Opinion ID: 1945541
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: transfer of personal property to trust

Text: The special administrator also argues that the trust document was ineffective as to the transfer of Moyer's personal property. Appendix A of the trust agreement lists the property Moyer concurrently herewith transfer[red] to the trust, including [a]ll bank accounts, investments, household goods, personal effects, improvements, fixtures, tools, equipment and machinery, including irrigation wells and equipment, all owned or hereafter acquired by me, and all crops currently growing and to be grown on the above described real estate. As before, the special administrator contends that the transfer was ineffective because Moyer named a cotrustee in the trust agreement. We note that the language of the agreement makes clear the settlor's intent to transfer her personal property to the trust. [11] We therefore conclude that as with the real property, the trust document effectively transferred title to the personal property. While the settlor's intent in this instance is clear, we note, as we did before with regard to the real property, that a separate document may generally be helpful in clarifying a settlor's intent. We find support for this conclusion in our own case law. In In re Estate of West, [12] we approved the transfer of personal property via a trust document. And in Neneman v. Rickley, [13] a case involving a prenuptial agreement, we approved of the transfer of personal property without requiring a bill of sale or formal deed. Other jurisdictions have similarly focused on a settlor's intent and relaxed the formalities for transferring personal property to a trust. [14] The special administrator's arguments regarding the transfer of personal property are also without merit.