The Florida Senate

689.071  Land trusts transferring interests in real estate; ownership vests in trustee.--

(1)  Every conveyance, deed, mortgage, lease assignment, or other instrument heretofore or hereafter made, hereinafter referred to as "the recorded instrument," transferring any interest in real property in this state, including but not limited to a leasehold or mortgagee interest, to any person, corporation, bank, trust company, or other entity qualified to act as a fiduciary in this state, in which recorded instrument the person, corporation, bank, trust company, or other entity is designated "trustee," or "as trustee," without therein naming the beneficiaries of such trust, whether or not reference is made in the recorded instrument to any separate collateral unrecorded declarations or agreements, is effective to vest, and is hereby declared to have vested, in such trustee full rights of ownership over the real property or interest therein, with full power and authority as granted and provided in the recorded instrument to deal in and with the property or interest therein or any part thereof; provided, the recorded instrument confers on the trustee the power and authority either to protect, conserve and to sell, or to lease, or to encumber, or otherwise to manage and dispose of the real property described in the recorded instrument.

(2)  Any grantee, mortgagee, lessee, transferee, assignee, or person obtaining satisfactions or releases or otherwise in any way dealing with the trustee with respect to the real properties held in trust under the recorded instrument, as hereinabove provided for, is not obligated to inquire into the identification or status of any named or unnamed beneficiaries, or their heirs or assigns to whom a trustee may be accountable under the terms of the recorded instrument, or under any unrecorded separate declarations or agreements collateral to the recorded instrument, whether or not such declarations or agreements are referred to therein; or to inquire into or ascertain the authority of such trustee to act within and exercise the powers granted under the recorded instrument; or to inquire into the adequacy or disposition of any consideration, if any is paid or delivered to such trustee in connection with any interest so acquired from such trustee; or to inquire into any of the provisions of any such unrecorded declarations or agreements.

(3)  All persons dealing with the trustee under the recorded instrument as hereinabove provided take any interest transferred by the trustee thereunder, within the power and authority as granted and provided therein, free and clear of the claims of all the named or unnamed beneficiaries of such trust, and of any unrecorded declarations or agreements collateral thereto whether referred to in the recorded instrument or not, and of anyone claiming by, through, or under such beneficiaries including, and without limiting the foregoing to, any claim arising out of any dower or curtesy interest of the spouse of any beneficiary thereof; provided, nothing herein contained prevents a beneficiary of any such unrecorded collateral declarations or agreements from enforcing the terms thereof against the trustee.

(4)  In all cases in which the recorded instrument, as hereinabove provided, contains a provision defining and declaring the interests of beneficiaries thereunder to be personal property only, such provision shall be controlling for all purposes when such determination becomes an issue under the laws or in the courts of this state.

(5)  In addition to any other limitation on personal liability existing pursuant to statute or otherwise, the provisions of s. 737.306 apply to the trustee of a land trust created pursuant to this section.

(6)  This act is remedial in nature and shall be given a liberal interpretation to effectuate the intent and purposes hereinabove expressed.

(7)  This act does not apply to any deed, mortgage, or other instrument to which s. 689.07 applies.

History.--ss. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, ch. 63-468; s. 1, ch. 84-31; s. 2, ch. 2002-233.