Florida § 732.8031 - Forfeiture for abuse, neglect, exploitation, or aggravated manslaughter of an elderly person or a disabled adult.

§ 732.8031. Forfeiture for abuse, neglect, exploitation, or aggravated manslaughter of an elderly person or a disabled adult.

(1) A surviving person who is convicted in any state or foreign jurisdiction of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or aggravated manslaughter of an elderly person or a disabled adult, as those terms are defined in s. 825.101, for conduct against the decedent or another person on whose death such beneficiary’s interest depends is not entitled to any benefits under the will of the decedent or the Florida Probate Code, and the estate of the decedent passes as if the abuser, neglector, exploiter, or killer had predeceased the decedent. Property appointed by the will of the decedent to or for the benefit of the abuser, neglector, exploiter, or killer passes as if the abuser, neglector, exploiter, or killer had predeceased the decedent. (a) A final judgment of conviction for abuse, neglect, exploitation, or aggravated manslaughter of the decedent or other person creates a rebuttable presumption that this section applies. (b) In the absence of a qualifying conviction, the court may determine by the greater weight of the evidence whether the decedent’s or other person’s death was caused by or contributed to by the abuser’s, neglector’s, exploiter’s, or killer’s conduct as defined in s. 825.102, s. 825.103, or s. 782.07(2) for purposes of this section. (2) A joint tenant who is convicted in any state or foreign jurisdiction of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or aggravated manslaughter of an elderly person or a disabled adult, as those terms are defined in s. 825.101, for conduct against another joint tenant decedent thereby effects a severance of the interest of the decedent so that the share of the decedent passes as the decedent’s sole property and as if the abuser, neglector, exploiter, or killer has no rights by survivorship. This subsection applies to joint tenancies with right of survivorship and tenancies by the entirety in real and personal property; joint and multiple-party accounts in banks, savings and loan associations, credit unions, and other financial institutions; and any other form of co-ownership with survivorship interests. (a) A final judgment of conviction for abuse, neglect, exploitation, or aggravated manslaughter of the decedent or other person creates a rebuttable presumption that this section applies. (b) In the absence of a qualifying conviction, the court may determine by the greater weight of the evidence whether the decedent’s or other person’s death was caused by or contributed to by the abuser’s, neglector’s, exploiter’s, or killer’s conduct as defined in s. 825.102, s. 825.103, or s. 782.07(2) for purposes of this section. (3) A named beneficiary of a bond, life insurance policy, or other contractual arrangement who is convicted in any state or foreign jurisdiction of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or aggravated manslaughter of an elderly person or a disabled adult, as those terms are defined in s. 825.101, for conduct against the owner or principal obligee of the bond, life insurance policy, or other contractual arrangement or the person upon whose life such policy was issued is not entitled to any benefit under the bond, policy, or other contractual arrangement, and the bond, policy, or other contractual arrangement becomes payable as though the abuser, neglector, exploiter, or killer had predeceased the decedent. (a) A final judgment of conviction for abuse, neglect, exploitation, or aggravated manslaughter of the decedent or other person creates a rebuttable presumption that this section applies. (b) In the absence of a qualifying conviction, the court may determine by the greater weight of the evidence whether the decedent’s or other person’s death was caused by or contributed to by the abuser’s, neglector’s, exploiter’s, or killer’s conduct as defined in s. 825.102, s. 825.103, or s. 782.07(2) for purposes of this section. (4) Any other property or interest acquired as a result of the abuse, neglect, exploitation, or manslaughter must be returned in accordance with this section. (5)(a) This section does not affect the rights of any person who purchases property for value and without notice from the abuser, neglector, exploiter, or killer before rights have been adjudicated in accordance with this section. (b) The abuser, neglector, exploiter, or killer is liable for the amount of the proceeds or the value of the property under paragraph (a). (6) Any insurance company, financial institution, or other obligor making payment according to the terms of its policy or obligation is not liable by reason of this section unless more than 2 business days before payment it receives at its home office or principal address written notice, or in the case of a financial institution it receives notice in accordance with s. 655.0201, of a claim under this section. (7) This section does not apply if it can be proven by clear and convincing evidence that, after the conviction of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, the victim of the offense, if capacitated, ratifies an intent that the person so convicted of abuse, neglect, or exploitation retain his or her inheritance, survivorship rights, or any other right that might otherwise be removed by this section by executing a valid written instrument, sworn to and witnessed by two persons who would be competent as witnesses to a will, which expresses a specific intent to allow the convicted person to retain his or her inheritance, survivorship rights, or any other right that might otherwise be removed by this section.