Montana § 30-10-342 - Delaying Disbursements -- Immunity

§ 30-10-342. Delaying Disbursements -- Immunity

Delaying disbursements -- immunity. (1) A broker-dealer or investment adviser may delay a disbursement from an account of a vulnerable person or an account on which a vulnerable person is a beneficiary if: (a) the broker-dealer, the investment adviser, or a qualified individual reasonably believes, after initiating an internal review of the requested disbursement and the suspected financial exploitation, that the requested disbursement may result in financial exploitation of the vulnerable person; and (b) the broker-dealer or investment adviser: (i) not more than 2 business days after the requested disbursement, provides written notification of the delay and the reason for the delay to all parties authorized to transact business on the account, unless the party is reasonably believed to have engaged in suspected or attempted financial exploitation of the vulnerable person; (ii) not more than 2 business days after the requested disbursement, notifies the commissioner; and (iii) continues the internal review of the suspected or attempted financial exploitation of the vulnerable person, as necessary, and reports the investigation's results to the commissioner within 7 business days after the requested disbursement. (2) A delay of a disbursement authorized under this section expires upon the sooner of: (a) a determination by the broker-dealer or investment adviser that the disbursement will not result in financial exploitation of the vulnerable person; or (b) 15 business days after the date on which the broker-dealer or investment adviser first delayed the disbursement, unless the commissioner requests that the broker-dealer or investment adviser extend the delay. If extended, the delay expires no more than 25 business days after the date on which the broker-dealer or investment adviser first delayed the disbursement, unless the delay is terminated sooner by the commissioner or by an order of a court of competent jurisdiction. (3) A court of competent jurisdiction may enter an order extending the delay of the disbursement beyond the timeframe provided in subsection (2) or may order other protective relief based on a petition of the commissioner, the broker-dealer or investment adviser who initiated the delay under this section, or an interested party. (4) A broker-dealer or investment adviser who, in good faith and exercising reasonable care, complies with this section is immune from administrative or civil liability that might otherwise arise from the delay in a disbursement in accordance with this section.