Title 19, Descent, Distribution, and Trusts. [Enacted title]

(a) If appropriate, a custodial trustee shall register or record the instrument vesting title to custodial trust property. (b) If the beneficiary is not incapacitated, a custodial trustee shall follow the directions of the beneficiary in the management, control, investment, or re…

(a) A custodial trustee, acting in a fiduciary capacity, has all the rights and powers over custodial trust property which an unmarried adult owner has over individually owned property, but a custodial trustee may exercise those rights and powers in a fiduciary capacity only. (b)…

(a) A custodial trustee shall pay to the beneficiary or expend for the beneficiary’s use and benefit so much or all of the custodial trust property as the beneficiary while not incapacitated may direct from time to time. (b) If the beneficiary is incapacitated, the custodial trus…

(a) The custodial trustee shall administer the custodial trust as for an incapacitated beneficiary if: (1) The custodial trust was created under section 19-1105; (2) The transferor has so directed in the instrument creating the custodial trust; or (3) The custodial trustee has de…

A third person, in good faith and without a court order, may act on instructions of, or otherwise deal with, a person purporting to make a transfer as, or purporting to act in the capacity of, a custodial trustee. In the absence of knowledge to the contrary, the third person is n…

(a) A claim based on a contract entered into by a custodial trustee acting in a fiduciary capacity, an obligation arising from the ownership or control of custodial trust property, or a tort committed in the course of administering the custodial trust, may be asserted by a third …

(a) Before accepting the custodial trust property, a person designated as custodial trustee may decline to serve by notifying the person who made the designation, the transferor, or the transferor’s legal representative. If an event giving rise to a transfer has not occurred, the…

Except as otherwise provided in the instrument creating the custodial trust, in an agreement with the beneficiary, or by court order, a custodial trustee: (1) Is entitled to reimbursement from custodial trust property for reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of fiducia…

(a) Upon the acceptance of custodial trust property, the custodial trustee shall provide a written statement describing the custodial trust property and shall thereafter provide a written statement of the administration of the custodial trust property once each year, upon request…

(a) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, unless previously barred by adjudication, consent, or limitation, a claim for relief against a custodial trustee for accounting or breach of duty is barred as to a beneficiary, a person to whom custodial trust property is …

(a) Upon termination of a custodial trust, the custodial trustee shall transfer the unexpended custodial trust property: (1) To the beneficiary, if not incapacitated or deceased; (2) To the conservator or other recipient designated by the court for an incapacitated beneficiary; o…

(a) If a transaction, including a declaration with respect to or a transfer of specific property, otherwise satisfies applicable law, the criteria of section 19-1102 are satisfied by: (1) The execution and either delivery to the custodial trustee or recording of an instrument in …

(a) This chapter applies to a transfer or declaration creating a custodial trust that refers to this chapter if, at the time of the transfer or declaration, the transferor, beneficiary, or custodial trustee is a resident of or has its principal place of business in the District o…

This chapter shall be applied and construed to effectuate its general purpose to make uniform the law with respect to the subject of this chapter among states enacting it.

This chapter may be cited as the “Uniform Trust Code”.

This chapter applies to express trusts, charitable or noncharitable, and trusts created pursuant to a statute, judgment, or decree that requires the trust to be administered in the manner of an express trust.

For the purposes of this chapter, the term: (1) “Action,” with respect to an act of a trustee, includes a failure to act. (2) “Beneficiary” means a person that: (A) Has a present or future beneficial interest in a trust, vested or contingent; or (B) In a capacity other than that …

(a) Subject to subsection (b) of this section, a person has knowledge of a fact if the person: (1) Has actual knowledge of it; (2) Has received a notice or notification of it; or (3) From all the facts and circumstances known to the person at the time in question, has reason to k…

(a) Except as otherwise provided in the terms of the trust, this chapter governs the duties and powers of a trustee, relations among trustees, and the rights and interests of a beneficiary. (b) The terms of a trust prevail over any provision of this chapter except: (1) The requir…

The common law of trusts and principles of equity supplement this chapter, except to the extent modified by this chapter or another statute of the District of Columbia.

