Adult Guardianship Periodic Reporting Requirements in New York
At a glance
| Covered guardian and report types | Article 81 guardian: initial and annual reports; property and personal-needs parts follow granted powers (§§ 81.30–.31) |
|---|---|
| First plan, inventory or account | Initial report within 90 days after commission; verified inventory and management plan if property powers, care plan if personal-needs powers (§ 81.30(a)–(c)) |
| Repeat interval and due date | Annual report in May, or another time on court motion/order; court may order an intermediate report (§§ 81.31(a), 81.33(a)) |
| Condition and care-plan content | Residence, health/medication changes, recent functional evaluation, and personal-needs treatment and social plan (§ 81.31(b)(2)–(6)) |
| Property and accounting content | Initial verified property inventory; annual SCPA-form property information and any earnings from adult's services (§§ 81.30(b), 81.31(b)(7)–(8)) |
| Oath and required attachments | Initial property inventory verified; guardian training proof with initial report; annual recent clinician/social-worker evaluation (§§ 81.30(a)–(b), 81.31(b)(5)) |
| Who receives or may inspect the report | Initial report to adult, court examiner and specified others; annual copy to adult, examiner and facility when applicable (§§ 81.30(e)–(i), 81.31(c)–(d)) |
| Court review and late filing | Examiner reviews reports; missed filing prompts 15-day demand, then possible court order, reduced compensation or removal (§ 81.32(a), (c)) |
| Final or change-triggered report | Final report on death/removal/suspension/discharge/resignation of guardian; power-change facts in reports require application within 10 days (§§ 81.30(d), 81.31(e), 81.33(b)) |
Requirements one by one
Initial report
The guardian files the initial report within 90 days after the commission issues, describing steps taken and attaching proof of guardian education (§ 81.30). Property powers require a verified inventory and management plan; personal-needs powers require the guardian's visits and care plan (§ 81.30).
Annual report
The annual report is filed in May unless the court sets another time (§ 81.31). It records changes in condition or medication, a recent functional evaluation, and, for a personal-needs guardian, the treatment and social plan. A property guardian includes the information prescribed for the annual account of an infant's general guardian; the report also accounts for earnings from the adult's services when applicable (§ 81.31).
Copies and review
The adult receives mailed initial and annual reports unless the court orders otherwise. The court examiner receives both; a resident facility's chief executive officer receives a duplicate (§§ 81.30–81.31). The examiner reviews initial and annual reports, and a missed filing triggers a demand to file within 15 days after service (§ 81.32).
What trips people up
If an initial or annual report gives reasons to change the guardian's powers, the guardian must make a separate application within 10 days after filing (§§ 81.30–81.31). Continued failure after a filing demand can lead to an order, reduced compensation or removal, subject to the statute's good-faith qualification (§ 81.32).
Common questions
Can a guardian file a report between annual dates? The guardian may ask the appointing court for an order permitting an intermediate report (§ 81.33).
When is a final report ordered? The court orders one when the guardian dies, is removed, suspended or discharged, or is allowed to resign (§ 81.33).
Statutes and sources
The quoted current New York Mental Hygiene Law sections were accessed October 3, 2026.
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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