223.055(2)(c)(c) Such further notice if any as the court may order. 223.055(3)(3) Investments. The bank or trust company operating such common trust fund may buy, sell, hold, invest and reinvest the funds and assets thereof in its discretion and shall not be limited or restricted by ch. 881 or any amendment thereof, but the bank or trust company shall not invest the funds of any fiduciary account in any common trust fund unless every investment in such fund is one that would then be a permissible investment for such fiduciary account. 223.055(4)(4) Uniformity of interpretation. This section shall be so interpreted and construed as to effectuate its general purpose to make uniform the law of those states which enact it. 223.055(5)(5) Short title. This section may be cited as the “Uniform Common Trust Fund Act”. 223.055 HistoryHistory: 1971 c. 41 s. 12; 1979 c. 89. 223.056223.056 Multi-institutional common trust funds. In addition to the powers granted in s. 223.055, any bank or trust company qualified to act as a fiduciary in this state may: 223.056(1)(1) Establish, alone or jointly with one or more other banks or trust companies, common trust funds for the purpose of furnishing investments to itself as fiduciary, to itself and others as cofiduciaries, to other banks or trust companies as fiduciaries and to other banks or trust companies and others as cofiduciaries. 223.056(2)(2) Operate, either alone or jointly with one or more other banks or trust companies, such common trust funds. 223.056(3)(3) As a fiduciary or cofiduciary, invest funds which it lawfully holds for investment in interests in common trust funds administered by itself or by any bank or trust company organized under the laws of any state or the United States, if such investment is not prohibited by the instrument, judgment, decree or order creating such fiduciary relationship, and if, in the case of cofiduciaries, the bank or trust company procures the consent of its cofiduciaries to such investment. This subsection applies to fiduciary relationships now in existence or hereafter created. Section 223.055 (2) and (3) applies to common trust funds established under this section and the banks and trust companies operating these common trust funds. 223.056(4)(4) For the purposes of ss. 223.055 and this section, the term “fiduciary” shall include a managing agent. 223.056 HistoryHistory: 1987 a. 252. 223.057223.057 Taxation of common trust funds. No common trust fund established under s. 223.055 or 223.056 shall be subject to taxation as a corporation, association, partnership, limited liability company or individual, but it shall be a fiduciary within subch. II of ch. 71. All income of such trust and all capital gains and losses shall be income received or loss realized to the fiduciary account holding a participation in such common trust fund in accordance with its participation. 223.057 HistoryHistory: 1987 a. 312 s. 17; 1993 a. 112. 223.06223.06 Loans to officers. A trust company bank may not loan its funds, trust or otherwise, to any salaried officer or employee, nor shall any officer or employee become, in any manner, indebted to the bank by means of an overdraft, promissory note, account, endorsement, guaranty or any other contract. 223.06 HistoryHistory: 1977 c. 307; 1991 a. 74. 223.07223.07 Trust service offices. 223.07(1)(1) Any trust company bank may, with the approval of the division, establish and maintain a trust service office at any office of a depository institution, as defined in s. 221.0901 (2) (i), if the establishment of the trust service office has been approved by the board of directors of the depository institution at a meeting called for that purpose. 223.07(2)(2) Upon establishment of a trust service office under sub. (1), the trust company bank may conduct at the office any trust business and business incidental thereto which it is permitted to conduct at its principal office, but may not accept deposits except as incidental to the trust business. 223.07(3)(3) If the depository institution at which a trust service office is to be established has exercised trust powers, the trust company bank and the depository institution shall enter into an agreement respecting those fiduciary powers to which the trust company bank shall succeed and shall file the agreement with the division. The trust company bank shall cause a notice of the filing, in a form prescribed by the division, to be published as a class 1 notice, under ch. 985, in the city, village or town where the depository institution is located. After filing and publication, the trust company bank establishing the office shall, as of the date the office first opens for business, without further authorization of any kind, succeed to and be substituted for the depository institution as to all fiduciary powers, rights, duties, privileges, and liabilities of the depository institution in its capacity as fiduciary for all estates, trusts, guardianships, and other fiduciary relationships of which the depository institution is then serving as fiduciary, except as may be otherwise specified in the agreement between the trust company bank and the depository institution. The