The meaning and effect of the terms of a trust are determined by: (1) The law of the jurisdiction designated in the terms unless the designation of that jurisdiction’s law is contrary to a strong public policy of the jurisdiction having the most significant relationship to the ma…

(a) Without precluding other means for establishing a sufficient connection with the designated jurisdiction, terms of a trust designating the principal place of administration are valid and controlling if: (1) A trustee’s principal place of business is located in or a trustee is…

(a) Notice to a person under this chapter or the sending of a document to a person under this chapter must be accomplished in a manner reasonably suitable under the circumstances and likely to result in receipt of the notice or document. Permissible methods of notice or for sendi…

(a) Whenever notice to qualified beneficiaries of a trust is required under this chapter, the trustee must also give notice to any other beneficiary who has sent the trustee a request for notice. (b) A charitable organization expressly designated to receive distributions under th…

(a) For the purposes of this section, the term “interested persons” means persons whose consent would be required in order to achieve a binding settlement were the settlement to be approved by the court. (b) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (c) of this section, interest…

(a) The court may intervene in the administration of a trust to the extent its jurisdiction is invoked by an interested person or as provided by law. (b) A trust is not subject to continuing judicial supervision unless ordered by the court. (c) A judicial proceeding involving a t…

(a) By accepting the trusteeship of a trust having its principal place of administration in the District of Columbia or by moving the principal place of administration to the District of Columbia, the trustee submits personally to the jurisdiction of the courts of the District of…

(a) Notice to a person who may represent and bind another person under this subchapter has the same effect as if notice were given directly to the other person. (b) The consent of a person who may represent and bind another person under this subchapter is binding on the person re…

The holder of a power of appointment may represent and bind persons whose interests as permissible appointees or takers in default are subject to the power. A qualified power of appointment is a power exercisable in favor of: (1) The power holder, the power holder’s estate, the p…

To the extent there is no conflict of interest between the representative and the person represented or among those being represented with respect to a particular question or dispute: (1) A conservator may represent and bind the estate that the conservator controls; (2) A guardia…

Unless otherwise represented, a minor, incapacitated, or unborn individual, or a person whose identity or location is unknown and not reasonably ascertainable, may be represented by and bound by another having a substantially identical interest with respect to the particular ques…

(a) If the court determines that an interest is not represented under this subchapter, or that the otherwise available representation might be inadequate, the court may appoint a representative to receive notice, give consent, and otherwise represent, bind, and act on behalf of a…

A trust may be created by: (1) Transfer of property to another person as trustee during the settlor’s lifetime or by will or other disposition taking effect upon the settlor’s death; (2) Declaration by the owner of property that the owner holds identifiable property as trustee; (…

(a) A trust is created only if: (1) The settlor has capacity to create a trust; (2) The settlor indicates an intention to create the trust; (3) The trust has a definite beneficiary or is: (A) A charitable trust; (B) A trust for the care of an animal, as provided in section 19-130…

A trust not created by will is validly created if its creation complies with the law of the jurisdiction in which the trust instrument was executed, or the law of the jurisdiction in which, at the time of creation: (1) The settlor was domiciled, had a place of abode, or was a nat…

A trust may be created only to the extent its purposes are lawful, not contrary to public policy, and possible to achieve. A trust and its terms must be for the benefit of its beneficiaries.

(a) A charitable trust may be created for the relief of poverty, the advancement of education or religion, the promotion of health, governmental or municipal purposes, or other purposes the achievement of which is beneficial to the community. (b) If the terms of a charitable trus…

A trust is void to the extent its creation was induced by fraud, duress, or undue influence.

Except as required by a statute other than this chapter, a trust need not be evidenced by a trust instrument, but the creation of an oral trust and its terms may be established only by clear and convincing evidence.

(a) A trust may be created to provide for the care of an animal alive during the settlor’s lifetime. The trust terminates upon the death of the animal or, if the trust was created to provide for the care of more than one animal alive during the settlor’s lifetime, upon the death …

Except as otherwise provided in section 19-1304.08 or by D.C. Official Code § 43-113, the following rules apply: (1) A trust may be created for a noncharitable purpose without a definite or definitely ascertainable beneficiary or for a noncharitable but otherwise valid purpose to…

(a) In addition to the methods of termination prescribed by section 19-1304.11 through section 19-1304.14, a trust terminates to the extent the trust is revoked or expires pursuant to its terms, no purpose of the trust remains to be achieved, or the purposes of the trust have bec…

(a) A noncharitable irrevocable trust may be modified or terminated upon consent of the settlor and all beneficiaries, even if the modification or termination is inconsistent with a material purpose of the trust. A settlor’s power to consent to a trust’s modification or terminati…

(a) The court may modify the administrative or dispositive terms of a trust or terminate the trust if, because of circumstances not anticipated by the settlor, modification or termination will further the purposes of the trust. To the extent practicable, the modification must be …

Except as otherwise provided in the terms of the trust, if a particular charitable purpose is or becomes unlawful, impracticable, impossible to achieve, or wasteful: (1) The trust does not fail, in whole or in part; (2) The trust property does not revert to the settlor or the set…

(a) After notice to the qualified beneficiaries, the trustee of a trust consisting of trust property having a total value less than $50,000 may terminate the trust if the trustee concludes that the value of the trust property is insufficient to justify the cost of administration.…