17B:24-2 - Minors - New Jersey Statutes

17B:24-2.  Minors
    a.  Any minor not less than 15 years of age may, notwithstanding such minority, contract for annuities or for insurance, or affirm by novation or otherwise pre-existing contracts for annuities or insurance, upon his own life,  body or health, or upon the life, body or health of another person in whom the  minor has an insurable interest.

    b.  Any minor not less than 15 years of age may, notwithstanding such minority, acquire ownership of and exercise every right, privilege and power with respect to or under any contract of annuity or insurance upon the life, body or health of such minor or of another person, whether or not such contract  was applied for by such minor.

    A minor shall be deemed competent to receive and give full acquittance for any payment made by any insurer under the provisions and options of, or under a  settlement agreement arising from, any contract of annuity or insurance in which a minor has acquired any interest, or is a beneficiary as follows:

     (1) As to a minor not less than 15 years of age--a payment or payments in aggregate not exceeding $2,000.00 in any 1 calendar year, or,

     (2) As to a minor not less than 18 years of age--a payment or payments in aggregate not exceeding $5,000.00 in any 1 calendar year;

     provided that prior to any such payment to a minor the insurer has not received at its home office written notice of the appointment of a duly qualified guardian of the property of the minor.  A minor shall not be deemed competent to alienate the right to or to anticipate or commute such payment. A  minor shall not by reason of his minority, be entitled to rescind, avoid or repudiate such a contract or any exercise of a right, privilege or power, or acquittance given, thereunder;  except that a minor not otherwise emancipated shall not be bound by any unperformed agreement to pay, by promissory note or otherwise, any premium on any such annuity or insurance contract.

    c.  The provisions of this section shall not be deemed as requiring any insurance company making such payment to determine whether any other insurance company may be effecting a similar payment to the same minor.

     L.1971, c. 144, s. 17B:24-2.