Opinion ID: 1242580
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Cy pres doctrine.

Text: At the hearing, the trustee contended that the cy pres doctrine warranted the amendment of the trust agreement to include inhabitants and residents of the school district living outside the city limits. The trial court agreed. Cy pres is the common-law doctrine, [3] codified by statute in this state, [4] that provides `... when a charitable purpose cannot be fulfilled according to its terms, equity will attempt to do the next-best similar charitable thing.' [5] At common law and under the statute, a finding is required that complying with the trust's stated purpose has become impossible, unlawful or impracticable. No argument is here made that the purpose of the trust has become either impossible or illegal. Rather it is claimed that compliance with the trust has become impracticable because it has become unfair. The italicized words are not synonyms. The trustee, in substance, claims only that the use of school district limits would be more useful and desirable than the use of city limits as prescribed in the trust. [6] But cy pres does not warrant a court substituting a different plan for that set forth in the trust solely because trustee or court, or both, believe the substituted plan to be a better plan. [7] Where it was neither claimed nor established that there was a Rack of qualified scholarship recipients or charitable requests within the limits set by the trust, [8] there is not basis for holding that it has become, in the words of the statute, impracticable, impossible or unlawful to comply with the express terms and limits of the trust. [9]