Section 7777 - Delegation by trustee

20 PA Cons Stat § 7777 (2019) (N/A)
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(a) Standards for delegation.--A trustee may delegate duties and powers that a prudent trustee of comparable skills might delegate under the circumstances. The trustee shall exercise reasonable care, skill and caution in:

(1) selecting an agent;

(2) establishing the scope and specific terms of the delegation, consistent with the purposes and provisions of the trust; and

(3) reviewing periodically the agent's actions in order to monitor the agent's performance and compliance with the scope and specific terms of the delegation.

(b) Agent's duty.--The agent shall comply with the scope and terms of the delegation and shall exercise the delegated duties and powers with reasonable care, skill and caution and shall be liable to the trust for failure to do so. An agent who represents having special skills or expertise shall use those special skills or that expertise.

(c) Liability.--A trustee who complies with subsection (a) is not liable to the beneficiaries or to the trust for an action of the agent to whom the function was delegated.

(d) Jurisdiction.--An agent who accepts the delegation of duties or powers from a trustee who is subject to the jurisdiction of a court of this Commonwealth shall be deemed to have submitted to the jurisdiction of that court even if the terms of the delegation provide for a different jurisdiction or venue.

(e) When one trustee may delegate to another.--A trustee may delegate duties and powers to another trustee if the delegating trustee reasonably believes that the other trustee has greater skills than the delegating trustee with respect to those duties and powers and the other trustee accepts the delegation. The delegating trustee shall not be responsible for the decisions, actions or inactions of the trustee to whom those duties and powers have been delegated if the delegating trustee has exercised reasonable care, skill and caution in establishing the scope and specific terms of the delegation and in reviewing periodically the performance of the trustee to whom the duties and powers have been delegated and that trustee's compliance with the scope and specific terms of the delegation.