Section 18100.5 Of Chapter 2. Protection Of Third Persons From California Probate Code >> Division 9. >> Part 6. >> Chapter 2.
18100.5
. (a) The trustee may present a certification of trust to
any person in lieu of providing a copy of the trust instrument to
establish the existence or terms of the trust. A certification of
trust may be executed by the trustee voluntarily or at the request of
the person with whom the trustee is dealing.
(b) The certification of trust may confirm the following facts or
contain the following information:
(1) The existence of the trust and date of execution of the trust
instrument.
(2) The identity of the settlor or settlors and the currently
acting trustee or trustees of the trust.
(3) The powers of the trustee.
(4) The revocability or irrevocability of the trust and the
identity of any person holding any power to revoke the trust.
(5) When there are multiple trustees, the signature authority of
the trustees, indicating whether all, or less than all, of the
currently acting trustees are required to sign in order to exercise
various powers of the trustee.
(6) The trust identification number, whether a social security
number or an employer identification number.
(7) The manner in which title to trust assets should be taken.
(8) The legal description of any interest in real property held in
the trust.
(c) The certification shall contain a statement that the trust has
not been revoked, modified, or amended in any manner which would
cause the representations contained in the certification of trust to
be incorrect and shall contain a statement that it is being signed by
all of the currently acting trustees of the trust. The certification
shall be in the form of an acknowledged declaration signed by all
currently acting trustees of the trust. The certification signed by
the currently acting trustee may be recorded in the office of the
county recorder in the county where all or a portion of the real
property is located.
(d) The certification of trust may, but is not required to,
include excerpts from the original trust documents, any amendments
thereto, and any other documents evidencing or pertaining to the
succession of successor trustees. The certification of trust shall
not be required to contain the dispositive provisions of the trust
which set forth the distribution of the trust estate.
(e) A person whose interest is, or may be, affected by the
certification of trust may require that the trustee offering or
recording the certification of trust provide copies of those excerpts
from the original trust documents, any amendments thereto, and any
other documents which designate, evidence, or pertain to the
succession of the trustee or confer upon the trustee the power to act
in the pending transaction, or both. Nothing in this section is
intended to require or imply an obligation to provide the dispositive
provisions of the trust or the entire trust and amendments thereto.
(f) A person who acts in reliance upon a certification of trust
without actual knowledge that the representations contained therein
are incorrect is not liable to any person for so acting. A person who
does not have actual knowledge that the facts contained in the
certification of trust are incorrect may assume without inquiry the
existence of the facts contained in the certification of trust.
Actual knowledge shall not be inferred solely from the fact that a
copy of all or part of the trust instrument is held by the person
relying upon the trust certification. Any transaction, and any lien
created thereby, entered into by the trustee and a person acting in
reliance upon a certification of trust shall be enforceable against
the trust assets. However, if the person has actual knowledge that
the trustee is acting outside the scope of the trust, then the
transaction is not enforceable against the trust assets. Nothing
contained herein shall limit the rights of the beneficiaries of the
trust against the trustee.
(g) A person's failure to demand a certification of trust does not
affect the protection provided that person by Section 18100, and no
inference as to whether that person has acted in good faith may be
drawn from the failure to demand a certification of trust. Nothing in
this section is intended to create an implication that a person is
liable for acting in reliance upon a certification of trust under
circumstances where the requirements of this section are not
satisfied.
(h) Except when requested by a beneficiary or in the context of
litigation concerning a trust and subject to the provisions of
subdivision (e), any person making a demand for the trust documents
in addition to a certification of trust to prove facts set forth in
the certification of trust acceptable to the third party shall be
liable for damages, including attorney's fees, incurred as a result
of the refusal to accept the certification of trust in lieu of the
requested documents if the court determines that the person acted in
bad faith in requesting the trust documents.
(i) Any person may record a certification of trust that relates to
an interest in real property in the office of the county recorder in
any county in which all or a portion of the real property is
located. The county recorder shall impose any fee prescribed by law
for recording that document sufficient to cover all costs incurred by
the county in recording the document. The recorded certification of
trust shall be a public record of the real property involved. This
subdivision does not create a requirement to record a certification
of trust in conjunction with the recordation of a transfer of title
of real property involving a trust.