Back to News

Pa. Supreme Court Upholds Trustee Replacement Rules

Published on

August 18, 2017

A recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court case clarified the ability of the beneficiaries of a trust to remove a corporate trustee.

In a highly anticipated case, the Court unanimously refused to permit the beneficiaries of an irrevocable trust to remove a trustee through the general provisions of the Pennsylvania Uniform Trust Act (UTA).

In the recent case, Trust Agreement of Edward Winslow Taylor, the Court held that the specific provisions of the UTA dealing with a removal of a trustee must be followed. The beneficiaries had tried to remove a corporate trustee in the case.

The beneficiaries unsuccessfully attempted to amend an irrevocable trust using the general modification provisions of the UTA. They used a two-step process to remove Wells Fargo as a corporate trustee. Although the Pennsylvania Superior Court agreed with the analysis proposed by the beneficiaries, the state’s highest Court, based upon principles of statutory construction, favored the specific provisions of the UTA which has strict requirements for the removal or replacement of a trustee.

This opinion has broad application for older trusts which do not contain a “portability” provision. Modern trusts typically contain a portability provision, which permit the beneficiaries of an irrevocable trust to replace a corporate trustee. Existing trusts should be reviewed to determine whether they contain a portability provision.

If you have any questions on this or need help in reviewing a trust, please contact me or any other attorney in Barley Snyder’s Personal Planning Practice Group.


Related News

View More News
News Alert
December 4, 2023

Protecting Your Interests in the World of Digital Assets

With the recent news surrounding Binance, the world’s largest cryptoc...

Learn More
Press Release
October 31, 2023

Barley Snyder Further Expands Gettysburg Office 

For Immediate Release Gettysburg, Pa. – Barley Snyder is excited to annou...

Learn More
Press Release
October 16, 2023

Barley Snyder Adds Attorney Nichole Eisenhart to Growing Roster

For Immediate Release Lebanon, Pa. – Barley Snyder is pleased to announce...

Learn More

Other Upcoming Events

View All Upcoming Events
Dec
07
3:30 pm
-
6:00 pm
event
Location

Barley Snyder’s Reading Open House!

Learn More
Dec
12
4:30 pm
-
6:30 pm
event
Location

Barley Snyder’s Gettysburg Open House!

Learn More
Jan
10
12:00 pm
-
1:00 pm

Complying with FinCEN’s Beneficial Ownership Reporting Rule Under the Corporate Transparency Act Webinar

Learn More

Get in Touch

Our attorneys, paralegals and staff look forward to hearing from you. Please reach out to let us know how we can help.

Get In Touch
RECOGNIZED IN
Super Lawyers
Best Law Firms US News
Best Lawyers