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HRS §539-8

Protection for companies that register securities

This section explains that a company holding securities doesn't have to offer beneficiary registration, but if it does, it's protected from claims if it follows the rules. It can lose that protection if it gets written notice of a dispute. Beneficiaries' rights against each other aren't affected.

financial institutions

The statute, as written — Protection of registering entity

(a) A registering entity is not required to offer or to accept a request for security registration in beneficiary form. If a registration in beneficiary form is offered by a registering entity, the owner requesting registration in beneficiary form assents to the protections given to the registering entity by this chapter. (b) By accepting a request for registration of a security in beneficiary form, the registering entity agrees that the registration will be implemented on death of the deceased owner as provided in this chapter. (c) A registering entity is discharged from all claims to a security by the estate, creditors, heirs, or devisees of a deceased owner if it registers a transfer of the security in accordance with section 539-7 and does so in good faith reliance (1) on the registration, (2) on this chapter, and (3) on information provided to it by affidavit of the personal representative of the deceased owner, or by the surviving beneficiary or by the surviving beneficiary's representatives, or other information available to the registering entity. The protections of this chapter do not extend to a reregistration or payment made after a registering entity has received written notice from any claimant to any interest in the security objecting to implementation of a registration in beneficiary form. No other notice or other information available to the registering entity affects its right to protection under this chapter. (d) The protection provided by this chapter to the registering entity of a security does not affect the rights of beneficiaries in disputes between themselves and other claimants to ownership of the security transferred or its value or proceeds.
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

Sections this one refers to

§539-7 Who gets securities when the owner dies

LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.