Securities -
CHAPTER 83 TRANSFER OF CERTIFICATED AND UNCERTIFICATED SECURITIES Sec. 8301. Delivery. 8302. Rights of purchaser. 8303. Protected purchaser. 8304. Indorsement. 8305. Instruction. 8306. Effect of guaranteeing signature, indorsement or instruction. 8307. Purchaser's right to requisites for registration of transfer. Enactment. Chapter 83 was added May 22, 1996, P.L.248, No.44, effective in 180 days. Prior Provisions. Former Chapter 83, which related to transfer, was added November 1, 1979, P.L.255, No.86, and repealed May 22, 1996, P.L.248, No.44, effective in 180 days. § 8301. Delivery. (a) Delivery of certificated security.--Delivery of a certificated security to a purchaser occurs when: (1) the purchaser acquires possession of the security certificate; (2) another person, other than a securities intermediary, either acquires possession of the security certificate on behalf of the purchaser or, having previously acquired possession of the certificate, acknowledges that it holds for the purchaser; or (3) a securities intermediary acting on behalf of the purchaser acquires possession of the security certificate, only if the certificate is in registered form and is: (i) registered in the name of the purchaser; (ii) payable to the order of the purchaser; or (iii) specially indorsed to the purchaser by an effective indorsement and has not been indorsed to the securities intermediary or in blank. (b) Delivery of uncertificated security.--Delivery of an uncertificated security to a purchaser occurs when: (1) the issuer registers the purchaser as the registered owner, upon original issue or registration of transfer; or (2) another person, other than a securities intermediary, either becomes the registered owner of the uncertificated security on behalf of the purchaser or, having previously become the registered owner, acknowledges that it holds for the purchaser. (June 8, 2001, P.L.123, No.18, eff. July 1, 2001) 2001 Amendment. Act 18 amended subsec. (a)(3). Cross References. Section 8301 is referred to in sections 8102, 8104, 9203, 9313 of this title. § 8302. Rights of purchaser. (a) Rights acquired by purchaser.--Except as otherwise provided in subsections (b) and (c), a purchaser of a certificated or uncertificated security acquires all rights in the security that the transferor had or had power to transfer. (b) Rights acquired by purchaser of limited interest.--A purchaser of a limited interest acquires rights only to the extent of the interest purchased. (c) Limitation on rights acquired from protected purchaser.--A purchaser of a certificated security who as a previous holder had notice of an adverse claim does not improve its position by taking from a protected purchaser. (June 8, 2001, P.L.123, No.18, eff. July 1, 2001) 2001 Amendment. Act 18 amended subsec. (a). § 8303. Protected purchaser. (a) Definition of "protected purchaser".--"Protected purchaser" means a purchaser of a certificated or uncertificated security or of an interest therein who: (1) gives value; (2) does not have notice of any adverse claim to the security; and (3) obtains control of the certificated or uncertificated security. (b) Rights acquired by protected purchaser.--In addition to acquiring the rights of a purchaser, a protected purchaser also acquires its interest in the security free of any adverse claim. Cross References. Section 8303 is referred to in section 8102 of this title. § 8304. Indorsement. (a) Blank and special indorsement.--An indorsement may be in blank or special. An indorsement in blank includes an indorsement to bearer. A special indorsement specifies to whom a security is to be transferred or who has power to transfer it. A holder may convert a blank indorsement to a special indorsement. (b) Effect of partial indorsement.--An indorsement purporting to be only of part of a security certificate representing units intended by the issuer to be separately transferable is effective to the extent of the indorsement. (c) Effect of indorsement without delivery.--An indorsement, whether special or in blank, does not constitute a transfer until delivery of the certificate on which it appears or, if the indorsement is on a separate document, until delivery of both the document and the certificate. (d) Effect of delivery without indorsement; right to compel indorsement.--If a security certificate in registered form has been delivered to a purchaser without a necessary indorsement, the purchaser may become a protected purchaser only when the indorsement is supplied. However, against a transferor, a transfer is complete upon delivery and the purchaser has a specifically enforceable right to have any necessary indorsement supplied. (e) Indorsement of security certificate in bearer form.