HomeMy WebLinkAboutCHESTNUTS ESTATES TRUST 1. We, C. LINCOLN GILES of North Andover, County of
Essex, and Commonwealth of ~aseachusetts, and FRED E. CHEEVER o~
Andover, County_:.of~Essex, and commonwealth of Massachusetts hereby
declare ~hat we and-our successors in trust hereunder wlll'hold
for the benefit of the shareholders hereunder upon the terms herein
set forth any and all property that may be conveyed or transferred
to. us-as Trustees-hereunder.
2. This Trust maybe referred to as
CHESTNUT ESTATES TRUST
The purpose :~f the Trust is tO. acquire, hold, improve, manage
and deal in real es~a~e aadother investments. This instru-
ment shall be re~orde~d or registered, as' the case may be, in
any-respeutive Registr~i or County Records in which real estate
belonging to said TVus~-is situated° The' address of the Trust
will be 172 Chestnut Street,. NOrth.Andover, Massachusetts.
3~ Th~ Trustees, specifi-
cally prOvi~ed,'~Shal~l h~ve '~hel same powers~
with respect to
all real and perso~al ~es=ate at any~ ~me 'held, bY,~']them .as if they
were the absolute owners thereof, and sha~, bu.t withoUt~ limit-
ing the foregoing general p0wers~, .have powers to purchase and
otherwise acquire any real or personal property; to' invest any
of the Trust propert~ in such manner as they may deem ad~isable
without being
ltd,_ted as to ~& kind~ or amount of any ~nvest-
m~nt; to sell and exchange any real or personal property or
any interest therein for such ~onSideratiOn' and upon such term-
and conditions as .they may deem advisable;. ~o joan' w~th others
in the acq~isition, or development of real property or'any'".
interest therein; to borrow money and mortgage or pledge any
part of the Trust asse=s and issue bonds, .notes or other evi-
dences of indebtedness; to lend money with or without security;
to execute as Lessors or as-Lessees leases, including leases for
terms expiring after the expiration of the Trust; to hold any
property or any interests in property in the name of agents
or nominees without disclosure of the Trust; to develop any
property purchased.-and construct buildings and other improve-
ments; to pay, compromise or adjust all obligations incurred
and rights acquired in the administration of the Trust; .and
to execute, acknowledge and deliver all such contracts, deeds,
mortgages, leases, discharges and partial releases of mort~
gages, or other instruments as they may deem advisable in the
course of the administration of the Trust. The Trustees shall
be entitled to obtain advice of counsel and to rely thereon,
and to appoint and employ such other persons, agents, brokers,
managers, accountants, or advisors as they may deem advisable,
and the Trustees shall not be held Dersonally liable for any
act or omission of any person so employed or retained. In
the absence of actual fraud, no act or omission of the Trustees
and no contract or other transaction between the Trust and any
person, firm~ association, or corporation shall be questioned,
invalidated or in any other way affected by reason of any
financial or other interest which the Trustees may. have, as
directors, stockholders, officers, employees or otherwise. The
Trustees shall not be disqualified from actinq on behalf of
the Trust because of any interest which they may have in such
action~ it being contemplated that the Trustees will enter
into transactions in behalf of the Trust in which-the Trustees
may be directly or indirectly interested.
4. The Trustees may delegate to any attorney, agent
or employee such of their powers or duties as they may deem advis-
able, including powers to execute, acknowledge or deliver
contracts, deeds, mortgages, leases and any other instruments,
and 9ign and endorse checks for the account of the Trustees and
the Trust. The Trustees shall not be required to give bond.
The Trustees shall not be liable except for their own willful
breach of trust. No license of court shall be requisite to
val~dity of any transactio~ entered into by the Trustee~ with
respect to the Trust estate. The Trustees shall be entitled
to exoneration and indemnification~against ali liabilities
properly incurred in the couws'e of administration of the Trust,
and the Trustees, as such, are entitled to reasonable compensa-
tion for their services. No person making any Dayment to the
Trustees or an attorney, agent, or employee of the Trust shall
be under obligation to see the application thereof.
