Jenkins 2018 Trusts Flashcards
What are inter vivos trusts?
A trust created during a person’s life to hold assets for a beneficiary until his death.
What is a trust?
A fiduciary relationship in which one or more persons hold title to property subject to the obligation to use it for the benefit of afrtherther.
Who is a trustee?
The person who holds legal title to the property in the trust and manages the trust for the benefit of the beneficiary..
What are the principle reasons for creating a trust?
1 protect assets of a beneficiary who can’t manage them (minor, incapacitated)
2 remedy for people who hold title to property unjustly
Who is a settlor?
The person who creates a trust.
Who may create a trust?
1 owner of property who doesn’t suffer disability
2 agent can create trust for someone suffering from disability
What is the corpus of the trust?
The property held in the trust.
Who may be the trustee?
Any person or entity that is capable of holding title to property.
May an unincorporated association be a trustee?
Not traditionally, but some jurisdictions allow it if the unincorporated association has the ability to own property.
Who is the beneficiary of a trust?
The person who benefits from the trust.
Can the sole trustee be the sole beneficiary?
No, because the same person can’t have legal title and equitable title to the corpus.
Who administers a trust?
The trustee.
what are the terms oft he trust?
The terms that define the trustee’s duties and the beneficiary’s rights.
What are the 3 classes of trusts?
1 according to settlor’s intent
2 according to settlor’s duties
3 according to the way trust is created
What are the 3 types of trusts that fall into the intent class of trusts?
1 express trusts
2 resulting trusts
3 constructive trusts
What are the 2 types of express trusts?
1 private trusts
2 charitable trusts
What are the 2 types of trusts that fall into the duties class of trusts?
1 active trusts
2 passive trusts
What is the difference between a trust and a bailment?
1 In a trust the trustee has title, in a bailment bailee only has possession.
2 a trust can cover personal and real property, a bailment is only for personal property
3 trustee has a fiduciary duty, a baliee does not
4 trusts have equitable remedies, bailments have legal remedies
How do you distinguish a trust from a executorship or administratorship?
1 administrator and executor do not hold title to realty
2 administrator and executor have limited duties
3 trustee has duty to invest
4 trustee don’t require court supervision
How does a guardianship differ from a trust?
1 guardian does not hold title
2 guardian has fixed duties
3 guardian’s role is limited to the term of incapacity
What is the difference between agency and a trust?
1 principal controls agent, beneficiary does not control trustee
2 agent doesn’t hold title
3 agent has person liability, a trustee does not
What is the difference between a third party beneficiary contract and a trust?
1 contract obligor does not have a fiduciary duty
2 third party beneficiaries do not have equitable interest
3 third party beneficiaries can enforce their rights at law, trust beneficiaries can enforce their rights in equity
What is the difference between an equitable charge and a trust?
1 equitable charge has no fiduciary relationship
2 transferee of equitable charge has both legal and equity title
3 transferee of equitable charge owns the property when he pays off the equitable charge.
What are the 4 elements of a private express trust?
1 intent to create
2 subject matter - corpus
3 a trustee
4 a beneficiary
What are precatory words?
Words of intent to create a trust - hope, wish, desire or recommendation
What is an illusory trust?
When person creates a trust properly but maintains so much control over the property that it’s clear he didn’t intend to relinquish control of the property.
What are the requirements for the corpus of a trust?
The property exists throughout the life of the trust. There is an exception when there is an expectation of future income.
What is the corpus for an insurance trust?
proceeds from a life insurance policy.
What happens if a person who intends to create a trust fails to name a trustee?
The court will appoint one.
How can the trustee’s function be terminated?
1 death
2 resignation
3 judicial removal
Can a beneficiary be trustee if there are multiple beneficiaries?
Yes, no merger of interests occurs.
Can there be multiple trustees and a sole beneficiary?
yes, one of the trustee may also be the sole beneficiary.
Can there be multiple trustees and multiple beneficiaries?
yes, and all beneficiaries can be trustees.
Who can be a beneficiary?
any person or entity
Can aliens be beneficiaries of trusts?
yes, although some property may be subject to forfeiture in some jurisdictions.
