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, or trust company qualified to act as a
fiduciary in this state, in which recorded instrument the person,
corporation, bank, or trust company 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.