Opinion ID: 2160801
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the trial court correctly awarded damages.

Text: The beneficiary of a trust is entitled to sue in equity to compel the trustee to redress a breach of trust. Restatement (Second) of Trusts § 199(c) (1959). If the trustee commits a breach of trust, he is chargeable with any loss or depreciation in value of the trust estate resulting from the breach of trust. Restatement (Second) of Trusts § 205(a) (1959); 76 Am.Jur.2d Trusts § 367 (1992). The remedies stated in § 205 of the Restatement (Second) are also applicable when the trustee violates his duty of loyalty. Restatement (Second) of Trusts § 206 (1959). The amount of damages awarded by the trial court is a factual issue governed by the clearly erroneous standard. Gross v. Connecticut Mut. Life Ins. Co., 361 N.W.2d 259 (S.D.1985). As discussed above, evidence supports the trial court's conclusions that Wettestad violated his fiduciary duty to preserve trust assets and his duty of loyalty to Willers as trust beneficiary. Finally, Wettestad claims that the trial court awarded a disproportionate share of Wettestad's damages in the lawsuit against Navistar to Willers. Wettestad mischaracterizes the trial court's basis for awarding damages to Willers. Willers' damages result from Wettestad's violation of his fiduciary duties to Willers, not from any interest Willers may have had in a lawsuit against Navistar. The trial court was not clearly erroneous when it found Willers' damages were $20,000, the amount of the original corpus of the trust representing the value of Willers' investment in Siouxland International Trucks. Affirmed. WUEST, HENDERSON, SABERS and AMUNDSON, JJ., participating. TUCKER, Circuit Judge, for MILLER, C.J., disqualified.