30-2352. Renunciation of succession.
(a)(1) A person (or the representative of a deceased, incapacitated, or protected person) who is an heir, devisee, person succeeding to a renounced interest, donee, beneficiary under a testamentary or nontestamentary instrument, donee of a power of appointment, grantee, surviving joint owner or surviving joint tenant, beneficiary, or owner of an insurance contract or any incident of ownership therein, beneficiary or person designated to take pursuant to a power of appointment exercised by a testamentary or nontestamentary instrument, person who has a statutory entitlement to or election with respect to property pursuant to the Nebraska Probate Code, designated beneficiary of a transfer on death deed, or recipient of any beneficial interest under any testamentary or nontestamentary instrument, may renounce in whole or in part, or with reference to specific parts, fractional shares, undivided portions or assets thereof, by filing a written instrument of renunciation within the time and at the place hereinafter provided.
(2) The instrument shall (i) describe the property or part thereof or the interest therein renounced, (ii) be signed and acknowledged by the person renouncing in the manner provided for in the execution of deeds of real estate, (iii) declare the renunciation and the extent thereof, and (iv) declare that the renunciation is an irrevocable and unqualified refusal to accept the renounced interest.
(3) The appropriate court in a proceeding under section 30-3812, may direct or permit a trustee under a testamentary or nontestamentary instrument to renounce any restriction on or power of administration, management, or allocation of benefit upon finding that such restrictions on the exercise of such power may defeat or impair the accomplishment of the purposes of the trust whether by the imposition of tax or the allocation of beneficial interest inconsistent with such purposes or by other reason. Such authority shall be exercised after hearing and upon notice to qualified beneficiaries as defined in section 30-3803, in the manner directed by the court.
(b) The instrument specified in (a)(1) and (a)(2) must be received by the transferor of the interest, his or her legal representative, the personal representative of a deceased transferor, the trustee of any trust in which the interest being renounced exists, or the holder of the legal title to the property to which the interest relates. To be effective for purposes of determining inheritance and estate taxes under articles 20 and 21 of Chapter 77, the instrument must be received not later than the date which is nine months after the later of (i) the date on which the transfer creating the interest in such person is made, or (ii) the date on which such person attains age twenty-one. If the circumstances which establish the right of a person to renounce an interest arise as a result of the death of an individual, the instrument shall also be filed in the court of the county where proceedings concerning the decedent's estate are pending, or where they would be pending if commenced. If an interest in real estate is renounced, a copy of the instrument shall also be recorded in the office of the register of deeds in the county in which the real estate lies. No person entitled to a copy of the instrument shall be liable for any proper distribution or disposition made without actual notice of the renunciation and no such person making a proper distribution or disposition in reliance upon the renunciation shall be liable for any such distribution or disposition in the absence of actual notice that an action has been instituted contesting the validity of the renunciation.
(c) Unless the transferor of the interest has otherwise indicated in the instrument creating the interest, the interest renounced, and any future interest which is to take effect in possession or enjoyment at or after the termination of the interest renounced, passes as if the person renouncing had predeceased the decedent or had died prior to the date on which the transfer creating the interest in such person is made, as the case may be, if the renunciation is within the time periods set forth in subsection (b) and if not within such time periods the interest renounced, and any future interest which is to take effect in possession or enjoyment at or after the termination of the interest renounced, passes as if the person renouncing had died on the date the interest was renounced. The person renouncing shall have no power to direct how the interest being renounced shall pass, except that the renunciation of an interest for which the right to renounce was established by the death of an individual shall, in the case of the spouse of the decedent, relate only to that statutory provision or that provision of the instrument creating the interest being renounced and shall not preclude the spouse from receiving the benefits of the renounced interest which may be derived as a result of the renounced interest passing pursuant to other statutory provisions or pursuant to other provisions of the instrument creating the interest unless such further benefits are also renounced. In every case when the renunciation is within the time periods set forth in subsection (b) the renunciation relates back for all purposes to the date of death of the decedent or the date on which the transfer creating the interest in such person is made, as the case may be.
(d) Any (1) assignment, conveyance, encumbrance, pledge, or transfer of property therein or any contract therefor, (2) written waiver of the right to renounce or any acceptance of property or benefits therefrom or an interest therein by an heir, devisee, person succeeding to a renounced interest, donee, beneficiary under a testamentary or nontestamentary instrument, donee of a power of appointment, grantee, surviving joint owner or surviving joint tenant, beneficiary or owner of an insurance contract or any incident of ownership therein, beneficiary or person designated to take pursuant to a power of appointment exercised by a testamentary or nontestamentary instrument, person who has a statutory entitlement to or election with respect to property pursuant to the Nebraska Probate Code, or recipient of any beneficial interest under any testamentary or nontestamentary instrument, or (3) sale or other disposition of property pursuant to judicial process, made within the time periods set forth in subsection (b) shall not bar the right to renounce, but shall make a subsequent renunciation within the time period set forth in subsection (b) of this section ineffective for purposes of determination of inheritance taxes under article 20 of Chapter 77. Any renunciation made after any part of the property has been assigned, conveyed, encumbered, pledged, or transferred is ineffective for the portion of the property which has previously been assigned, conveyed, encumbered, pledged, or transferred.
(e) Within thirty days of receipt of a written instrument of renunciation by the transferor of the interest, his or her legal representative, the personal representative of the decedent, the trustee of any trust in which the interest being renounced exists, or the holder of the legal title to the property to which the interest relates, as the case may be, such person shall attempt to notify in writing those persons who are known or ascertainable with reasonable diligence who shall be recipients or potential recipients of the renounced interest of the renunciation and the interest or potential interest such recipient shall receive as a result of the renunciation.
(f) The right to renounce granted by this section exists irrespective of any limitation on the interest of the person renouncing in the nature of a spendthrift provision or similar restriction. A trust beneficiary whose interest is subject to any limitation in the nature of a spendthrift provision or similar restriction may assign, sell, or otherwise convey such interest or any part thereof upon a finding by a court in a proceeding under section 30-3812 that the rights of other beneficiaries would not be impaired and that such assignment, sale, or other conveyance would not result in any substantial benefit to nonbeneficiaries of the trust at the expense of the trust or trust beneficiaries. Such finding may be made after hearing and upon notice to all known persons beneficially interested in such trust, in the manner directed by the court.
(g) This section does not abridge the right of any person to assign, convey, release, or renounce any property arising under any other section of this code or other statute.
(h) Any interest in property which exists on July 19, 1980, may be renounced after July 19, 1980, as provided herein. An interest which has arisen prior to July 19, 1980, in any person other than the person renouncing is not destroyed or diminished by any action of the person renouncing taken under this section.
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Annotations
A renunciation properly effected pursuant to this section and prior to distribution is not a transfer and therefore not a fraudulent transfer under the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act, sections 36-701 to 36-712. Essen v. Gilmore, 259 Neb. 55, 607 N.W.2d 829 (2000).
An exception to the general rule that a renunciation relates back "for all purposes" exists for individuals depriving themselves of any property whatsoever for purposes of qualifying for public assistance. Hoesly v. State, 243 Neb. 304, 498 N.W.2d 571 (1993).
There is nothing inconsistent in making claim to the whole of an estate and at the same time accepting something less than the whole under the will since property comprising a bequest of only a part of an estate would be included within a claim to the entire estate. Consequently, the claimant had no reason to renounce the will under the terms of this section. In re Estate of Nicholson, 211 Neb. 805, 320 N.W.2d 739 (1982).