Trustee of Family Trust not disclosing....

What is the name of your state? California

My mother has resigned from being the trustee of her family trust to my eldest sister... which by the way is fine with the other two sisters (including me). The trusteeship goes by succession, eldest being first etc...

My question is.... my sister took all of our mother's jewelery and put it in her private safety box [not the family trust safety box]. She did this when we put our mother into a nursing home. She has, so far, refused to tell my other sister and and I what is in there. In the event she [ my sister the trustee] passes away we would have no access to it. When asking my sister who could gain access she stated her daughter...who by the way is not a beneficiary and lives 400 miles away. By the way we are all in our 70's!

The family trust names all three of mother's daughters as sole beneficiaries.

Do we have any recourse in getting our sister to separate mother's personal effects from her own and put the other two sister's names on the box? Making the name on the safety box the XXXX Family Trust with all three beneficiaries signatures on the box.

FYI the jewelery has been designated [certain pieces] to be given to one of the 3 of us by Mother's will.

Many thanks,

Leialoha

Why haven't you told mother about what this sister has done and ask mother to get her own jewelry back from this sister?

Why did you leave us in suspense by not mentioning exactly which sister is beneficiary of the jewelry--the eldest sister trustee who took it out, or you, or someone else?

Dandy Don said:

Why haven't you told mother about what this sister has done and ask mother to get her own jewelry back from this sister?

Mother is 95 and has left it up to us to have it secured....she has no use for her jewelery in the nursing home.

Why did you leave us in suspense by not mentioning exactly which sister is beneficiary of the jewelry--the eldest sister trustee who took it out, or you, or someone else?

Click to expand...

Sorry, I left out the fact that all 3 of us will be sharing in the distribution, not just one sister.

I would just like to know if these items shouldn't be held in a place where all 3 of us have access in the event of the trustee passes away. As it stands now, as I explained, no one but the trustee and her daughter has access. I thought being a family trust it should held in the names of the beneficeries.
Thanks for your reply,
Leialoha

Is the jewelry mentioned only in the will or is it also mentioned in the trust? You said the jewelry is designated to go to only one person--if what you said is true, then who is that person?

The trust and the will are 2 separate business matters that will be handled separately.