Property Law - Trustee Duties Flashcards
VC Nicholls in Harries v Church Commissioners
Two circumstances to fetter discretion - (1) business runs directly contrary to charity purpose OR (2) likely to lose donors. balancing exercise
When there is a breach of fiduciary duty, what can T not rely on?
A clause which excludes his responsibility for such a breach - would allow T to take personal advantage of S’s confidence
Schmidt v Rosewood general
Late father, object of PoA
Re Arnott judgment
Where there is a second ‘sleeping T’ for the purposes of formalities, no liability if they act in good faith and follow direction of the ‘proper’ T
Downes v Graysbrook general
Selling
Breakspear v Ackland
Briggs J held letters of wishes are generally subject to Londonderry principle - predominant purpose is to help decisions, so should be confidential
Jeffrey v Gretton
when assets include real estate, s.4 TA2000 requires Ts to consider if property should be sold
Millett LJ in Armitage v Nurse
‘irreducible core of obligations’, showing a right is meaningless unless B is aware of their rights
Section 3 TA2000
T can make any investment as if he were absolutely entitled to the property
What two cass are examples of Bs using injunctions to prevent T from acting in an unauthorised way?
Fox v Fox; Buttle v Saunders
What case rejected the proprietary analysis from Re Londonderry’s?
Schmidt v Rosewood
Re Whiteley
Higher standard of DoC in investment sphere - ordinary prudent man minded to make investment for the benefit of other people
Saif-Ali v Sydney Mitchell
Court treats Ts same as professionals when considering duty of skill and care - needs to be something no member of the profession would reasonable have done
What case shows the right to be provided with trust accounts is regardless of possession of trust property?
Armitage v Nurse
Bartlett v Barclays Bank judgment
If trust property involves a controlling interest in a private company, should use power to improve running of the company
What are the three main duties of a T?
Comply with the terms of the trust instrument and general law; act exclusively in Bs interest, and; take reasonable care
Fox v Fox
Payment to a non-B prevented through injunction
Failure to render trust property financially productive = BoD
Byrnes v Kendle
Schmidt v Rosewood judgment
Rejected proprietary analysis - right is incidence of court’s inherent supervisory jurisdiction over administration of trusts. They relied on an enforcement idea linked with supervisory action, AND likely intention of S that his son was to benefit
Tierney v King judgment
Court may allow settlor-B to forego right to information nevertheless in cases where, e.g., S holds a sensitive public office
Harries v Church Commissioners judgment
Two circumstances to fetter discretion - (1) business runs directly contrary to charity purpose OR (2) likely to lose donors. balancing exercise
Speight v Gaunt
Ts held to standard of ordinary business person dealing with their company for DoC
Section 4 TA2000
Requirement to review investments and economic portfolio theory (Langbein)
Section 1 Trustee Act 2000
T needs to exercise care and skill, with regard to special knowledge he holds himself as having (subjective) and what is reasonable to expect him to know in the course of his business (objective)
Brittlebank v Goodwin
Sui juris B needs to be told he is a B, and T owes a concomitant duty to tell B
‘Perhaps the most important duty of a T’ is the duty to comply with the trust instrument
Youyang Pty Ltd v Minter Ellison
How can Bs stop Ts acting in an unauthorised way?
Injunction
Nestle v Natwest judgment
Remarkable inactivity was not enough for BoD - needs to be a decision no reasonable T would have made
Companies Act 2006
Clearly distinguishes between duty to act within powers and duty based on loyalty without reference to fiduciary duties at all
Part 4 Charities Act 2011
Registration requirements for charitable purpose can be seen as a duty to inform AG and CC in enforcer capacity of existence of the trust
What case is said to have caused the ‘tortification’ of equitable rules?
Donoghue
What distinction does Hayton point to under duty of care?
Between gross negligence and recklessness - only liability for the former can be excluded due to positive disregard for the trust in the case of recklessness
Armitage v Nurse on provision of trust accounts
The right exists regardless of possession of the property
Baxendale-Walker v Middleton general
Lending
If the core duties are excluded from a trust, what happens?
Conceptually, S cannot have created a trust
Part 8 Charities Act 2011
Similar function by Charity Ts filing accounts with CC as Bs having access to trust accounts
Kemp v Burn
B can exercise right to inspect Ts accounts on whereabouts of trust property at reasonable intervals
what case shows there may be exceptions to the right of Bs to information?
Tierney v King
Hayton on Armitage v Nurse
Jacob J went too far - T needs to at least be under a duty to act conscious of the terms of the trust
Economic portfolio theorist
Langbein
Bank of Nova Scotia Trust v Ricart de Barletta
Give regard to letter of wishes before ANY discretionary decision
What are two issues with the proprietary analysis from Re Londonderry?
Hard to explain why any should be confidential, and suggests objects should not be entitled to disclosure
When lending, Ts must secure commercial rate of interest
Baxendale-Walker v Middleton
Cowan v Scargill general
Miners, energy products, investment policy
ordinary prudent man minded to make investment for the benefit of other people
Re Whiteley
What does Hayton argue the greater the reduction in T duties?
Greater the need for full and frank disclosure to beneficiaries
Hayton on notification with Bs AND objects of PoA
If there are both, objects have no right to info as existence of Bs means the objects rights are not crucial to the trust
Who said S cannot reserve an overriding power to release Ts from liability as it makes T only accountable to S, repugnant to the trust concept?
Hayton
What did Hayton argue about S reserving certain powers?
S cannot reserve an overriding power to release Ts from liability as it makes T only accountable to S
What judge and in what case thought letters of wishes are generally subject to Londonderry principle?
Breakspear v Ackland
Baxendale-Walker v Middleton judgment
When lending, Ts must secure commercial rate of interest