The Vermont Statutes Online
The Statutes below include the actions of the 2024 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 014 : Uniform Trust Decanting Act
(Cite as: 14A V.S.A. § 1407)-
§ 1407. Notice; exercise of decanting power
(a) In this section, a notice period begins on the day notice is given under subsection (c) of this section and ends 59 days after the day notice is given.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, an authorized fiduciary may exercise the decanting power without the consent of any person and without court approval.
(c) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (f) of this section, an authorized fiduciary shall give notice in a record of the intended exercise of the decanting power not later than 60 days before the exercise to:
(1) each settlor of the first trust, if living or then in existence;
(2) each qualified beneficiary of the first trust;
(3) each holder of a presently exercisable power of appointment over any part or all of the first trust;
(4) each person who currently has the right to remove or replace the authorized fiduciary;
(5) each other fiduciary of the first trust;
(6) each fiduciary of the second trust;
(7) the Attorney General, if subsection 1414(b) of this title applies; and
(8) each person acting as a trust director, as defined in section 1302 of this title, of the first trust.
(d) An authorized fiduciary is not required to give notice under subsection (c) of this section to a person that is not known to the fiduciary or is known to the fiduciary but cannot be located by the fiduciary after reasonable diligence.
(e) A notice under subsection (c) of this section shall:
(1) specify the manner in which the authorized fiduciary intends to exercise the decanting power;
(2) specify the proposed effective date for exercise of the power;
(3) include a copy of the first-trust instrument; and
(4) include a copy of all second-trust instruments.
(f) The decanting power may be exercised before expiration of the notice period under subsection (a) of this section if all persons entitled to receive notice waive the period in a signed record.
(g) The receipt of notice, waiver of the notice period, or expiration of the notice period does not affect the right of a person to file an application under section 1409 of this title asserting that:
(1) an attempted exercise of the decanting power is ineffective because it did not comply with this chapter or was an abuse of discretion or breach of fiduciary duty; or
(2) section 1422 of this title applies to the exercise of the decanting power.
(h) An exercise of the decanting power is not ineffective because of the failure to give notice to one or more persons under subsection (c) of this section if the authorized fiduciary acted with reasonable care to comply with that subsection. (Added 2023, No. 177 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. July 1, 2024.)
