Banana Moon Trust, J.C. Chisum, Trustee, and Purple Passion Trust, J.C. Chisum, Trustee - Page 9




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               The respective governing trust documents pertaining to                 
          petitioners suggest that each petitioner was organized as a trust           
          under the laws of the State of Nevada.  However, in petitioners’            
          response to respondent’s motion and at the hearing on that                  
          motion, Mr. Chisum asserted that the administration of each                 
          petitioner trust is governed by the laws of the State of Arizona            
          and that the exclusive jurisdiction in determining the validity             
          of the trust and of the trustee is in the Superior Court of the             
          State of Arizona.                                                           
               Assuming arguendo, as petitioners claim, that each peti-               
          tioner is a trust, the administration of which is subject to the            
          laws of the State of Arizona, under Arizona law, see Rule 60(c),            
          a trustee has the power to commence litigation on behalf of a               
          trust.3  See Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. sec. 14-7233.C.25. (West                 
          1995).  In the instant case, each petitioner has the burden of              
          proving that this Court has jurisdiction, see Fehrs v. Commis-              
          sioner, 65 T.C. 346, 348 (1975); National Comm. to Secure Justice           

               3Assuming arguendo, as the respective governing trust                  
          documents pertaining to petitioners suggest, that each petitioner           
          is a trust, the administration of which is subject to the laws of           
          the State of Nevada, under Nevada law, see Rule 60(c), a trustee            
          has the power to commence litigation on behalf of a trust if the            
          trust instrument so provides.  See Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. secs.               
          163.260 and 163.375 (Michie 1993).  The respective governing                
          trust documents pertaining to petitioners stated in pertinent               
          part that the board of trustees of each petitioner trust was to             
          have “all of the powers of Trustees under the Anglo-Saxon Common            
          Law, as well as those specified under the laws of the State of              
          Nevada.”                                                                    





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