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<section article="get" article_name="Estates and Trusts" number="14.5-402" title_number="14.5" title_name="Maryland Trust Act" subtitle_number="4" subtitle_name="Creation, Validity, Modification, and Termination of Trust">
  <level label="a">
    <text>A trust is created only if:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>The settlor has capacity to create a trust;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The settlor indicates an intention to create the trust;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The trust has a definite beneficiary or is:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>A charitable trust;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>A trust for the care of an animal, as provided in § 14.5–407 of this subtitle; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>A trust for a noncharitable purpose, as provided in § 14.5–408 of this subtitle; and</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The trustee has duties to perform.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>A beneficiary is definite if the beneficiary can be ascertained now or in the future, subject to any applicable rule against perpetuities.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>A power in a trustee or in another person under the terms of the trust to select a beneficiary from an indefinite class is valid.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>If the power described in paragraph (1) of this subsection is not exercised within a reasonable time, the power fails and the property subject to the power passes to the persons that would have taken the property had the power not been conferred.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
