9-1502. Legal relationship of box user.
9-1502
9-1502. Legal relationship of box user. Any bank, either national or state, or trust company or safe deposit corporation, may maintain safe deposit boxes and rent the same for a consideration. The relationship between any such bank, trust company or safe deposit company having and maintaining safe deposit boxes for public use, and the user or users of such boxes shall be that of landlord and tenant, respectively, in the absence of a written contract to the contrary; notwithstanding the fact that such bank, trust company or safe deposit corporation prescribes the hours of entry into its safe deposit vault, and also retains and requires the use of a preparation or guard key for the protection of itself and the user of such box.
The rights, duties, powers and privileges of any such bank, trust company or safe deposit corporation in any such transaction shall be that of landlord and for all purposes the tenant or lessee shall be deemed by law to be in possession of such box and the contents thereof. The lessor shall not be charged with knowledge of the contents of any such box. The lessor may limit its liability to the lessee by provisions contained within a lease agreement, except, that the lessor shall be liable for the acts of its officers and employees for failure to exercise ordinary care.
History: L. 1947, ch. 102, § 71; June 30.