(a) As used in this section: (1) “Charitable beneficiary” and “charitable entity” include, without limitation, towns, ecclesiastical society and cemetery associations owning or controlling the operation of a cemetery or burial ground; and (2) “charitable trust” means a trust for the benefit of one or more charitable beneficiaries.
(b) In any case where the current market value of the assets of a testamentary or inter vivos charitable trust is less than one hundred fifty thousand dollars, any trustee thereof, any charitable beneficiary specifically designated in the governing instrument or the Attorney General may petition a Probate Court specified in section 45a-499p for an order terminating the trust. Upon receipt of such a petition, the court shall order a hearing and cause notice thereof to be given to the Attorney General, the trustees, the grantor of the trust, if living, and any charitable beneficiary of the trust specifically designated in the governing instrument. If at such a hearing the court determines that continuation of the trust is uneconomic when the costs of operating the trust, probable income and other relevant factors are considered or not in the best interest of the beneficiaries, the court may order termination of the trust and distribution of the trust assets to any charitable beneficiary specifically designated in the governing instrument or, if no such beneficiary exists, to such other charitable trusts or charitable entities, including any community trust or foundation, as the court may determine will fulfill the charitable purposes of the trust being so terminated.
(c) The provisions of this section shall not apply to termination of trusts or funds as provided in chapter 368j.
(P.A. 79-365; P.A. 80-221; P.A. 82-155; P.A. 84-294, S. 14; P.A. 86-234, S. 3, 6; P.A. 96-35; P.A. 14-122, S. 181; P.A. 19-137, S. 121.)
History: P.A. 80-221 inserted Subsec. (a) defining charitable beneficiaries, entities and trusts, made previous provisions Subsec. (b) clarifying to which court petition should be brought and added Subsec. (c); P.A. 82-155 amended Subsec. (b) by increasing from $10,000 to $15,000 the limitation on the maximum value of a trust which may be terminated; P.A. 84-294 amended Subsec. (b) by increasing limit on market value of assets of a testamentary or inter vivos charitable trust from $15,000 to $20,000; P.A. 86-234 amended Subsec. (b) by increasing the asset level of the trust from $20,000 to $65,000; Sec. 45-79b transferred to Sec. 45a-520 in 1991; P.A. 96-35 amended Subsec. (b) by increasing asset level of trust to $150,000; P.A. 14-122 made technical changes in Subsec. (a); P.A. 19-137 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “court of probate” with “Probate Court specified in section 45a-499p”, deleted provisions re Probate Court district in which petition is to be brought, and made a technical change, effective January 1, 2020.