5. Neither the Truztees nor any officer or agent of' the
Trust shall have the po%~r to bind the shareholders personally,
or to call upon them for the payment of any su~n of money or any
a~sessment whatever. Neither the Trustees nor ~%e shareholders
shall ever be personally liable hereunder as partners or other-
wise. All persons extending credit to, contracting with or
having any el&Em.against the Trustees shall look only to the
funds and property of the Trust for' the'~.mayment of 'any con-
tract, or claim-, o~.~for the payment of~anydebt, damage,
judgement or' decree, or for any money that may otherwise
become due or payable to t~hem from the Trustees,' .so that neither
the Trustees nor Shareholders, presen't or fut~e, shall be per-
sonally liable therefor. If the Trustees or any shareholder
shall at any tim~ for any reason be held to be.. under any per-
sonal liability as Trustees or shareholders due to t~heir acts
in good faith', then the Trustees or shareholders shall be held
harmless and indemnified out of the Trust estate against all
loss, costs, damage or expense by reason of such liability.
Whenever practicable in the judgment of the Trustees, this
instrument shall be referred to, and an express stiPUlation
that neither the Trustees nor the shareholder~ Sh~IIi~be per-
sonally liable shall be inserted in contracts or instruments
creating liabilities. In no case, however, shall the absence
of such reference or stipulation affect the Trustees' or
shareholders' right of reimbursement from the Trust property.
6. The beneficial interests of the Trust shall be
initially divided into One Thousand (1000) shares of common
stock without par value. Said shares shall be issued by the
Trustees for such consideration and to such persons as they may
deem advisable. Additional-shares may be issued at any time
with the written consent of the holders of at lea..~t 75% of
the shares then outstanding. Certificates for shares shall
be issued by the Trumtee~ in such form ax they may determine.
Shares may be transf~ n~med in the certifi-
cate thereof or his attorney or legal representatives by an
assignment in writing and delivers_~' of the certtficates,'~but
until such transfer has been duly recorded on the book~ of
the Trust, the transferor shall be considered for all purposes
under this Trust as the absolute owner of said shares. Every
person by the acceptance of his or her or its cert~ficate
beco~nes a party to ~h!s Trust and bound by the terms of this
instrument. The inter~t of each shareholder shall be regarded
as personal property and shall be treated as such, and no
shareholder shall be entitled to any partition of the Trust
property or to take any action at law or in equity looking to
a severance of set-off of biz title or ~nterest or share here-
under. The term "shareholder" as used herein shall mean a
person %~o for the time being i~ the holder of record on the
book~ of the Trust of shares hereby created. The Trustees'may
without impropriety be shareholders and exercise all rights
of a shareholder and powers of a Trustee. Dividends 0r other
distribution~ on outstanding shares of the Trust shall be pay-
able only when, as and if declared by the Trustees.
A succeeding Trustee to fill any vacancy r~sult~nq
from death, resignation, or otherwise., maybe appointed by an
instrument in writing signed by the holders of at least 75% in
interest of ~%e shares at any time outstanding, provided in
each case that the instrument and the acceptance by the Trustees
in writing shall be recorded 'or registered, am the case may be,
in any respective Reoistry or County ~ecordm in which real
estate belonging to th~s Trust is situated. Upon the ap~Doint-
ment of a succeeding Trustee, the title to the Trust estate
shall thereupon and without neces.~ity of any ~onveyanee be
vested in said succeeding Trustee.
7. This Declaration of ?rust may be amended from time
to time, except as to exemptS, on of the Trustees and shareholder~
from permonal liability, by an instrument or instruments in
writing ~igned by the holder~ of at least 75% of the shares
then outstanding, provided in each case that the instr%Lment
or amendment or a certificate by the Trustees that it was so
made shall be recorded or registered, a~ the case may be, in
any respective Registry or County ~ecord_~ in which real estate
belonging to this Trust is situated.
