75-7-1010 - Limitation on personal liability of trustee.
75-7-1010. Limitation on personal liability of trustee.
(1) Except as otherwise provided in the contract, a trustee is not personally liable on acontract properly entered into in the trustee's fiduciary capacity in the course of administering thetrust if the trustee in the contract disclosed the fiduciary capacity.
(2) A trustee is personally liable for torts committed in the course of administering atrust, or for obligations arising from ownership or control of trust property, including liability forviolation of environmental law, only if the trustee is personally at fault.
(3) A claim based on a contract entered into by a trustee in the trustee's fiduciarycapacity, on an obligation arising from ownership or control of trust property, or on a tortcommitted in the course of administering a trust, may be asserted in a judicial proceeding againstthe trustee in the trustee's fiduciary capacity, whether or not the trustee is personally liable for theclaim.
(4) The question of liability as between the trust estate and the trustee individually maybe determined in a proceeding for accounting, surcharge, or indemnification or other appropriateproceeding.
(5) Whenever an instrument creating a trust reserves to the settlor, or vests in an advisoryor investment committee, or in any other person or persons, including one or more cotrustees tothe exclusion of the trustee or to the exclusion of one or more of several trustees, authority todirect the making or retention of any investment, the excluded trustee or trustees shall not beliable, either individually or as a fiduciary, for any loss resulting from the making or retention ofany investment pursuant to such direction.
(6) In the absence of actual knowledge or information which would cause a reasonabletrustee to inquire further, no trustee shall be liable for failure to take necessary steps to compelthe redress of any breach of trust or fiduciary duty by any predecessor personal representative,trustee, or other fiduciary. The provisions of this section shall not be construed to limit thefiduciary liability of any trustee for his own acts or omissions with respect to the trust estate.
Enacted by Chapter 89, 2004 General Session