Section 10-6-35 - Effect of death on power of attorney by member of armed forces, seaman, or person on war service(a) No agency created by a power of attorney in writing given by a principal who is at the time of execution or who, after executing the power of attorney, becomes either: (1) A member of the armed forces of the United States;(2) A person serving as a merchant seaman outside the limits of the United States; or(3) A person outside the limits of the United States by permission, assignment, or direction of any department or official of the United States government in connection with any activity pertaining to or connected with the prosecution of any war in which the United States is then engaged shall be revoked or terminated by the death of the principal as to the agent or other person who, without actual knowledge or actual notice of the death of the principal, shall have acted or shall act, in good faith, under or in reliance upon such power of attorney or agency; and any action so taken, unless otherwise invalid or unenforceable, shall be binding on the heirs, devisees, legatees, or personal representatives of the principal, provided that it shall be made to appear by proof that the person or persons, firm, or corporation receiving any property by reason of the exercise of the power shall have paid value for the property and the attorney in fact or agent shall make bond for title to purchaser of the property without notice of the death of the principal.
(b) An affidavit, executed by the attorney in fact or agent setting forth that he has not or had not, at the time of doing any act pursuant to the power of attorney, received actual knowledge or actual notice of the revocation or termination of the power of attorney, by death or otherwise, or notice of any facts indicating the same, shall, in the absence of fraud, be conclusive proof of the nonrevocation or nontermination of the power at such time. If the exercise of the power requires execution and delivery of any instrument which is recordable under the laws of this state, such affidavit, when authenticated for record in the manner prescribed by law, shall likewise be recordable.(c) No report or listing, either official or otherwise, of "missing" or "missing in action," as such words are used in military parlance, shall constitute or be interpreted as constituting actual knowledge or actual notice of the death of such principal or notice of any facts indicating the same or shall operate to revoke the agency.(d) This Code section shall not be construed so as to alter or affect any provisions for revocation or termination contained in such power of attorney.(e) This Code section shall apply to such powers of attorney executed prior to March 9, 1945.(f) This Code section shall not apply to any last will and testament of the principal unless the power of disposal is in compliance with the last will of the principal.Amended by 2024 Ga. Laws 701,§ 2, eff. 7/1/2024.