8. Thais Trust shall terminate upon ~he expiration of
20 years after the death of the original Truste~s hereunder,
and after the expirat.~.on of 20 years from the date of this
instrument may be terminated at any t~me by an instrument or
in.~trument~ in wrtt]~nc .~iqned by the holders of at least 75%
of t~he shares then outstanding, and may be terminated at any
time by an instrument in writing signed by the Trustees then
in office, and the holders of at least 75% of the share~ then
outstanding, provided that the instrument or a certificate by
any Trustee setting forth such termination and stating that it
was ~o made shall be recorded, a~ the case may be, in any res-
pective ~eg~try er County ~ecords ~n which real estate
belongtng'to...~t~i~ .Trust ls~'S~tuated.~ U~on the termination of
the Trust, subject to the payment or making provision for the
payment of all obligations a~d~ltabii'ities-of the Trust and
t~e Trustees, the net as=ets Of the Trust shall be transferred
and conveyed in kind to the shareholders as tenants in commaon
proportionately according to their interests; or, with the
written consent of the holders of .75% of the oustanding shares,
~he Trustees may divide all or any ~art of the assets propor-
tionately among the shareholders severally and not as tenants
in common with power in the Trustees in making any. such divi-
sion 1) tO.sell any part or all of the a~scts and distribute
the net proceeds thereof, 2) at fair valuations to distribute
any part or all of the assets in kind as part of the share of
any shareholder %~ithout distributing similar property to any
other shareholder, 3) to transfer any part or all of said
assets to any association, trust, or corporation and distribute
the securiti'es received in exchange therefor. In making any
transfer, conveyance or di~tribution pursuant to the provi~-
ions of this paragraph 8, the Trustees may make the same
subject to any or all liabilitites of the Trust or-on =ondi-
tion that the shareholders ass=~e in a manner satisfactory to
the Trustees the obligations and liabilities of the-Trust. Ail
decisions, divisions, and determinations of the TrUstees made
in exercising their Dowers under this 9aragraDh 8 shall be con-
clusive upon all parties. The powers of the Trustees shall
continue until the affairs of the Trust have been wound up.
9. Every contract, d~ed, mortgage, lease and other
instr~ment executed by any per.~on appearing from ~n~trUment~
or certificates recorded or registered, as the case may be,
in any respective Registry or County 9ecord~ in which real
estate belonging to tk~s Trust i~ ~ituated to be authorize~
by the Trustees to execute such in~trumen~, shall be conclu-
sive evidence in favor of every person relying thereon or
claiming thereunder ~at at the time of the delivery-thereOf
this Trust ~a~ in ~ull ~orce ~n~ effect and t~at the execution
and delivery cf ~uch instrument ~ere duly authorized by the
Trustees and the Trust instrument an~ were i~ every respect
bin=Lng on the Trustees and the TrUst property. Any person
dealing with the Trust pro~.erty or the Tru.~tees m~Y alway~
rely on a certificate signed by any person appearing from
instruments or certificates, recorded or registered, as the
case may be, in any re~uective RegistrY-or County ~ecords ~n
which real e~tate belonging to th f~ ~Trust is s~tuated to be
the Trustees hereunder as to who are the Trustee~ or shareholders
hereunder or as to the existence or non-existence of any fact
or fact~ which constitute conditions precedent to acts by-'the
Trustees or are in any other manner germane to the affairs o~
t.he Tru~.t.
WITNESS the execution hereof under seal, in two or~gi-
nal counterparts thi~ 10th day of July , 1972.
~ ~tne~
.tness
¢~nwea~, =c~~ .~aSaaol'tu~e~s'
Essex '- .. ,ss
9.
and deed o~
My Comm.i'ssion Expi.res,:. 7-19~74
C. LINCOLN GILES
FRED E. CHEEVER
Trustees
CHESTNUT ESTATES TRUST
JUNE:, FLETCHER 8: WHIPPLE
RM. 800
340 MAIN s"r'RE:E:T
WORCE:STE:R, MASS.