§ 225.7 Custodian duties and responsibilities.

(a) General. A custodian shall authenticate instructions received from a bond official and shall act in accordance with such authenticated instructions. The custodian assumes no liability and is without liability of any kind for acting in accordance with such authenticated instructions, except for the custodian's failure to exercise ordinary care. By providing a bond secured by Government obligations in lieu of a bond with surety or sureties, an obligor agrees not to hold either the custodian or the Secretary liable or responsible for the actions or inactions of a bond official or for carrying out a bond official's authenticated instructions.

(b) Interest. Absent authenticated instructions from the bond official to retain interest, interest received by the custodian on Government obligations pledged to the bond official's agency in accordance with this part will be remitted in the regular course of business to the obligor or to a depositary acting as agent or sub-agent for the obligor.

(c) Principal. Absent authenticated instructions from the bond official to retain the proceeds of matured Government obligations, a custodian will release to the obligor proceeds from matured Government obligations only if the obligor has deposited Government obligations acceptable under 31 U.S.C. 9301, as amended, in substitution for those which have matured.

(d) Liquidation of Government obligations. A custodian will collect, sell, assign, or transfer Government obligations, including any interest therefrom, only in accordance with a bond official's authenticated instructions.

(e) Application of proceeds of liquidated Government obligations. A custodian will apply the proceeds from the collection, sale, assignment, or transfer of Government obligations only in accordance with a bond official's authenticated instructions.