72-38-402. Requirements for creation. (1) A trust is created only if:

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Terms Used In Montana Code 72-38-402

  • Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
  • Beneficiary: means a person who:

    (a)has a present or future beneficial interest in a trust, vested or contingent; or

    (b)in a capacity other than that of trustee, holds a power of appointment over trust property. See Montana Code 72-38-103

  • Charitable trust: means a trust or portion of a trust created for a charitable purpose described in 72-38-405(1). See Montana Code 72-38-103
  • Person: means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, government, governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, public corporation, or any other legal or commercial entity. See Montana Code 72-38-103
  • Property: means anything that may be the subject of ownership, whether real or personal, legal or equitable, or any interest therein. See Montana Code 72-38-103
  • Settlor: means a person, including a testator, who creates or contributes property to a trust. See Montana Code 72-38-103
  • Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
  • Trustee: includes an original, additional, and successor trustee and a cotrustee. See Montana Code 72-38-103

(a)the settlor has capacity to create a trust;

(b)the settlor indicates an intention to create the trust;

(c)the trust has a definite beneficiary or is:

(i)a charitable trust;

(ii)a trust for the care of an animal, as provided in 72-38-408; or

(iii)a trust for a noncharitable purpose, as provided in 72-38-409;

(d)the trustee has duties to perform; and

(e)the same person is not the sole trustee and sole beneficiary.

(2)A beneficiary is definite if the beneficiary can be ascertained now or in the future, subject to any applicable rule against perpetuities.

(3)A power in a trustee to select a beneficiary from an indefinite class is valid. If the power is not exercised within a reasonable time, the power fails and the property subject to the power passes to the persons who would have taken the property had the power not been conferred.

(4)A conservation easement created or conveyed under Title 76, chapter 6, does not create a charitable trust unless the settlor expresses a clear intention in the conservation easement instrument to create or convey the conservation easement as a charitable trust.