The Vermont Statutes Online
The Vermont Statutes Online have been updated to include the actions of the 2023 session of the General Assembly.
NOTE: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.
Title 14A : Trusts
Chapter 010 : Liability of Trustees and Rights of Persons Dealing with Trustee
(Cite as: 14A V.S.A. § 1005)-
§ 1005. Limitation of action against trustee
(a) A beneficiary may not commence a proceeding against a trustee for breach of trust more than one year after the date the beneficiary or a representative of the beneficiary was sent a report that adequately disclosed the existence of a potential claim for breach of trust.
(b) A report adequately discloses the existence of a potential claim for breach of trust if it provides sufficient information so that the beneficiary or representative knows or has reason to know of the potential claim or that the beneficiary had a duty to inquire further and the response to such an inquiry would have disclosed the potential claim. If written notice is given to the trustee by a beneficiary or representative within the time for commencing an action under subsection (a) of this section stating that the beneficiary or representative has received insufficient information from the trustee’s report to determine whether to commence an action for breach of trust, the time for commencing an action shall be extended by six months. If no proceeding is commenced within the extended time, it shall be conclusively presumed that the report adequately disclosed the existence of any potential claim.
(c) If subsection (a) of this section does not apply, a judicial proceeding by a beneficiary against a trustee for breach of trust must be commenced within three years after the first to occur of:
(1) the removal, resignation, or death of the trustee;
(2) the termination of the beneficiary’s interest in the trust; or
(3) the termination of the trust.
(d) Subsections (a) through (c) of this section shall not apply to the filing of a petition in Probate Division of the Superior Court by the Attorney General for breach of trust against the trustee of a charitable trust with a principal place of administration in this State. The Attorney General may file a petition within three years after the potential claim arises. (Added 2009, No. 20, § 1; amended 2009, No. 154 (Adj. Sess.), § 236, eff. February 1, 2011.)
