Fiduciary duties; general principles.

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(a) In allocating receipts and disbursements to or between principal and income, and with respect to any matter within the scope of Articles 2 [46-3A-201, 46-3A-202 NMSA 1978] and 3 [46-3A-301 to 46-3A-303 NMSA 1978], a fiduciary:

(1) shall administer a trust or estate in accordance with the terms of the trust or the will, even if there is a different provision in the Uniform Principal and Income Act;

(2) may administer a trust or estate by the exercise of a discretionary power of administration given to the fiduciary by the terms of the trust or the will, even if the exercise of the power produces a result different from a result required or permitted by the Uniform Principal and Income Act;

(3) shall administer a trust or estate in accordance with the Uniform Principal and Income Act if the terms of the trust or the will do not contain a different provision or do not give the fiduciary a discretionary power of administration; and

(4) shall add a receipt or charge a disbursement to principal to the extent that the terms of the trust and the Uniform Principal and Income Act do not provide a rule for allocating the receipt or disbursement to or between principal and income.

(b) In exercising the power to adjust under Section 104(a) [46-3A-104 NMSA 1978] or a discretionary power of administration regarding a matter within the scope of the Uniform Principal and Income Act, whether granted by the terms of a trust, a will, or the Uniform Principal and Income Act, a fiduciary shall administer a trust or estate impartially, based on what is fair and reasonable to all of the beneficiaries, except to the extent that the terms of the trust or the will clearly manifest an intention that the fiduciary shall or may favor one or more of the beneficiaries. A determination in accordance with the Uniform Principal and Income Act is presumed to be fair and reasonable to all of the beneficiaries.

History: Laws 2001, ch. 113, § 103.

ANNOTATIONS

Effective dates. — Laws 2001, ch. 113, § 605 made the Uniform Principal and Income Act effective July 1, 2001.

Duty to produce income. — It is the usual duty of trustees to cause a trust to produce income for the benefit of the trust. Loco Credit Union v. Reed, 1973-NMSC-122, 85 N.M. 729, 516 P.2d 1112.

Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R. and C.J.S. references. — Construction of specific provision of will or trust instrument giving executor or trustee power to determine what is income or what is principal, 27 A.L.R.2d 1323.

Propriety of considering beneficiary's other means under trust provision authorizing invasion of principal for beneficiary's support, 41 A.L.R.3d 255.

Validity, construction, and effect of provisions of charitable trust providing for accumulation of income, 6 A.L.R.4th 903.

Payment or distribution under invalid instruction as breach of trustee's duty, 6 A.L.R.4th 1196.


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