X-Message-Number: 10833 Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 07:44:38 -0500 From: Thomas Donaldson <> Subject: CryoNet #10827 Re: Trusts Since Thomas Nord didn't discuss this, nor did Rudi Hoff in an earlier posting, I feel that I should bring this matter up right now. It's hardly original with me! The fundamental problem, and the reason why Lichtenstein was mentioned in the first place, is that in many legal jurisdictions it is not possible to write a legal trust which will last indefinitely. Just how the Trust is stopped varies with the jurisdiction, some say a human life plus (say) 90 years, others give a fixed number of years, and so on. Saul Kent, after some effort, did find out that Lichtenstein had versions of "Stiftung"'s that COULD be written to last indefinitely. Hard searching may even uncover other countries which allow that, but right now I'm not aware of any. We want a cryonics Trust to last indefinitely because none of us really knows how long it will take to revive us, ourselves. Sure, there has even been some advance in cryonics technology, particularly recently, but until you yourself are suspended your condition at the time you are suspended will remain unknown, as will that of just how much and what kind of repair you will need to be revived. (I'm saying that just because Joe Bloggs over there is revived after only 30 years it doesn't mean that the same will happen to YOU). Basically, regardless of what the Trust Document says, in those legal jurisdictions which don't allow trusts to last indefinitely the day will come when the government will either confiscate the money or hand it over to some person or incorporated association. That will happen regardless of how you word your Trust. The legal name in Anglo-Saxon jurisdictions of the law that forbids indefinite trusts is the Rule against Perpetuities. And for libertarians reading this, isn't it nice how all these various governments work out ways to confiscate your money ;-). Best and long long life, Thomas Donaldson Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=10833