Massachusetts General Laws ch. 203E sec. 1005 – Limitation of action against trustee
Section 1005. Limitation of action against trustee
Terms Used In Massachusetts General Laws ch. 203E sec. 1005
- Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
- Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
(a) Unless previously barred by adjudication, consent or limitation, any claim against a trustee for breach of trust shall be barred as to any beneficiary who has received a final account or other statement fully disclosing the matter and showing termination of the trust relationship between the trustee and the beneficiary, unless a proceeding to assert the claim is commenced within 6 months after receipt of the final account or statement. Any claim against a trustee for breach of trust shall be barred in any event and notwithstanding lack of full disclosure, against a trustee who has issued a final account or statement received by the beneficiary and has informed the beneficiary of the location and availability of records for examination by the beneficiary after 3 years. A beneficiary is deemed to have received a final account or statement if, being an adult, it is received by the beneficiary personally or if, being a minor or disabled person, it is received by the beneficiary’s representative as described in article 3.
(b) Where a claim is not barred by subsection (a), a beneficiary may not commence a proceeding against a trustee for breach of trust more than 3 years after the date the beneficiary or a representative of the beneficiary knew or reasonably should have known of the existence of a potential claim for breach of trust.
(c) If subsections (a) and (b) do not apply, a judicial proceeding against a trustee for breach of trust must be commenced within 5 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.