering written notice to the minor, if the minor has attained the age of eighteen years, and to the successor custodian, and by delivering the custodial property to the successor custodian.

     (4) If a custodian is ineligible, dies, or becomes incapacitated and no successor custodian has been designated as provided in this chapter, and the minor has attained the age of eighteen years, the minor may designate as successor custodian, in the manner prescribed in subsection (2) of this section, an adult member of the minor's family, a guardian of the minor, or a trust company. If the minor has not attained the age of eighteen years or fails to act within sixty days after the ineligibility, death, or incapacity, the guardian of the minor becomes successor custodian. If the minor has no guardian or the guardian declines to act, the transferor, the legal representative of the transferor or of the custodian, an adult member of the minor's family, or any other interested person may petition the court to designate a successor custodian.

     (5) A custodian who declines to serve under subsection (1) of this section or resigns under subsection (3) of this section, or the legal representative of a deceased or incapacitated custodian, as soon as practicable, shall put the custodial property and records in the possession and control of the successor custodian. The successor custodian by action may enforce the obligation to deliver custodial property and records and becomes responsible for each item as received.

     (6) A transferor, the legal representative of a transferor, an adult member of the minor's family, a guardian of the minor, or the minor if the minor has attained the age of eighteen years may petition the court to remove the custodian for cause and to designate a successor custodian other than a transferor under RCW 11.114.040 or to require the custodian to give appropriate bond.

[2006 c 204 § 6; 1991 c 193 § 18.]

NOTES:

     Effective date -- 2006 c 204: See note following RCW 11.114.090.