Western Australian Current Acts

ADMINISTRATION ACT 1903 - SECT 17A

17A .         Power to appoint trustees of infant’s property

        (1)         Subject to subsection (5), where an infant is absolutely entitled under the will or on the intestacy of a person (in this section called the deceased ) to a devise or legacy, or to the residue of the estate of the deceased, or any share therein, and that devise, legacy, residue or share is not, under the will (if any) of the deceased, devised or bequeathed to trustees for the infant, the personal representatives of the deceased may appoint a trustee corporation (including the Public Trustee) or 2 or more individuals not exceeding 4 (whether or not including the personal representatives or one or more of them) to be the trustee or trustees of that devise, legacy, residue or share for the infant, and may execute or do any assurance, act or thing requisite for vesting that devise, legacy, residue or share in the trustee or trustees so appointed.

        (2)         On the vesting of the devise, legacy, residue or share mentioned in subsection (1) in the trustee or trustees appointed under this section, the personal representatives as such are discharged from all further liability in respect of that devise, legacy, residue or share.

        (3)         Trustees appointed under this section may retain any property transferred to them pursuant to the provisions of this section in its existing condition or state of investment, or may convert it into money, and upon conversion shall invest the money as trust funds may be invested under Part III of the Trustees Act 1962 .

        (4)         Where a personal representative has, before 1 January 1963, retained or sold any such devise, legacy, residue or share as is mentioned in subsection (1), and has invested it or the proceeds thereof (as the case may be) in any investments in which he was authorised to invest money subject to the trust, then, subject to any order of the Court made before that date, he shall be deemed not to have incurred any liability on that account or by reason of not having paid or transferred the money or property into Court.

        (5)         The power of appointing trustees conferred upon personal representatives by this section is subject to any direction or restriction contained in the will of the deceased.

        [Section 17A inserted: No. 80 of 1962 s. 4; amended: No. 1 of 1997 s. 18.]

[ 18.         Deleted: No. 80 of 1962 s. 5.]