--An indorsement of a security certificate in bearer form may give notice of an adverse claim to the certificate, but it does not otherwise affect a right to registration that the holder possesses. (f) Indorser not a guarantor.--Unless otherwise agreed, a person making an indorsement assumes only the obligations provided in section 8108 (relating to warranties in direct holding) and not an obligation that the security will be honored by the issuer. § 8305. Instruction. (a) Instruction originated by appropriate person.--If an instruction has been originated by an appropriate person but is incomplete in any other respect, any person may complete it as authorized and the issuer may rely on it as completed, even though it has been completed incorrectly. (b) Person initiating instruction not a guarantor.--Unless otherwise agreed, a person initiating an instruction assumes only the obligations imposed by section 8108 (relating to warranties in direct holding) and not an obligation that the security will be honored by the issuer. § 8306. Effect of guaranteeing signature, indorsement or instruction. (a) Warranties of signature guarantor.--A person who guarantees a signature of an indorser of a security certificate warrants that at the time of signing: (1) the signature was genuine; (2) the signer was an appropriate person to indorse, or if the signature is by an agent, the agent had actual authority to act on behalf of the appropriate person; and (3) the signer had legal capacity to sign. (b) Warranties of person guaranteeing signature of originator of instruction.--A person who guarantees a signature of the originator of an instruction warrants that at the time of signing: (1) the signature was genuine; (2) the signer was an appropriate person to originate the instruction or, if the signature is by an agent, the agent had actual authority to act on behalf of the appropriate person, if the person specified in the instruction as the registered owner was, in fact, the registered owner, as to which fact the signature guarantor does not make a warranty; and (3) the signer had legal capacity to sign. (c) Warranties of person specially guaranteeing signature of originator of instruction.--A person who specially guarantees the signature of an originator of an instruction makes the warranties of a signature guarantor under subsection (b) and also warrants that at the time the instruction is presented to the issuer: (1) the person specified in the instruction as the registered owner of the uncertificated security will be the registered owner; and (2) the transfer of the uncertificated security requested in the instruction will be registered by the issuer free from all liens, security interests, restrictions and claims other than those specified in the instruction. (d) Limitations on warranties.--A guarantor under subsections (a) and (b) or a special guarantor under subsection (c) does not otherwise warrant the rightfulness of the transfer. (e) Warranties of indorsement guarantor.--A person who guarantees an indorsement of a security certificate makes the warranties of a signature guarantor under subsection (a) and also warrants the rightfulness of the transfer in all respects. (f) Warranties of person guaranteeing instruction requesting transfer of uncertificated security.--A person who guarantees an instruction requesting the transfer of an uncertificated security makes the warranties of a special signature guarantor under subsection (c) and also warrants the rightfulness of the transfer in all respects. (g) Matters an issuer may not require.--An issuer may not require a special guaranty of signature, a guaranty of indorsement or a guaranty of instruction as a condition to registration of transfer. (h) Persons protected by warranties.--The warranties under this section are made to a person taking or dealing with the security in reliance on the guaranty, and the guarantor is liable to the person for loss resulting from their breach. An indorser or originator of an instruction whose signature, indorsement or instruction has been guaranteed is liable to a guarantor for any loss suffered by the guarantor as a result of breach of the warranties of the guarantor. § 8307. Purchaser's right to requisites for registration of transfer. Unless otherwise agreed, the transferor of a security on due demand shall supply the purchaser with proof of authority to transfer or with any other requisite necessary to obtain registration of the transfer of the security, but, if the transfer is not for value, a transferor need not comply unless the purchaser pays the necessary expenses. If the transferor fails within a reasonable time to comply with the demand, the purchaser may reject or rescind the transfer.