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38 Ill. L. Rev. 233 (1943-1944)
Equitable Relief for Minor Beneficiaries

handle is hein.journals/illlr38 and id is 251 raw text is: Equitable Relief for Minor Beneficiaries
Julius K, Miner*
H UMAN beings are not endowed by nature with prophetic
power to forecast future developments with any degree of
certainty. If trustors recognized this simple truth they would
omit from trust instruments complicated mandate and limitations
which later necessitate judicial reformation.
Among the primary objects generally sought to be attained
by irrevocable private trusts are more efficient management, safer
income, and lower taxes; but unforeseen drastic changes in eco-
nomic conditions and tax laws sometimes tend to defeat these
well intended purposes and result in appeals to the courts for relief.
Recent trends in federal taxation, and in particular the hard-
ships formerly imposed by the now famous Stuart case, give us
forcible reasons for re-exploration of the legal authorities with a
view to sanctioning the modification of existing trusts to protect
the interests of cestuis, especially minors, adversely affected by the
changes in tax laws.
The General Rule
T HE prevailing rule is that a trust once established cannot
ordinarily be terminated or modified, except pursuant to its
own terms;' but when unforeseen conditions have arisen which
endangered the trust res or income, courts have uniformly author-
ized deviation from the terms of the trust instrument to preserve
the estate and to safeguard the interest of its beneficiaries.2      In
proper cases, trustees have been ordered, contrary to express direc-
tions, to convert real estate into personalty, and vice versa, and
to deal with trust property in whatever manner deemed to be for
*Judge, Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.
I Hurt v. Gilmer, 40 F. (2d) 794 (App. D. C., 1930); Boyd v. United States,
34 F. (2d) 488 (D.C. D. Conn., 1929); Atkinson v. Lyle, 191 Ark. 61, 85 S. W.
(2d) 715; Ackerman v. Union & New Haven Trust Co., 90 Conn. 63, 96 Atl.
145 (1915); Young v. Young-Wishard, 227 Iowa 431, 288 N. W. 420 (1939); Mor-
rison v. Nugent, 311 Ill. App. 411, 36 N. E. (2d) 581 (1941); Hubbard v. Bud-
demeier, 328 Ill. 76, 156 N. E. 229 (1927); Burton v. Boren, 308 Ill. 440, 139
N. E. 868 (1923); Johnston v. Gastman, 291 11. 516, 126 N. E. 172 (1920); An-
derson v. Williams, 262 Ill. 308, 104 N. E. 659 (1914); Scheuing v. May, 213
Ill. App. 143 (1919); McCleary v. Chipman, 32 Ind. App. 489, 68 N. E. 320 (1903);
Beard v. Beard, 173 Ky. 131, 190 S. W. 703 (1917); Hoffman v. New England
Trust Co., 187 Mass. 205, 72 N. E. 952 (1905); Claflin v. Claflin, 149 Mass. 19,
20 N. E. 454, 3 L.R.A. 370 (1889); Pacific National Bank v. Windram, 133 Mass.
175 (1882); Watson v. Hardwick, (Mo. Supp.) 231 S. W. 964 (1921); Penning-
ton v. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 65 N.J.Eq. 11, 55 Atl. 468 (1903); In re
Doyle's Estate, 233 N.Y.S. 667 (1929); O'Brien v. Holden, 104 Vt. 338, 160 AtM
192 (1932); In re Hamburger's Estate, 185 Wis. 270, 201 N.W. 267 (1924); Re-
statement, Trusts (vol. 2) §330.
2 Hoffman v. First Bond & Mortgage Co. of Hartford, 116 Conn. 320, 164 Atl.
656 (1933); Vickers v. Vickers, 189 Ky. 323, 225 S. W. 44 (1920); Stephens v.
Collison, 274 Ill. 389, 113 N. E. 691 (1916); Johns v. Montgomery, 265 Ill. 21,
106 N. E. 497 (1914); Gavin v. Curtin, 171 Ill. 640, 648, 49 N. E. 523, 526 (1898);
Young v. Young, 255 Mich. 173, 237 N. W. 535 (1931); New Jersey National
Bank & Trust Co. v. Lincoln Mortgage & Title Guaranty Co., 105 N. J. Eq. 557,
233

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