Legal Definitions - breach of trust

Breach of trust

Breach of trust is when someone breaks the rules of a trust or takes advantage of property that was given to them for a certain period of time. A trust has specific rules and property that a trustee must follow, and if they break these rules, it is considered a breach of trust. The beneficiaries of the trust may be able to get money or other help to fix the problem. Breach of trust can also happen when someone borrows or controls someone else's property and uses it inappropriately or steals it. For example, if you give your car to a valet to park, but they take it for a joyride instead, that is a breach of trust.

1. A woman is named the trustee of her father's estate after he passes away. She is supposed to distribute the money and property to her siblings according to his wishes. However, she keeps most of the money for herself and only gives a small amount to her siblings. This is a breach of trust.

2. A man lets his friend borrow his laptop for a week. When he gets it back, he realizes that his friend has installed spyware on it and has been reading all of his personal emails. This is a breach of trust.

These examples illustrate how someone can break the rules of a trust or take advantage of someone else's property. In both cases, the person who was supposed to be responsible for the property did something wrong with it, which is a breach of trust.