If the terms of a charitable trust whose purposes have become frustrated contain a power of variation the trustees are confronted with whether to vary pursuant to the terms or to seek approval for a scheme under Part 3 of the Charitable Trusts Act 1957. In Re Trevor Wilson Trustee Limited [2022] NZHC 2118 Dunningham … Continue reading
Probating a will is generally accepted as an essential step to allow executors to administer an estate. However, where there are challenges or other complications, it is important to appreciate that there may be steps that can be taken without probate. As executors derive title from the will, rather than probate (which merely proves the … Continue reading
Nadan v Sharma relates to an application for the removal of trustees and the appointment of an independent corporate trustee in circumstances where the trustees’ marriage has ended and the trustees are deadlocked. Of note is that prior to the application for removal was made following two arbitral awards in respect of the jointly settled … Continue reading
Re Darlow (in the Estate of Janette Diana Moleta) relates to an originating application for directions pursuant to s 133 of the Trusts Act 2019. The applicant Mr Darlow is the executor of the estate of Janette Moleta (the Estate). He seeks a direction that “… following the conclusion of an appropriate advertising campaign, he … Continue reading
The background to FFP Trustee (NZ) Limited v Peng is complicated. There are two applications before the courts, on relating to a restructuring proposal and the other relating to forfeiture of certain trust assets and directions regarding service. By way of background: TFFP sought leave to commence the current application by way of originating application. … Continue reading
The background to Turvey v Vance relates to diametrically opposed intra-family division with respect to the FB Turvey Family Trust and the P Turvey Family Trust (the Trusts). The Trusts were mirror trusts and as such the settlor of each of the trusts was not able to benefit from the trust that person settled. In … Continue reading
The Supreme Court has declined leave to appeal the Court of Appeal decision in Kain v Public Trust. The proposed grounds of appeal were that the Court of Appeal erred in: The Court of Appeal’s views regarding trustees being able to take subsequent memoranda of wishes into account was upheld by the Supreme Court, although … Continue reading
Singh v Attorney General is an application under part 5 of the Trusts Act 2019 and pursuant to the High Court rules to defend the applicants’ removal as trustees of the Sikh Sangat NZ Trust (the Trust) and for a Beddoe Order. The applicants separately seek the removal of the Trust’s founding trustee and an … Continue reading
The decision in Re Tauranga Energy Consumer Trust may on first blush appear esoteric and outside the mainstream. However, the decision warrants careful reading as it is one of the few cases to date to consider default duties imposed by the Trusts Act 2019 in a practical construct. The case relates to a proposed restructure … Continue reading
The decision in Brkic v White considers whether Ms White has an interest in land that is “tantamount to ownership of the land”, such that the appellants can obtain a charging order that will enable the land to be sold to meet a debt owed by Ms White and her co-trustee of a separate trust. … Continue reading