LIABILITY OF A TRUST DIRECTOR
No lighter liability system
The National Ordinance on the supervision of Trust Service Providers (Landsverordening toezicht trustwezen) does not provide anything with regard to the liability of trust offices (a.k.a. management services companies) or their representatives acting as a director under the Articles (of Association) of a legal entity (for instance a company limited by shares (‘NV‘), private company with limited liability (‘BV‘) or foundation). The question is whether this liability is governed by the usual rules in this area. Because the trust office as a director of a legal entity usually fulfills a different role from a director – …
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AANSPRAKELIJKHEID TRUSTBESTUURDER
Geen verlicht aansprakelijkheidsregime
De Landsverordening toezicht trustwezen zegt niets over de aansprakelijkheid van trustkantoren of vertegenwoordigers daarvan die als statutair bestuurder van een rechtspersoon (bijvoorbeeld een NV, BV of stichting) optreden. De vraag is of deze aansprakelijkheid door de gebruikelijke regels op dit vlak wordt beheerst. Omdat het trustkantoor als bestuurder van een rechtspersoon doorgaans een andere rol vervult dan een bestuurder die – zelfstandig – strategische beslissingen neemt, rijst de vraag of voor een trustkantoor mogelijk een lichter aansprakelijkheidsregime geldt.
Recent heeft het Gemeenschappelijk Hof van Justitie een vonnis gewezen naar het recht van St. Maarten waar het betreft …
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LEGAL ACTION AGAINST A CURACAO TRUSTEE
Who can bring an action?
If the trust assets have been prejudiced, the action can be brought by any co-trustee. Unless provided for to the contrary in the trust deed the action can also be brought by a protector or beneficiary on the understanding that the compensation is paid as soon as possible to a Trustee not being the Trustee who violated his duties (Section 3:143 subsection 4 Curacao Civil Code {‘CCC’}). The question is to whom the protector has to pay the compensation if there is no co-trustee. This question is not answered in legislation, but in practice in …
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MY VIEW ON THE LIABILITY OF A CURACAO TRUSTEE
The Reference Trustee
The trust originates from Anglo Saxon law. On designing the Curacao trust system the systems in other jurisdictions have obviously been studied. However, the Curacao trust is a civil law and not a common law trust. Therefore in answering the question of the (possible) extent of the liability as given shape in Book 3 Curacao Civil Code (‘CCC’), a connection should be sought with the law of Curacao (and elsewhere in the Kingdom) and not with foreign legal systems.
The fact that the Trustee has a position of trust, as laid down by law, does not, according …
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AMSTERDAM COURT OF APPEAL ON LIABILITY OF TRUST DIRECTORS
Trust directors not treated differently from regular directors
The board of directors of an NV or BV may contractually agree to a limitation of its powers to manage the company. Such arrangements are typical for trust offices engaged by a foreign ultimate beneficiary to render services to ‘his’ company, i.e. the client of a trust office. In principle, any contract a board of directors enters into binds the board and thereby limits its power. However, notwithstanding such a contract, it is still the board of directors that is in charge of managing the affairs of the company.
A distinction should …
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THE DUTCH SUPERVISION ON TRUST COMPANIES (IV)
Identity of ultimate beneficiary must be known
According to the Order on Sound Operational Management (the Order)(‘Regeling integere bedrijfsvoering Wet toezicht trustkantoren’) pursuant to the ASTO, a trust office shall know the identity of the ultimate beneficial owner (‘UBO’) of an object company and keep the evidence used to determine who qualifies as the ultimate beneficial owner and from which the identity of the ultimate beneficial owner has been established, available (Article 12 (1) of the Order).
The trust office shall keep a client acceptance file for every object company, for every sale of a legal entity, and for each …
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