trust company bank shall also be deemed named as fiduciary in all writings, including wills, trusts, court orders, and similar documents and instruments naming the depository institution as fiduciary, signed before the date the trust office first opens for business, unless expressly negated by the writing or otherwise specified in the agreement between the trust company bank and the depository institution. On the effective date of the substitution, the depository institution shall be released and absolved from all fiduciary duties and obligations under such writings and shall discontinue its exercise of trust powers on all matters not specifically retained by the agreement. This subsection does not effect a discharge if required by a court under s. 701.0201 (1) or other applicable statutes and does not absolve a depository institution exercising trust powers from liabilities arising out of any breach of fiduciary duty or obligation occurring prior to the date the trust service office first opens for business at the depository institution. This subsection does not affect the authority, duties, or obligations of a depository institution with respect to relationships which may be established without trust powers, including escrow arrangements, whether the relationships arise before or after the establishment of the trust service office. 223.07(4)(4) Not less than 60 days prior to the effective date of a proposed substitution under sub. (3), the parties to the substitution shall send written notice of the proposed substitution to each cofiduciary, each surviving settlor of a trust, each ward under guardianship, each person who alone or in conjunction with others has the power to remove the fiduciary being substituted and each adult beneficiary currently receiving or entitled to receive a distribution of principal or income from a trust or estate with respect to which such substitution is to be effected. Intentional failure to send such notice to any such party at the party’s current address as shown in the fiduciary’s records shall render not effective the substitution of fiduciaries with respect to such fiduciary relationship, but an unintentional failure to give such notice shall not impair the validity or effect of any substitution of fiduciaries under sub. (3). A trust company bank substituted or about to be substituted as fiduciary with respect to a trust, estate or guardianship under sub. (3) may be removed as fiduciary, or the substitution may be denied, upon petition by a cofiduciary, by a beneficiary of a trust or estate, by the settlor of a trust or on behalf of a ward under guardianship if the trust company bank files a written consent to its removal or a written declination to act, or if the court having jurisdiction over the fiduciary relationship, upon notice and hearing, approves the petition as in the best interests of the petitioner and all other parties interested in the trust, estate or guardianship. This subsection applies in addition to any applicable provision for removal of a fiduciary or appointment of a successor fiduciary in any other statute or in the instrument creating the fiduciary relationship. 223.08223.08 Name of corporation; penalty. The word “trust” shall form part of the name of every corporation organized under this chapter, but the word “bank” may not be used as a part of the name. All persons, partnerships, associations, or corporations not organized under the provisions of this chapter, except state banks vested with trust powers under s. 221.0316 and nonprofit corporations organized for the advancement of historic preservation or for the protection of land for public conservation purposes, are prohibited from using the word “trust” in their business, or as a portion of the name or title of the person, partnership, association or corporation. A person who violates this section, either individually or as an interested party in any partnership, association, or corporation, may be fined not less than $300 nor more than $1,000 or imprisoned for not less than 60 days nor more than one year in the county jail or both. 223.09223.09 Assessment of stock. The capital stock and property of corporations organized, continued, or reorganized under this chapter shall be assessed and taxed in the same manner as the stock and property of state banks. 223.09 HistoryHistory: 1989 a. 56. OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ACTING AS FIDUCIARIES
223.10223.10 Organizations as fiduciaries. Except as provided in s. 54.15 (7), no court or probate registrar in this state may appoint or issue letters to any corporation, limited liability company, association, partnership or business trust as trustee, personal representative, guardian, conservator, assignee, receiver, or in any other fiduciary capacity unless such corporation, limited liability company, association, partnership or business trust is subject to regulation and examination under s. 223.105, or is a national bank, state or federal savings and loan association, state or federal savings bank or federal credit union with authority to exercise such powers, or is a foreign corporation operating under s. 223.12.