Lawgist23Liability for breach of trust
Where the trustee commits a breach of trust, he is liable to make good the loss which the trust-property or the beneficiary has thereby sustained, unless the beneficiary has by fraud induced the trustee to commit the breach, or the beneficiary, being competent to contract, has himself, without coercion or undue influence having been brought to bear on him, concurred in the breach, or subsequently acquiesced therein, with full knowledge of the facts of the case and of his rights as against the trustee.
A trustee committing a breach of trust is not liable to pay interest except in the following cases:--
(a) where he has actually received interest;
(b) where the breach consists in unreasonable delay in paying trust-money to the beneficiary;
(c) where the trustee ought to have received interest, but has not done so;
(d) where he may be fairly presumed to have received interest;
He is liable, in case (a), to account for the interest actually received, and, in cases (b), (c) and
(d), to account for simple interest at the rate of six per cent. per annum, unless the Court otherwise directs.
(e) where the breach consists in failure to invest trust-money and to accumulate the interest or dividends thereon, he is liable to account for compound interest (with half-yearly rests) at the same rate;
(f) where the breach consists in the employment of trust-property or the proceeds thereof in trade or business, he is liable to account, at the option of the beneficiary, either for compound interest (with half-yearly rests) at the same rate, or for the net profits made by such employment
Illustrations
(a) A trustee improperly leaves trust-property outstanding, and it is consequently lost: he is liable to make good the property lost, but he is not liable to pay interest thereon.
(b) A bequeaths a house to B in trust to sell it and pay the proceeds to C. B neglects to sell the house for a great length of time, whereby the house is deteriorated and its market-price falls. B is answerable to C for the loss.
(c) A trustee is guilty of unreasonable delay in investing trust-money in accordance with section 20, or in paying it to the beneficiary. The trustee is liable to pay interest thereon for the period of the delay.
(d) The duty of the trustee is to invest trust-money in any of the securities mentioned in section 20, clause (a), (b), (c) or (d). Instead of so doing, he retains the money in his hands. He is liable, at the option of the beneficiary, to be charged either with the amount of the principal money and interest, or with the amount of such securities as he might have purchased with the trustmoney when the investment should have been made, and the intermediate dividends and interest thereon.
(e) The instrument of trust directs the trustee to invest trust-money either in any of such securities or on mortgage of immoveable property. The trustee does neither. He is liable for the principal money and interest.
(f) The instrument of trust directs the trustee to invest trust-money in any of such securities and to accumulate the dividends thereon. The trustee disregards the direction. He is liable, at the option of the beneficiary, to be charged either with the amount of the principal money and compound interest, or with the amount of such securities as he might have purchased with the trustmoney when the investment should have been made, together with the amount of the accumulation which would have arisen from a proper investment of the intermediate devidends.
(g) Trust-property is invested in one of the securities mentioned in section 20, clause (a), (b), (c) or (d). The trustee sells such security for some purpose not authorised by the terms of the instrument of trust. He is liable, at the option of the beneficiary, either to replace the security with the intermediate dividends and interest thereon, or to account for the proceeds of the sale with interest thereon.
(h) The trust-property consists of land. The trustee sells the land to a purchaser for a consideration without notice of the trust. The trustee is liable, at the option of the beneficiary, to purchase other land of equal value to be settled upon the like trust, or to be charged with the proceeds of the sale with interest.
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- 1 Short title
- 2 Repeal of enactments
- 3 Interpretation-clause
- 4 Lawful purpose
- 5 Trust of immoveable property
- 6 Creation of trust
- 7 Who may create trusts
- 8 Subject of trust
- 9 Who may be beneficiary
- 10 Who may be trustee
- 11 Trustee to execute trust
- 12 Trustee to inform himself of state of trust-property
- 13 Trustee to protect title to trust-property
- 14 Trustee not to set up title adverse to beneficiary
- 15 Care required from trustee
- 16 Conversion of perishable property
- 17 Trustee to be impartial
- 18 Trustee to prevent waste
- 19 Accounts and information
- 20 Investment of trust-money
- 20A Power to purchase redeemable stock at a premium
- 21 Mortgage of land pledged to Government under Act 26 of 1871
- 22 Sale by trustee directed to sell within specified time
- 23 Liability for breach of trust
- 24 No set-off allowed to trustee
- 25 Non-liability for predecessor’s default
- 26 Non-liability for co-trustee’s default
- 27 Several liability of co-trustees
- 28 Non-liability of trustee paying without notice of transfer by beneficiary
- 29 Liability of trustee where beneficiary’s interest is forfeited to the Government
- 30 Indemnity of trustees
- 31 Right to title-deed
- 32 Right to reimbursement of expenses
- 33 Right to indemnity from gainer by breach of trust
- 34 Right to apply to Court for opinion in management of trust -property
- 35 Right to settlement of accounts
- 36 General authority of trustee
- 37 Power to sell in lots, and either by public auction or private contract
- 38 Power to sell under special conditions
- 39 Power to convey
- 40 Power to vary investments
- 41 Power to apply property of minors, etc., for their maintenance, etc
- 42 Power to give receipts
- 43 Power to compound, etc
- 44 Power to several trustees of whom one disclaims or dies
- 45 Suspension of trustee’s powers by decree
- 46 Trustee cannot renounce after acceptance
- 47 Trustee cannot delegate
- 48 Co-trustees cannot act singly
- 49 Control of discretionary power
- 50 Trustee may not charge for services
- 51 Trustee may not use trust-property for his own profit
- 52 Trustee for sale or his agent may not buy
- 53 Trustee may not buy beneficiary’s interest without permission
- 54 Co-trustees may not lend to one of themselves
- 55 Rights to rents and profits
- 56 Right to specific execution
- 57 Right to inspect and take copies of instrument of trust, accounts, etc
- 58 Right to transfer beneficial interest
- 59 Right to sue for execution of trust
- 60 Right to proper trustees
- 61 Right to compel to any act of duty
- 62 Wrongful purchase by trustee
- 63 Following trust-property into the hands of third persons; into that into which it has been converted
- 64 Saving of rights of certain transferees
- 65 Acquisition by trustee of trust-property wrongfully converted
- 66 Right in case of blended property
- 67 Wrongful employment by partner-trustee of trust property for partnership purposes
- 68 Liability of beneficiary joining in breach of trust
- 69 Rights and liabilities of beneficiary’s transferee
- 70 Office how vacated
- 71 Discharge of trustee
- 72 Petition to be discharged from trust
- 73 Appointment of new trustees on death, etc
- 74 Appointment by Court
- 75 Vesting of trust-property in new trustees
- 76 Survival of trust
- 77 Trust how extinguished
- 78 Revocation of trust
- 79 Revocation not to defeat what trustees have duly done
- 80 Where obligation in nature of trust is created
- 81 [Repealed.]
- 82 [Repealed.]
- 83 Trust incapable of execution or executed without exhausting trust -property
- 84 Transfer for illegal purpose
- 85 Bequest for illegal purpose
- 86 Transfer pursuant to rescindable contract
- 87 Debtor becoming creditor’s representative
- 88 Advantage gained by fiduciary
- 89 Advantage gained by exercise of undue influence
- 90 Advantage gained by qualified owner
- 91 Property acquired with notice of existing contrac
- 92 Purchase by person contracting to buy property to be held on trust
- 93 Advantage secretly gained by one of several compounding creditors
- 94 Repealed
- 95 Obligor’s duties, liabilities and disabilities
- 96 Saving of rights of bona fide purchasers
