What happens if a person steels from a Trust?
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What happens if a person steels from a Trust?
My sister has claimed to be the sole heir to an estate and has claimed a
property out of an estate that I am the Trustee. She has done this without any
court. She has been using fraud to get what she thinks she is entitled to.
Asked on July 2, 2018 under Estate Planning, California
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
Stealing from a trust is like stealing from a person or business: it is theft, and it is a crime. (And theft is a crime whether done by fraud/deception or by force or by simply taking something, etc.--the exact type of theft varies, but it is all a crime and also a tort, or something you can sue over.) She can be prosecuted criminally and also sued by the trustee, on behalf of the trust, for the money or other property she improperly took. Speak with an attorney about the legal actions you can take as a trustee and whether filing a police report and pressing charges would be warranted and advantageous.
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