While trust can have different effects depending on each type, the Supreme Court of Korea equates the ownership transfer through collateral trusts. The realm of a trustee’s performance in the collateral trust is limited to the legal acts only in acc...
While trust can have different effects depending on each type, the Supreme Court of Korea equates the ownership transfer through collateral trusts. The realm of a trustee’s performance in the collateral trust is limited to the legal acts only in accordance with pre-agreed conditions. Thus, allowing complete transfer of ownership to a trustee results in granting more rights than necessary. Based on the understanding that the purpose of the trust contract is only ‘collateral’, it is reasonable not to permit the complete transfer of ownership. Therefore, the consignor satisfies the requirement of ‘own property’ regarding the applicability of the guarantor. This conclusion also accords with a view that understands the essence of a collateral trust is ‘collateral’, focusing on the substance rather than the format of ‘trust’. In both Common Law and Civil Law countries, it is challenging to identify a legal system which allows complete ownership transfer through collateral trusts, both internally and externally, when the sole purpose is collateral. Considering the current global legal tendency, the judicial interpretation of real estate collateral trusts should be differentiated from general trusts.