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MICHIGAN WILLS/TRUSTS 33: Trustees required to provide notice informing recipients that they may challenge the validity of a trust and the period allowed for bringing such a challenge.

In this case, Appellant challenges the probate court orders, arguing that the court erred by denying her petition for declaratory relief and to set aside the Trust on the basis that the trustee’s notification met the requirements of MCL 700.7604.

Estates and Protected Individuals Code

MCL 700.7604 provides :

(1) A person may commence a judicial proceeding to contest the validity of a trust that was revocable at the settlor’s death within the earlier of the following:

(a) Two years after the settlor’s death.

(b) Six months after the trustee sent the person a notice informing the person of all of the following:

(i) The trust’s existence.

 (ii) The date of the trust instrument.

(iii) The date of any amendments known to the trustee.

(iv) A copy of relevant portions of the terms of the trust that describe or affect the person’s interest in the trust, if any.

(v) The settlor’s name.

(vi) The trustee’s name and address.

(vii) The time allowed for commencing a proceeding.

MCL 700.7604(1)(b)(iv) requires the trustee to send only the relevant portions of the terms of a trust that describe or affect the beneficiary’s interest in the trust.

Probate Court

The court rejected the argument that the notice was inadequate because it did not plainly advise her that challenges to the validity of the Trust would be time-barred if not raised within six months of the date of the notice. MCL 700.7604(1)(b)(vii) requires the trustee’s notice to include the time allowed for commencing a proceeding. The notice stated, If you wish to commence a judicial proceeding to contest the validity of the Trust, you must do so prior to six months from the date of the mailing of this letter.

Must is commonly understood to mean to be commanded or requested to; in a legal context, must means to be required by law, custom, or moral conscience. The notice sent clearly advised her that if she wanted to contest the validity of the Trust in a judicial proceeding, the law required her to do so within six months from the date of the letter.  Nothing in the statute requires a trustee to inform the recipients of the specific legal consequences of not acting during the time allowed.

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MICHIGAN REAL ESTATE 97: The court imposed a constructive trust on defendant’s one-half interest in the property in favor of plaintiff.

The trial court found that plaintiff sustained her burden of establishing that a constructive trust was necessary to prevent defendant from being unjustly enriched. Accordingly, the court imposed a constructive trust on defendant’s one-half interest in the property in favor of plaintiff and ordered defendant to convey his interest in the property to plaintiff.

MICHIGAN REAL ESTATE 95: Property owners did not place a condition upon the delivery of the deed; rather, they delivered the deed to themselves.

When the delivery of a deed is contingent upon the happening of some future event, title to the subject property will not transfer to the grantee until the event has occurred. However, in this case A and J did not place a condition upon the delivery of the deed; rather, they delivered the deed to themselves, then deposited the deed with their attorney with the instruction to record the deed only upon the happening of a future event, thereby placing a condition only upon the recording of the deed.

MICHIGAN PROBATE 57: Brother granted permanent guardianship of siblings.

At a multiday hearing to address the extension of the guardianship, the eldest children, the mother’s relatives and friends, and school personnel testified regarding the mother’s care of the children, appellant’s treatment of and interaction with the children, and the eldest siblings’ role in aiding the mother to raise the children.

FAMILY LAW 88: The trial court found that the children did not have an established custodial environment with defendant because, before the separation, he did not have a large role in the children’s lives.

The trial court credited plaintiff’s testimony that, before the parties’ separation, defendant spent minimal time helping to care for the children, so its finding that the children would not have looked to defendant for guidance, discipline, the necessities of life, and parental comfort during that time was not against the great weight of the evidence.

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