Private Purpose Trusts and Unincorporated Associations Flashcards
Beneficiary Principle
A private trust must have ascertainable beneficiaries.
Beneficiaries have personal interests in the terms being carried out properly. They, therefore, have the power or standing to take trustees to court to enforce performance of their obligations.
A charitable trust does not require ascertainable beneficiaries. Therefore, an exception to beneficiary principle.
Morice v Bishop of Durham [1804]
Beneficiary Principle
Private Purpose Trusts
‘There must be somebody in whose favour the court can decree performance.’
Endacott Exceptions
Private Purpose Trusts
- Construction/maintenance of monuments and graves
- Private Masses
- Maintenance of specific animals
- Miscellaneous Cases
- Unincorporated Associations
Musset v Bingle [1876]
Trusts for Monuments and Graves
Exemptions
Private Purpose Trusts
Monuments must be of a traditional “funerary nature” – covers gravestones, headstones, plaques. If it’s outside of this it’s likely to not be allowed, e.g. Re Endacott
Re Douglas
Trusts for Monuments and Graves
Exemptions
Private Purpose Trusts
If you maintain the entire graveyard, it’s likely to be charitable purpose
Re Hooper [1932]
Trusts for Monuments and Graves
Exemptions
Private Purpose Trusts
If a monument is physically attached to a church / other religious buildings, it will most likely be considered ’charitable’.
If it’s outside the church building, it’s not charitable.
Re King [1932]
Trusts for Monuments and Graves
Exemptions
Private Purpose Trusts
Stained glass window held to be charitable
Hoare v Osborne [1866]
Trusts for Monuments and Graves
Exemptions
Private Purpose Trusts
Monument in a church held to be charitable
Earl Mountbatten of Burma Statue Appeal Trust [1981]
Trusts for Monuments and Graves
Exemptions
Private Purpose Trusts
If a monument is to an individual who provides a great example, public benefit, it could be a charitable and not private person trust
Bourne v Keane (1919)
Private Masses
Exemptions
Private Purpose Trusts
‘holy, believing, persevering prayer whereby someone pleads with God on behalf of another or others who desperately need God’s intervention.’
Has to be private
Re Hetherington (1990)
Private Masses
Exemptions
Private Purpose Trusts
If mass is open to the public, it will likely be a charitable trust.
Pettingall v Pettingall (1842)
Trusts for Specific Animals
Exemptions
Private Purpose Trusts
‘my favourite black mare’
Re Dean (1889)
Trusts for Specific Animals
Exemptions
Private Purpose Trusts
‘maintenance of [my] horses and hounds’ for 50 years
Re Thompson (1934)
Exemptions
Miscellaneous
Private Purpose Trusts
towards the promotion and furthering of fox-hunting’
Hunting Act 2004 – fox hunting is now illegal so don’t have to worry
Re Endacott (1952)
Three Certainties
Private Purpose Trust
PPTs must comply with Three Certainties
‘some useful memorial to myself’. Not enough precision in purpose. Wouldn’t know what a ‘useful memorial’ was.