Code of Alabama - Title 19: Fiduciaries and Trusts - Section 19-3B-813 - Duty to inform and report

Section 19-3B-813 - Duty to inform and report.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in Section 19-3B-603, the following rules apply:

(1) A trustee shall keep the current permissible distributees of income or principal of the trust reasonably informed about the administration of the trust and of the material facts necessary for them to protect their interests.

(2) Unless unreasonable under the circumstances, a trustee shall promptly respond to a qualified beneficiary's request for information related to the administration of the trust.

(b) A trustee:

(1) upon request of a beneficiary, shall promptly furnish to the beneficiary a copy of the trust instrument;

(2) within 60 days after accepting a trusteeship, shall notify the qualified beneficiaries of the acceptance and of the trustee's name, address, and telephone number;

(3) within 60 days after accepting the trusteeship of an irrevocable trust, or the date the trustee acquires knowledge that a formerly revocable trust has become irrevocable, whether by the death of the settlor or otherwise, shall notify the qualified beneficiaries of the trust's existence, of the identity of the settlor or settlors, of the right to request a copy of the trust instrument, and of the right to a trustee's most recent report as provided in subsection (c), except no notice shall be required to be given to any beneficiary of a split interest charitable trust whose interest is not irrevocable until that beneficiary's interest becomes that of a current permissible distributee; and

(4) shall notify the current permissible distributees of income or principal of the trust in advance of any change in the method or rate of the trustee's compensation.

(c) A trustee shall send to the distributees or permissible distributees of trust income or principal, and to other qualified or nonqualified beneficiaries who request it, at least annually, a report of the trust property, liabilities, receipts, and disbursements, including the source and amount of the trustee's compensation, a listing of the trust assets and, if feasible, their respective market values, and, upon termination of the trust, a final report commencing with the date of the most recent annual report through the last transaction of the trust. Upon a vacancy in a trusteeship, unless a co-trustee remains in office, a report must be sent to the qualified beneficiaries by the former trustee. A personal representative, conservator, or guardian may send the qualified beneficiaries a report on behalf of a deceased or incapacitated trustee.

(d) A beneficiary may waive the right to a trustee's report or other information otherwise required to be furnished under this section. A beneficiary, with respect to future reports and other information, may withdraw a waiver previously given.

(e) Subsection (b)(2) and subsection (b)(3) shall apply only to trustees who accept a trusteeship on or after January 1, 2007, to irrevocable trusts created on or after January 1, 2007, and to revocable trusts which become irrevocable on or after January 1, 2007.

(Act 2006-216, p. 314, §1.)

Last modified: May 3, 2021