Beneficiary Principle Flashcards
In general, trusts fro private purposes (other than charitable) are prima face void
Re Astor’s Settlement Trust
A purpose trust
A trust created for the fulfilment of a purpose, rather than the benefit of a person and therefore is an exception to the beneficiary rule.
- it will become a private purpose trust.
A trust for a private purpose my fail if it
- is insufficiently certain
- offends the beneficiary principles
- has an unwilling trustee
- infringes the rule against inalienability.
The three certainties must be present in a private purpose trust.
Re Endacott
- A trust for ‘some useful memorial to myself’ (sufficient)
The beneficiary principle
A trust must have ascertainable beneficiaries capable of enforcing its terms
Morice v Bishop of Durham
- A trust for ‘such objects fo benevolence as the Bishop shall approve of’ (offended the beneficiary principle)
The exceptions to the Beneficiary Principle
Laid out in Re Endacott
- The erection and maintenance of monuments and graves
- The saying of private masses
- The upkeep of particular animals
- Miscellaneous Exceptions
The erection and maintenance of monuments and graves
Note: if it the monument is attached to the fabric of the church, or the trust is for the general benefit fo the church, then it will be a charitable trust
(Re Hooper)
The saying of private masses
Bourne v Keane
Note: if the masses may be held in public, this will meet the public benefit test of a charitable trust
(Re Heatherington)
The upkeep of particular animals
Pettingall v Pettingall
Miscellaneous exceptions
Re Thompson
Unwilling trustee
If there is no one who wishes to perform the purpose trust, the court will not interfere, and the trust will fail.
If the trustee is not willing to carry out the terms of the trust they cannot be compelled to do so
Re Endacott
The courts have never directly enforced a trust against an unwilling trustee
Re Astor
A trustee can give an undertaking to the court that they will carry out the trust’s terms
Re Thompson
A private purpose trust will come to an end before the common law perpetuity period of 125 years
Perpetuities and Accumulation Act 2009
- there must always be someone to collapse the trust (Saunders v Vautier)
It must be expressly stated at the time the trust is created that it will come to an end within the perpetuity period
Re Kelly
Phrases such as ‘as long as the law allows’ and ‘as long as is legally permitted’ will be interpreted as meaning 21 years.
Re Hooper - the law allows
Piribright v Salwey - legally permitted