The most common POA dispute is not theft — it is silence. Here is the statutory route from a written request to a court-compelled accounting, and what each step buys you.
UPOAA §114(h) defaults to: no routine disclosure unless requested. The people entitled to request:
Family members without a formal role do not appear in this list — but they appear in §116’s petition list (spouse, parent, descendant, heir, estate beneficiary), which is the route when no fiduciary exists yet. Many states adopting the Uniform Act match these provisions section-for-section.
On a proper request the agent must comply within 30 days — or provide a writing substantiating why additional time is needed — and comply within an additional 30 days. Two deadlines, one outcome: a full accounting, on paper, within at most 60 days. An agent who ignores the clock has already created a documentary breach that a court can act on.
§116 lets the people listed above petition the court to construe the POA, review the agent’s conduct, and grant appropriate relief — including ordering an accounting, compelling restitution of misused funds, and removing the agent. States add parallel routes: a guardianship or conservatorship petition when the principal lacks capacity (the appointed conservator can then revoke the POA outright), and elder-abuse or APS reports for immediate protection.
Most agents never get sued over a single transaction — they get sued over the pattern, and the pattern is established by the letter they ignored. A documented request, a missed 30-day deadline, and a documented second deadline make the refusal itself the first exhibit. Conversely, an agent who responds with a clean, reconciled accounting usually ends the dispute at step one.
The POA product generates exactly that accounting from a timestamped, hash-chained ledger — so the request never escalates.
Yes, if you act as their guardian, conservator, or other fiduciary. Family members without a formal role petition the court under UPOAA §116 (spouse, parent, descendant, heir, or beneficiary have standing) or seek a conservatorship, after which the conservator can demand the accounting and revoke the POA.
30 days to comply, or to provide a written substantiation of why more time is needed, then compliance within an additional 30 days - a hard 60-day maximum under UPOAA §114(h).
Yes. The personal representative or successor in interest of the principal's estate can request the agent's receipts, disbursements, and transactions - this is explicitly covered by the Uniform POA Act's disclosure rule.
Order a full accounting, review the agent's conduct, compel restitution of misused property with attorneys' fees, suspend or remove the agent, and in abuse cases refer the matter for civil or criminal penalties under state elder-abuse laws.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules vary by jurisdiction and change over time — confirm the specifics with the court, agency, or a qualified professional.