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HRS §554D-1012

Protection for people who help or deal with a trustee

This section protects people who help a trustee or do business with one, as long as they act honestly and don't know the trustee is misusing power. They don't have to check the trustee's authority or make sure assets are used correctly. Similar protections in other laws take priority.

everyone

The statute, as written — Protection of person dealing with trustee

(a) A person, other than a beneficiary, who in good faith assists a trustee or who in good faith and for value deals with a trustee, without actual knowledge that the trustee is exceeding or improperly exercising the trustee's powers, shall be protected from liability as if the trustee properly exercised the power. (b) A person, other than a beneficiary, who in good faith deals with a trustee shall not be required to inquire into the extent of the trustee's powers or the propriety of their exercise. (c) A person who in good faith delivers assets to a trustee shall not be required to ensure their proper application. (d) A person, other than a beneficiary, who in good faith assists a former trustee or who in good faith and for value deals with a former trustee, without actual knowledge that the trusteeship has terminated, shall be protected from liability as if the former trustee were still a trustee. (e) Comparable protective provisions of other laws relating to commercial transactions or transfer of securities by fiduciaries shall prevail over the protection provided by this section.
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.