Utah Code 75A-5-201. Fiduciary duties — General principles
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(1) In making an allocation or determination or exercising discretion under this chapter, a fiduciary shall:
Terms Used In Utah Code 75A-5-201
- Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
- Distribution: means a payment or transfer by a fiduciary to a beneficiary in the beneficiary's capacity as a beneficiary, made under the terms of the trust, without consideration other than the beneficiary's right to receive the payment or transfer under the terms of the trust. See Utah Code 75A-5-102
- Estate: includes the property of the decedent as the estate is originally constituted and the property of the estate as it exists at any time during administration. See Utah Code 75A-5-102
- Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
- Fiduciary: includes :(8)(a) a trustee, trust director as defined in Section
75-12-102 , personal representative, life tenant, holder of a term interest, and person acting under a delegation from a fiduciary;(8)(b) a person that holds property for a successor beneficiary whose interest may be affected by an allocation of receipts and expenditures between income and principal; and(8)(c) if there are two or more co-fiduciaries, all co-fiduciaries acting under the terms of the trust and applicable law. See Utah Code 75A-5-102- Income: includes a part of receipts from a sale, exchange, or liquidation of a principal asset to the extent provided in Part 4, Allocation of Receipts. See Utah Code 75A-5-102
- Income interest: includes the right of a current beneficiary to use property held by a fiduciary. See Utah Code 75A-5-102
- Principal: means property held in trust for distribution to, production of income for, or use by a current or successor beneficiary. See Utah Code 75A-5-102
- Trust: includes :
(23)(a)(i) an express trust, private or charitable, with additions to the trust, wherever and however created; and(23)(a)(ii) a trust created or determined by judgment or decree under which the trust is to be administered in the manner of an express trust. See Utah Code 75A-5-102(1)(a) act in good faith, based on what is fair and reasonable to all beneficiaries;(1)(b) administer a trust or estate impartially, except to the extent the terms of the trust manifest an intent that the fiduciary shall or may favor one or more beneficiaries;(1)(c) administer the trust or estate in accordance with the terms of the trust, even if there is a different provision in this chapter; and(1)(d) administer the trust or estate in accordance with this chapter, except to the extent the terms of the trust provide otherwise or authorize the fiduciary to determine otherwise.(2)(2)(a) A fiduciary’s allocation, determination, or exercise of discretion under this chapter is presumed to be fair and reasonable to all beneficiaries.(2)(b) A fiduciary may exercise a discretionary power of administration given to the fiduciary by the terms of the trust, and an exercise of the power that produces a result different from a result required or permitted by this chapter does not create an inference that the fiduciary abused the fiduciary’s discretion.(3) A fiduciary shall:(3)(a) add a receipt to principal, to the extent neither the terms of the trust nor this chapter allocates the receipt between income and principal; and(3)(b) charge a disbursement to principal, to the extent neither the terms of the trust nor this chapter allocates the disbursement between income and principal.(4) If a fiduciary determines an exercise of discretionary power will assist the fiduciary to administer the trust or estate impartially, the fiduciary may:(4)(a) exercise the power to adjust under Section75A-5-203 ;(4)(b) convert an income trust to a unitrust under Subsection75A-5-303 (1)(a);(4)(c) change the percentage or method used to calculate a unitrust amount under Subsection75A-5-303 (1)(b); or(4)(d) convert a unitrust to an income trust under Subsection75A-5-303 (1)(c).(5) In making the determination under Subsection (4), the fiduciary shall consider the following factors:(5)(a) the terms of the trust;(5)(b) the nature, distribution standards, and expected duration of the trust;(5)(c) the effect of the allocation rules, including specific adjustments between income and principal, under Part 4, Allocation of Receipts, Part 5, Allocation of Disbursements, Part 6, Death of Individual or Termination of Income Interest, and Part 7, Apportionment at Beginning and End of Income Interest;(5)(d) the desirability of liquidity and regularity of income;(5)(e) the desirability of the preservation and appreciation of principal;(5)(f) the extent to which an asset is used or may be used by a beneficiary;(5)(g) the increase or decrease in the value of principal assets, reasonably determined by the fiduciary;(5)(h) whether and to what extent the terms of the trust:(5)(h)(i) give the fiduciary power to accumulate income or invade principal; or(5)(h)(ii) prohibit the fiduciary from accumulating income or invading principal;(5)(i) the extent to which the fiduciary has accumulated income or invaded principal in preceding accounting periods;(5)(j) the effect of current and reasonably expected economic conditions; and(5)(k) the reasonably expected tax consequences of the exercise of the power.