{"jurisdiction": "us-ny", "code": "eptl", "section": "7-2.3", "citation": "EPTL § 7-2.3", "heading": "Trust estate not to descend on death of trustee; appointment,", "text": ["§ 7-2.3 Trust estate not to descend on death of trustee; appointment,", "duties and rights of successor trustee", "(a) On the death of the sole surviving trustee of an express trust, the trust estate does not vest in his personal representative or pass to his distributees or devisees, but, in the absence of a contrary direction by the creator, if the trust has not been executed, the trust estate vests in the supreme court or the surrogate's court, as the case may be, and the trust shall be executed by a person appointed by the court.", "(b) Upon such notice to the beneficiaries of the trust as the court may direct of an application for the appointment of a successor trustee, unless the creator has directed otherwise, the court may appoint a successor trustee, even though the trust has terminated, whenever in the opinion of the court such appointment is necessary for the effective administration and distribution of the trust estate, subject to the following:", "(1) A successor trustee shall give security in such amount as the court may direct.", "(2) A successor trustee shall be subject to the same duties, as to accounting and trust administration, as are imposed by law on trustees and, in addition to the reasonable expenses incurred in the course of trust administration, shall be entitled to such commissions as may be fixed by any court having jurisdiction to pass upon such trustee's final account, which shall in no case exceed the commissions allowable by law to trustees."], "official_source": "https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/EPT/7-2.3", "from_official_api": true, "plain_english": "When the last trustee dies, the trust property does not pass through that trustee's estate; a court takes over and may appoint a successor.\n- **(a)** On the death of the **sole surviving trustee**, the trust estate **does not vest in the trustee's personal representative or pass to the trustee's distributees or devisees**. Unless the creator directed otherwise, if the trust has not been carried out, it **vests in the supreme court or surrogate's court** and is executed by a **person the court appoints**. ★\n- **(b)** Unless the creator directed otherwise, after such notice to beneficiaries as the court directs, the court **may appoint a successor trustee, even after the trust has terminated**, whenever needed for effective administration and distribution. The successor:\n  - **(1)** must give **security in the amount the court directs**;\n  - **(2)** has the **same accounting and administration duties** as other trustees, and receives reasonable expenses plus commissions fixed by the court that passes on the final account, **never more than lawful trustee commissions**.", "in_force_on": "2026-05-31", "retrieved": "2026-09-27", "url": "https://elyphived.com/us-ny/eptl/7-2.3", "publisher": "Elyphived LLC"}