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Trusts

This category contains 272 posts

It would be nice to be asked

Jones v Jones relates to matters in dispute regarding the estate of Basil Jones, in the context of a blended family. The executors of Basil Jones’ will are his surviving wife Laurel and his children from a previous relationship. Laurel made an election to pursue a claim against Basil’s estate pursuant to the Property (Relationships) … Continue reading

A trust without a trustee …

Ryan v Lobb relates to the interpretation of a resettlement clause contained in the deed of trust for the Lothbury Trust (the Trust) that expressly provided for a resettlement on written notice in the event that the Settlors separated, or their marriage was legally dissolved. Such notice was given by Ms Ryan in 2017 following … Continue reading

Trustee tax rate increase signalled

The Government has announced its intention to align the trustee tax rate with the 39% top personal rate effective 1 April 2024. A limited exemption is proposed for deceased estates. The following commentary from the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill also explains the proposed exemption for trusts settled for … Continue reading

Make me

Connolly v Eckhout traverses the application of the little known Imprisonment for Debt Limitation Act 1908 to a person acting in a fiduciary capacity. By way of background: … Ms Eckhout did not pay the judgment sum. The High Court has limited powers to issue an arrest order where requirements that are largely drawn from … Continue reading

Weakly fiduciary

Cooper v Pinney is a second appeal and cross-appeal, by leave, from a decision of the Family Court that ascertained relationship and separate property following a relationship break down. At the heart of the matter was the treatment of a discretionary trust settled during the relationship to receive property by way of resettlement from a … Continue reading

Tikanga – shield or sword?

Principles of tikanga and trust law are both inextricably linked with land ownership and benefit from land ownership. That said, care is required when equating tikanga principles with a generic concept of Pākehā law. Doney v Adlam provides a practical example of the tensions between Pākehā law and tikanga principles. The background to this case … Continue reading

Costly

The most recent decision in the long-running Lambie Trustee Limited v Addleman relates to costs on account of a judgment of the Supreme Court delivered in 1 June 2021. In that judgment as noted in the case in hand at [1] “.. with one clarification, the Courtdismissed an appeal brought by Lambie Trustee Ltd (LTL). … Continue reading

Leave granted

The Supreme Court has granted leave to appeal the majority decision of the Court of Appeal (see 2 to 1) allowing the appeal of the ground breaking decision of Gwyn J that held that a parent can owe fiduciary obligations that survive into adulthood and that property transferred in breach of this duty will be … Continue reading

The proper corporate trustee

The background to Legler v Formannoij is set out in No fraud here. For practical purposes the relevant background is canvassed at [24] as follows: Fundamentally Legler v Formannoij considers whether the appointment of a corporate trustee of which a beneficiary is the sole director is improper. This question needs to be considered in light … Continue reading

Firmer ground

The Privy Council has allowed the appeal in Grand View Private Trust Company Limited v Wong. By way of background, the former individual beneficiaries of a substantial private discretionary trust sought to a challenge the trustee’s decision to appoint the Wang Family Trust (a perpetual purpose trust) as a new beneficiary, and to then transfer … Continue reading

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