43-02.2-17. Licensees' working papers - Clients' records

43-02.2-17. Licensees' working papers - Clients' records 1. All statements, records, schedules, working papers, and memoranda made by a licensee or a partner, shareholder, officer, director, or employee of a licensee, incident to, or in the course of, rendering services to a client while a licensee, except the reports submitted by the licensee to the client and except for records that are part of the client's records, are the property of the licensee in the absence of an express agreement between the licensee and the client to the contrary. A statement, record, schedule, working paper, or memorandum may not be sold, transferred, or bequeathed, without the consent of the client or the client's personal representative or assignee, to anyone other than one or more surviving partners or stockholders or new partners or stockholders of the licensee, or any combined or merged firm or successor in interest to the licensee. This section may not be construed as prohibiting any temporary transfer of workpapers or other material necessary in the course of carrying out practice reviews. 2. A licensee shall furnish to a client or former client, upon request and reasonable notice: a. A copy of the licensee's working papers, to the extent that such working papers include records that would ordinarily constitute part of the client's records and are not otherwise available to the client; and b. Any accounting or other records belonging to, or obtained from or on behalf of, the client that the licensee removed from the client's premises or received for the client's account. The licensee may make and retain copies of such documents of the client when they form the basis for work done by the licensee. 3. This section does not require a licensee to keep any workpaper beyond the period prescribed in any other applicable statute.