INTRODUCTION

A trust may be created for any lawful purpose. The purpose of a trust is lawful unless it is (a) forbidden by law, or (b) is of such a nature that, if permitted, it would defeat the provisions of any law, or (c) is fraudulent, or (d) involves or implies injury to the person or property of another, or (e) the court regards it as immoral or opposed to public policy.

Every trust of which the purpose is unlawful is void. And where a trust is created for two purposes, of which one is lawful and the other unlawful, and the two purposes, cannot be separated, the whole trust is void.

a trust is created when the author of the trust indicates with reasonable certainty by any words or acts (a) an intention on his part to create thereby a trust, (b) the purpose of the trust, (c) the beneficiary, and (d) the trust-property, and (unless the trust is declared by will or the author of the trust is himself to be the trustee) transferred the trust-property to the trustee.

A trust may be created-

(a) by every person competent to contract, and

(b) with the permission of a principal civil court of original jurisdiction, by or on behalf of a minor,

but subject in each case to the law for the time being in force as to the circumstances and extent in and to which the author of the trust may dispose of the trust property.

Every person capable of holding property may be a beneficiary.

Disclaimer by beneficiary : A proposed beneficiary may renounce his interest under the trust by disclaimer addressed to the trustee, or by setting up, with notice of the trust, a claim inconsistent therewith.

Who may be trustee

Every person capable of holding property may be a trustee; but, where the trust involves the exercise of discretion, he cannot execute it unless he is competent to contract.

No one bound to accept trust : No one is bound to accept a trust.

Acceptance of trust: A trust is accepted by any words or acts of the trustee indicating with reasonable certainty such acceptance.

Disclaimer of trust : Instead of accepting a trust, the intended trustee may, within a reasonable period, disclaim it, and such disclaimer shall prevent the trust-property from vesting in him.

A disclaimer by one of two or more co-trustees vests the trust-property in the other or others, and makes him or them sole trustee or trustees from the date of the creation of the trust.

Examples:

(a) A bequeaths certain property to B and C, his executors, as trustees for D. B and C prove A’s will. This is in itself an acceptance of the trust, and B and C hold the property in trust for D.

(b) A transfers certain property to B in trust to sell it and to pay out of the proceeds A’s debts. B accepts the trust and sells the property. So far as regards B, a trust of the proceeds is created for A’s creditors.

(c) A bequeaths a lakh of rupees to B upon certain trusts and appoints him his executor. B severs the lakh from the general assets and appropriates it to the specific purpose. This is an acceptance of the trust.

Duties And Liabilities Of Trustees

The trustee is bound to fulfill the purpose of the trust, and to obey the directions of the author of the trust given at the time of its creation, except as modified by the consent of all the beneficiaries being competent to contract.

Where the beneficiary is incompetent to contract, his consent may, for the purposes of this section, be given by a principal civil court of original jurisdiction.

Nothing in this section shall be deemed to require a trustee to obey any direction when to do so would be impracticable, illegal or manifestly injurious to the beneficiaries.

A trustee is bound to acquaint himself, as soon as possible, with the nature and circumstances of the trust-property; to obtain, where necessary, a transfer of the trust property to himself; and (subject to the provisions of the instrument of trust) to get in trust-moneys invested on insufficient or hazardous security.

A trustee is bound to deal with the trust-property as carefully as a man of ordinary prudence would deal with such property if it were his own; and, in the absence of a contract to the contrary, a trustee so dealing is not responsible for the loss, destruction or deterioration of the trust-property.

Where the trust is created for the benefit of several persons in succession, and the trust property is of a wasting nature or a future or reversionary interest, the trustee is bound, unless an intention to the contrary may be inferred from the instrument of trust, to convert the property into property of a permanent and immediately profitable character.

Illustrations

1. A bequeaths to B all his property in trust for C during his life, and on his death for D, and on D’s death for E. A’s property consists of three leasehold houses, and there is nothing in A’s will to show that he intended the houses to be enjoyed in specie. B should sell the houses, and invest the proceeds in accordance with section 20.
2. A bequeaths to B his three leasehold houses in Calcutta and all the furniture therein in trust for C during his life, and on his death for D, and on D’s death for E. Here an intention that the houses and furniture should be enjoyed in specie appears clearly, and B should not sell them.

Where the trust is created for the benefit of several persons in succession and one of them is in possession of the trust-property, if he commits, or threatens to commit, any act which is destructive or permanently injurious thereto, the trustee is bound to take measures to prevent such act.

