San Bruno Trust Administration for Successor Trustees

Begin with the trust and what each asset’s records show

The trust terms and ownership of property guide trust administration. Property held in a trust, property held individually, and property with a beneficiary designation may follow different transfer processes. As a result, a connection between a person and an asset does not, by itself, establish that the asset is trust property.

Gather the trust document and any amendments or related papers you can locate. Make a preliminary list of known assets and note what record you have for each. If ownership is unclear, keep that item marked as uncertain rather than treating the trust as controlling it. The practical purpose of this first inventory is to identify which documents and questions relate to each asset.

• Keep the trust document and any amendments together, if available.
• For each known asset, note the ownership information or document you have.
• Mark items as confirmed, uncertain, or not yet documented.

Prepare a working file for a remote consultation

You do not need to resolve every issue before asking questions. A concise working file can make it easier to discuss a particular trust provision, asset, or proposed decision without treating all property as one category. These are optional ways to organize information, not legal prerequisites.

Consider writing a short timeline of events since the death and gathering correspondence or notices that raise questions. For each item, note what it concerns and what you are trying to understand. If a document is missing, identify it as missing; avoid filling the gap with an assumption.

• Write down who has been identified as successor trustee and what you want to clarify about the role.
• Keep relevant communications together and note the question each one raises.
• List proposed decisions or distributions you want to discuss, without treating the list as a final decision.

Separate what the records establish from what remains open

Use the inventory as a working record, not as a conclusion about which property the trust controls. The trust terms and ownership information matter to administration, and different property categories may follow different transfer processes. If a record appears inconsistent with the trust paperwork, keep both documents and describe the specific difference.

For each open issue, note what the trust or ownership record says, what you do not yet know, and what decision or next step you are considering. This can focus a consultation on the relevant provision or asset. It also helps avoid treating an incomplete record as proof that a question has been resolved.

• Connect each question to the trust language or ownership record that prompted it, if available.
• Note what information you are still trying to locate.
• Keep the documents relating to a proposed decision with the question about that decision.

Do not assume the trust covers every asset or question

A successor trustee should not assume automatic authority over every asset associated with the person who died. Trust property and property held individually or with a beneficiary designation may follow different transfer processes. An inventory is a starting point for identifying ownership questions, not proof that all listed property is controlled by the trust.

Trust administration questions can involve interpretation of the trust or concerns about trustee conduct; courts can review those matters. That possibility does not establish that every uncertainty requires court involvement. If an issue raises a question about interpretation, conduct, or how a particular asset should be treated, identify the issue and the records behind it before deciding what to do next.

Choose a focused next step

Before a remote conversation, collect the trust papers and ownership information you have, along with the working inventory, relevant communications, and a short list of unresolved questions. If time is limited, identify the asset or proposed decision that is causing the most uncertainty and gather the records connected to it.

Bring forward what remains unknown rather than making a distribution decision based only on an assumption. A focused discussion can then address what the trust says, what the available ownership information indicates, and which questions remain unanswered.