01. Accepting or declining trusteeship. (a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (c) of this section, a person designated as trustee accepts the trusteeship: (1) By substantially complying with a method of acceptance provided in the terms of the trust; or (2) If the terms of the trust do not provide a method or the method provided in the terms is not expressly made exclusive, by accepting delivery of the trust property, exercising powers or performing duties as trustee, or otherwise indicating acceptance of the trusteeship. (b) A person designated as trustee who has not yet accepted the trusteeship may reject the trusteeship. A designated trustee who does not accept the trusteeship within a reasonable time after knowing of the designation is deemed to have rejected the trusteeship. (c) A person designated as trustee, without accepting the trusteeship, may: (1) Act to preserve the trust property if, within a reasonable time after acting, the person sends a rejection of the trusteeship to the settlor or, if the settlor is dead or lacks capacity, to the designated cotrustee, or, if none, to the successor trustee, or, if none, to a distributee or permissible ection of the trusteeship to the settlor or, if the settlor is dead or lacks capacity, to the designated cotrustee, or, if none, to the successor trustee, or, if none, to a distributee or permissible distributee; and (2) Inspect or investigate trust property to determine potential liability under environmental or other law or for any other purpose. (Mar. 10, 2004, D.C. Law 15-104, § 2(b), 51 DCR 208.) Editor's Notes Uniform Law: This section is based upon § 701 of the Uniform Trust Code.
District of Columbia Legal Code