A trustee is bound (a) to keep clear and accurate accounts of the trust-property, and (b) at all reasonable times, at the request of the beneficiary, to furnish him with full and accurate information as to the amount and state of the trust-property.

Investment Of Trust Money

Where the trust-property consists of money and cannot be applied immediately or at an early date to the purposes of the trust, the trustee is bound (subject to any direction contained in the instrument of trust) to invest the money on the following securities, and on no others:

(a) in promissory notes, debentures, stock or other securities of any State Government or of the Central Government, or of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland:

PROVIDED that securities, both the principal whereof and the interest whereon shall have been fully and unconditionally guaranteed by any such government, shall be deemed, for the purposes of this clause, to be securities of such government;

(b) in bonds, debentures and annuities charged or secured by the Parliament of the United Kingdom before the fifteenth day of August, 1947 on the revenues of India or of the Governor General in Council or of any province:

PROVIDED that, after the fifteenth day of February, 1916, no money shall be invested in any such annuity being a terminable annuity unless a sinking fund has been established in connection with such annuity; but nothing in this proviso shall apply to investments made before the date aforesaid.

(bb) in India three and a half per cent stock, India three per cent stock, India two and a half per cent stock or any other capital stock which before the 15th day of August, 1947, was issued by the Secretary of State for India in Council under the authority of an Act of Parliament of the United kingdom and charged on the revenues of India or which was issued by the Secretary of State on behalf of the Governor-General in Council under the provisions of Part XIII of the Government of India Act, 1935;

c) in stock or debentures of, or shares in, Railway or other companies the interest whereon shall have been guaranteed by the Secretary of State for India in Council or by the Central Government or in debentures of the Bombay Provincial Co-operative Bank Limited, the interest whereon shall have been guaranteed, by the Secretary of State for India in Council or the State Government of Bombay;

(d) in debentures or other securities for money issued, under the authority of any Central Act or Provincial Act or State Act, by or on behalf of any municipal body, port trust or city improvement trust in any Presidency-town, or in Rangoon town, or by or on behalf of the trustees of the port of Karachi:

PROVIDED that after the 31st day of March, 1948, no money shall be invested in any securities issued by or on behalf of a municipal body, port trust or city improvement trust in Rangoon town, or by or on behalf of the trustees of the port of Karachi ;

(e) On a first mortgage of immovable property situate in any part of the territories to which this Act extends.

Vacating The Office Of Trustee

The office of a trustee is vacated by his death or by his discharge from his office.

The trustee may be discharged from his office only as follows:-

(a) by the extinction of the trust;

(b) by the completion of his duties under the trust;

(c) by such means as may be prescribed by the instrument of trust;

(d) by appointment under this Act of a new trustee in his place;

(e) by consent of himself and the beneficiary, or, where there are more beneficiaries than one, all the beneficiaries being competent to contract; or

(f) by the court to which a petition for his discharge is presented under this Act.

Notwithstanding the provisions of section 11, every trustee may apply by petition to a principal civil court of original jurisdiction to be discharged from his office; and if the court finds that there is sufficient reason for such discharge, it may discharge him accordingly, and direct his costs to be paid out of the trust-property. But where there is no such reason, the court shall not discharge him, unless a proper person can be found to take his place.

Whenever any such vacancy or disqualification occurs and it is found impracticable to appoint a new trustee under section 73, the beneficiary may, without instituting a suit, apply by petition to a principal civil court of original jurisdiction for the appointment of a trustee or a new trustee, and the court may appoint a trustee or a new trustee accordingly.

Rule for selecting new trustees : In appointing new trustees, the court shall have regard (a) to the wishes of the author of the trust as expressed in or to be inferred from the instrument of trust; (b) to the wishes of the person, if any, empowered to appoint new trustees; (c) to the question whether the appointment will promote or impede the execution of the trust; and (d) where there are more beneficiaries than one, to the interests of all such beneficiaries.

On the death or discharge of one of several co-trustees, the trust survives and the trust-property passes to the others, unless the instrument of trust expressly declares otherwise.

Aishwarya Says:

I have always been against Glorifying Over Work and therefore, in the year 2021, I have decided to launch this campaign “Balancing Life”and talk about this wrong practice, that we have been following since last few years. I will be talking to and interviewing around 1 lakh people in the coming 2021 and publish their interview regarding their opinion on glamourising Over Work.

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