Pertinent facts: On first blush Biggs v Biggs has the appearance of a David and Goliath style contest. Nation J refers at [10] to the 2300 pages of documents that have had to be considered and at [11] notes that when claims are pursued “in a particular way, there can be scant recognition of the … Continue reading
New Zealand may seem a long way away from the rest of the world. However, as demonstrated in Trident Trust Company (NZ) Ltd v Bozo, not so far away as might be thought. The case involves a New Zealand trustee of a trust settled by a non-resident settlor for the benefit of himself his wife and … Continue reading
Times change, and so do charitable purposes. The recent case of Re Otago Foundation Trust Board highlights that even a charity set up with the best of good intentions might run the risk of becoming moribund owing to societal changes. The original trust was settled under the will of Robert Campbell in 1904. It left … Continue reading
H.W. Fowler’s opinion was that in using presume, the speaker believes the supposition is true and will believe it until he learns otherwise. In using assume, the speaker feels no certainty that his supposition is true or not. In a legal context, presume means “to take as proved until contrary evidence is presented.” Ex. The … Continue reading
Clement v Lucas concerns a family farming enterprise and illustrates the difficulties when beneficiaries cannot agree on how to give effect to the protections parents have put in place for the benefit of the beneficiaries. The contest at the heart of the matter was whether the trustees should distribute the trust assets equally between the … Continue reading
Boy meets girl. Boy marries girl. Boy bankrupts girl after she fails to pay $12,263.50 of court costs. Girl’s appointment as trustee and appointor of two family trusts is terminated by her bankruptcy. Aint love grand? Anne (the girl in this narrative) remains a beneficiary of the trust that owns the family home where she … Continue reading
The roles of trustees and trust administrators can be a rewarding but difficult role. With the prospect of a Trusts Act in the foreseeable future (see Trusts Bill released 1 august 2017) trustees and trust administrators need to be match fit. Increased reporting obligations under CRS, AML/CFT and FATCA are another matter for consideration. For … Continue reading
As noted by Woolford J in para [1] Addleman v Lambie Trustee Limited relates to “an unfortunate dispute between sisters as to what level of disclosure is appropriate for the affairs of the Lambie Trust (the Trust)…” Prudence and Annette are sisters. In1972 Annette broke her spinal cord diving into a tidal pool in Sydney … Continue reading
The moral dimension of trusteeship arises in many contexts. The recent New Zealand court decisions concerning information obligations to beneficiaries, and the way this is dealt with in the new Trusts Bill, highlight the difficulty of judging what information is too much or too little to disclose. However, general principles on disclosure bypass the consideration … Continue reading
Editor’s note: The Court of Appeal decision was released on 19 April 2018. See Artist in stoush over mother’s will ordered to pay after accusing lawyers of dishonesty. High Court Decision In Sandman v Giboney, Mr Sandman claims that a law firm knowingly assisted a breach of trust by taking will instructions and assisting in … Continue reading
