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Raborn v. Menotte Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: A deed identified the grantee “as Trustee” under a specific, dated but unrecorded trust. The court held the deed’s language sufficiently expressed an intent to create a trust, preventing the property from becoming part of the trustee’s personal bankruptcy estate under a Florida statute.
Legal Significance: Clarifies that under Florida law, a deed to a trustee need not name beneficiaries or purposes if it otherwise expresses a “contrary intention” to a fee simple grant, such as by specifically identifying the trust by name and date, thereby putting third parties on notice.
Raborn v. Menotte Law School Study Guide
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Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
In 1991, Robert and Lenore Raborn executed a trust agreement, naming their son, Douglas Raborn, as trustee for their children. To fund the trust, they executed a “Conveyance Deed to Trustee Under Trust Agreement,” transferring a family farm to “Douglas K. Raborn, as Trustee under the Raborn Farm Trust Agreement dated January 25, 1991.” The deed was recorded, but the trust agreement was not. The deed stated the property was to be held “upon the trust and for the uses and purposes herein and in said Trust Agreement set forth.” In 2001, Douglas Raborn filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The bankruptcy trustee, Menotte, argued that under the pre-2004 version of Florida Statutes § 689.07(1), the deed conveyed a fee simple estate to Douglas individually because it did not name beneficiaries or the trust’s purposes on its face, and no declaration of trust was recorded. The bankruptcy trustee sought to include the farm in the bankruptcy estate. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit certified the dispositive question of state law to the Supreme Court of Florida.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Does a deed that conveys real property to a grantee “as Trustee” under a specifically named and dated but unrecorded trust agreement express a “contrary intention” sufficient to convey only legal title in trust, rather than a fee simple estate, under the pre-2004 version of Florida Statutes § 689.07(1)?
Yes. The deed conveyed only legal title to the grantee as trustee. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla
IRAC Legal Analysis
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Legal Issue
Does a deed that conveys real property to a grantee “as Trustee” under a specifically named and dated but unrecorded trust agreement express a “contrary intention” sufficient to convey only legal title in trust, rather than a fee simple estate, under the pre-2004 version of Florida Statutes § 689.07(1)?
Conclusion
This case establishes that under Florida property law, a deed's specific identification Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum do
Legal Rule
Under Florida Statutes § 689.07(1) (2001), a conveyance of real estate to Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit e
Legal Analysis
The court's analysis centered on the interpretation of the "contrary intention" exception Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- Under Fla. Stat. § 689.07(1) (pre-2004), a deed conveying property to