This breach of fiduciary duty occurs when the trustee takes or uses assets that do not belong to them for their benefit, like selling antiques from the estate or trust and keeping the profits. Even if they intend to pay the money back, this is a severe offense.
A breach of trust occurs when a trustee contravenes the terms of the trust or the duties of a trustee. Trustees are jointly and severally liable for breach of trust to their beneficiaries where the breach has given rise to a loss.
Here are examples of a breach of fiduciary duty:
Self-dealing – Gaining personal profit from fiduciary roles. Negligent management – Failing to properly handle assets. Poor record-keeping – Not maintaining accurate records. Failure to distribute – Not delivering assets as required.
Breach of fiduciary duty cases is very fact-intensive. To gather the evidence that you need to win your case, you should hire an experienced business attorney immediately. You do not want to risk other parties destroying or misplacing key evidence you will need to prove your claim.
A plaintiff alleging a breach of a fiduciary duty “must prove (1) existence of a duty owed, (2) breach of that duty, (3) resulting injury, and (4) that the claimed breach proximately caused the injury.” Micro Enhancement Int'l, Inc. v. Coopers & Lybrand, LLP, 110 Wn.
WHAT CONSTITUTES A BREACH OF FIDUCIARY DUTY? A breach can occur under three categories: care, loyalty and candor. In short, these three categories mean, respectively, that a fiduciary must act in a reasonable and prudent way, they must act in the best interests of their beneficiary (i.e. an employer, client, etc.)
Examples of executor misconduct and trustee misconduct include: Failing to provide accountings to beneficiaries. Favoring one beneficiary over another. Misappropriating or misusing estate or trust assets for personal gain.
To succeed with a breach of fiduciary duty claim, you must prove the following three elements: A fiduciary relationship existed between you and the defendant; The defendant breached their fiduciary duty towards you; and. You suffered economic harm, or the defendant received a financial benefit from the breach.
Examples of a Breach of Duty
Some common breaches include: A driver who is speeding, texting while driving, and driving under the influence. A property owner who fails to fix dangerous conditions on their property. A doctor who provides substandard care and injures a patient.
Trustees can be held liable for the losses they cause to the trust they are administering. Typically, beneficiaries can recover assets of the trust that were distributed improperly if they can trace them. Problems may arise in recovering the assets if an innocent purchaser bought them for value.
Regardless of whether or not the trustee's misdeeds were intentional, trust beneficiaries have the right to take legal action against the trustee to protect trust assets.
Under California law, embezzlement of trust property worth $950 or less is a misdemeanor with a maximum sentence of 6 months imprisonment. Stealing trust assets valued at over $950 is a felony offense, which can carry a jail sentence of up to 3 years.
One of the most glaring breach of trust examples involves a trustee using the trust's assets for their personal benefit. This can include making unauthorized withdrawals, misusing trust funds, or selling trust property without proper authorization.
Trustees may still be personally liable if the assets of the charity are not sufficient to meet the indemnity. Failure to deliver services under contract. Some liabilities can be limited through the wording of the “limitation of liability” provision in the contract.
For example, you may not be able to prove that a fiduciary relationship exists if you would not benefit in any way from the administration of the estate. The fiduciary has breached their duty. This is the critical element in most fiduciary cases and can be quite difficult to prove.
In the event the fiduciary did act to benefit himself or herself at the expense of the beneficiary, was purposefully dishonest in their business practices, or did not otherwise live up to the duties of loyalty and disclosure, legal consequences can then result.
A fiduciary is a person or entity that is charged with the responsibility of overseeing the financial accounts or assets of another party. Fiduciary negligence is a type of professional malpractice in which a person fails to honor their fiduciary obligations and responsibilities.
Trustee malfeasance refers to any type of negligent, self-serving, erroneous, or retaliatory conduct committed by the trustee of a trust resulting in harm to trust assets or beneficiaries. Trustee malfeasance is a broad term encompassing many different types of offenses, both intentional and unintentional.
However, trustees have a minimum duty to perform the trusts honestly and in good faith for the benefit of the beneficiaries. An exemption clause cannot excuse a trustee who either knows that their act or omission is contrary to the beneficiaries' interests or is recklessly indifferent to the beneficiaries' interests.
Typically, a claim for breach of fiduciary duty includes four elements: 1) the existence of a fiduciary duty; 2) a breach of that duty (through an act or omission); 3) damages; and 4) causation.
This can include lost profits, diminished asset value, and other measurable economic impacts. Double damages are when you may be ordered to pay double the amount of compensatory damages. Punitive damages may be awarded in cases of particularly egregious misconduct.