Section 6-302
Only individuals whose registration of a security shows sole ownership by 1 individual or multiple ownership by 2 or more with rights of survivorship, rather than as tenants in common, may obtain registration in beneficiary form. Multiple owners of a security registered in beneficiary form hold as joint tenants with rights of survivorship, or as tenants by the entireties, and not as tenants in common.
Comment
This section is designed to prevent co-owners from designating any death beneficiary other than one who is to take only upon survival of all co-owners. It coerces co-owning registrants to signal whether they hold as joint tenants with right of survivorship (JT TEN), or as tenants by the entireties (T ENT). Also, it imposes survivorship on co-owners holding in a beneficiary form that fails to specify a survivorship form of holding. Tenancy in common otherwise than in a survivorship setting is negated for registration in beneficiary form because persons desiring to signal independent death beneficiaries for each individual's fractional interest in a co-owned security normally will split their holding into separate registrations of the number of units previously constituting their fractional share. Once divided, each can name his or her own choice of death beneficiary.
The term "individuals," as used in this section, limits those who may register as owner or co-owner of a security in beneficiary form to natural persons. However, the section does not restrict individuals using this ownership form as to their choice of death beneficiary. The definition of "beneficiary form" in Section 6-301 indicates that any "person" may be designated beneficiary in a registration in beneficiary form. "Person" is defined so that a church, trust company, family corporation, or other entity, as well as any individual, may be designated as a beneficiary. Section 1-201(35).