Connecticut General Statutes/Title 45a/Chapter 802c/Section 45a-514

CGS § 45a-514. (Formerly Sec. 45-79). Charitable trusts.

Any charitable trust or use created in writing or by deed by any resident of the state, or any public and charitable trust or use for aiding and assisting any person or persons to be selected by the trustees of such trust or use to acquire education, shall forever remain to the uses and purposes to which it has been granted according to the true intent and meaning of the grantor and to no other use.

Short History

(1949 Rev., S. 6882.)

Long History

History: Sec. 45-79 transferred to Sec. 45a-514 in 1991.

Citations

Annotations to former section 45-79:

A trust to promote the distribution of books or pamphlets may, in the absence of any profit element, qualify as a valid charity; gifts devoted to illegal objectives are void. 143 C. 247. Upon failure of trust, a resulting trust arises in favor of grantor-testator's estate. 150 C. 570. A charitable trust is to be construed, as far as reasonably possible, so as to uphold the trust. 157 C. 265. Lands and property owned by charitable organization devoted to a charitable public use may not be used for commercial purposes unless reasonably necessary to continue the charitable purpose of such organization. 168 C. 447. Cited. 172 C. 496; 179 C. 62; 209 C. 429.

The modified doctrine of cy pres, or of approximation, exists only when the specific method adopted by the testator for carrying his general intent into effect can no longer be executed, but court held that the fact that at any particular time there are only a few, or even no, persons qualified to receive the benefit intended by a charitable bequest is not necessarily a reason for holding that such bequest has failed. 21 CS 217. Applicability of cy pres doctrine or doctrine of approximation depends on proof of general dominant charitable intent to which particular expressed intent is secondary. 27 CS 176. Neither doctrine of cy pres nor that of deviation will be applied when testator's express directions can be carried out. Id., 483.

Annotation to present section:

Cited. 225 C. 32.