Title 31

SECTION 210.11

210.11 Limited liability.

§ 210.11 Limited liability.

(a) Right to limit its liability. If an RDFI does not have actual or constructive knowledge of the death or legal incapacity of a recipient or the death of a beneficiary at the time it receives one or more benefit payments on behalf of the recipient, the RDFI's liability to the agency for those payments shall be limited to:

(1) An amount equal to:

(i) The amount in the account at the time the RDFI receives the notice of reclamation and has had a reasonable opportunity (not to exceed one business day) to act on the notice, plus any additional benefit payments made to the account by the agency before the RDFI responds in full to the notice of reclamation, or

(ii) The outstanding total, whichever is less; plus

(2) If the agency is unable to collect the entire outstanding total, an additional amount equal to:

(i) The benefit payments received by the RDFI from the agency within 45 days after the death or legal incapacity of the recipient or death of the beneficiary, or

(ii) The balance of the outstanding total, whichever is less.

(b) Qualification for limited liability. In order to limit its liability as provided in this section, an RDFI shall:

(1) Certify that at the time the benefit payments were credited to or withdrawn from the account, the RDFI had no actual or constructive knowledge of the death or legal incapacity of the recipient or death of the beneficiary;

(2) Certify the date the RDFI first had actual or constructive knowledge of the death or legal incapacity of the recipient or death of the beneficiary, regardless of how and where such information was obtained;

(3)(i) Provide the name, last known address and phone number, as shown on the RDFI's records, of the following person(s):

(A) The recipient and any co-owner(s) of the recipient's account;

(B) All other person(s) authorized to withdraw funds from the recipient's account; and

(C) All person(s) who withdrew funds from the recipient's account after the death or legal incapacity of the recipient or death of the beneficiary.

(ii) If persons are not identified for any of these subcategories, the RDFI must certify that no such information is available and why no such information is available; and

(4) Fully and accurately complete all certifications on the notice of reclamation and comply with the requirements of this part.

(c) Payment of limited liability amount. If the RDFI qualifies for limited liability under this subpart, it shall immediately return to the Federal Government the amount specified in § 210.11(a)(1). The agency will then attempt to collect the amount of the outstanding total not returned by the RDFI. If the agency is unable to collect that amount, the Federal Government will instruct the appropriate Federal Reserve Bank to debit the account utilized by the RDFI at that Federal Reserve Bank for the amount specified in § 210.11(a)(2).

(d) Violation of subpart B. An RDFI that fails to comply with any provision of this subpart in a timely and accurate manner, including but not limited to the certification requirements at § 210.11(b) and the notice requirements at § 210.13, shall be liable to the Federal Government for any loss resulting from its act or omission. Any such liability shall be in addition to the amount(s) for which the RDFI is liable under § 210.10 or § 210.11, as applicable.

[64 FR 17487, Apr. 9, 1999, as amended at 69 FR 13189, Mar. 19, 2004; 76 FR 59031, Sept. 23, 2011]

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