Can corporations be trust beneficiaries?
yes, if it has the ability to hold legal title to property.
Can the settlor of a trust be its beneficiary?
Yes, unless he’s the sole trustee.
Under what circumstances may a class of people be the beneficiary of a trust?
if the class is definite and ascertainable
What happens if the settlor gives the trustee the unlimited right to choose the beneficiary of the trust?
no trust is created and trustee gets property as a gift.
Can an unborn child be a beneficiary of a trust?
yes, if it is part of a class
What is the doctrine of worthier title?
When a settlor transfers property to the trust and the trust holds it for the benefit of settlor’s life then to the settlor’s heirs.
What is an honorary trust?
When the trust is for a non-charitable purpose but no ascertainable beneficiary is designated.
Can a beneficiary transfer his interest in a private express trust?
Only if there are no restrictions on transferability in the trust.
What are the three most common devices for restricting the beneficiary’s right o alienate his interest in the trust?
1 spendthrift trusts
2 forfeiture provisions
3 discretionary trusts
Can restraints be imposed on the beneficiary’s right to alienate his interest in the trust with respect to funds that have been paid to him from the trust?
no, protections against alienation can only be imposed when the funds are still in the trustee’s control.
What is a spendthrift trust?
an express provision against the transfer of a beneficiary’s right to receive principal, income or both. they are valid in most states.
Can a settlor stop creditors from getting at a beneficiary’s interest in a spendthrift trust without barring voluntary transfer of the trust interest as well?
Generally not. Courts will interpret a bar against one kind of alienation as a bar against both alienations (voluntary or involuntary).
May a settlor create a spendthrift trust in himself?
No, it would unjustly shield the assets from creditors if he could.
Are creditors and other claimants completely barred from reaching the beneficiary’s interest in the trust to satisfy their claims?
No, most statutes provide for creditors with the ability to get some parts of the spendthrift interest.
What is a discretionary trust with support provisions?
Trust that allows trustee to pay only the amount of principal or interest needed to educate and support the beneficiary. Additional amounts are transferred by the beneficiary.
Can a settlor create a discretionary support trust with himself as the beneficiary?
Yes, but it has limited protection with creditors because they can still reach some funds.
What is a discretionary trust?
A trust that limits the beneficiary by giving the trustee the ability to determine what the beneficiary gets in income and principal.
What is a forfeiture provision?
Provision that terminates a beneficiary’s interest if he assigns his interest, if creditors try to reach his interest or if he declares bankruptcy.
What is a charitable trust?
Trust devoted to a charitable purpose that benefits a definite class, even if the class is indefinite.
What are the 6 elements of a charitable trust?
1 settlor with intent to create trust 2 trustee to administer trust 3 a res or trust property 4 charitable purpose or aim 5 definable class to be benefitted 6 usually indefinite beneficiaries
How does a charitable trust differ from a private trust?
1 charitable trust has indefinite beneficiaries
2 charitable trust has a charitable purpose
3 charitable trust have unlimited duration
What is a charitable purpose?
Manifested intent of settlor to benefit, improve, or uplift mankind mentally, morally, physically, or spiritually?
What does it mean for the class of beneficiaries to be definite?
Must be large enough to effect the community in general but not large enough to effect all mankind.
What happens if you try to set up a trust for both charitable and noncharitable purposes?
1 if they can’t be separate it is void
2 if they are dividable the charity party will be treated as a charitable trust
3 the entire trust can be sustained as a charitable trust by disregarding the non-charitable purposes.
Who enforces charitable trusts?
Usually, the state’s attorney general.
What is the doctrine of deviation?
It allows trustee to deviate from a term of a charitable trust under two circumstances:
1 compliance is impossible
2 purposes can’t be fulfilled
What is the doctrine of cy-pres?
it takes care of situations where settlor’s charitable purpose for charitable trust fails.
What circumstances justify cy-pres?
1 trust property insufficient 2 purpose already accomplished 3 purpose requires 3rd party consent and it's not forthcoming 4 purpose is useless 5 purpose illegal 6 beneficiary is corporation that can't be beneficiary 7 site is impracticable 8 purpose impracticable
Does the court need settlor’s consent to use cy-pres?
No, court can use cy-pres.