112.09 Surety, how discharged.

(1) Any surety or the personal representative of any surety upon the bond of any trustee, guardian, receiver, executor, or other fiduciary, may be discharged from liability as provided in this section. On 5 days' notice to the principal in such bond, application may be made to the court where it is filed, or which has jurisdiction of such fiduciary or to any judge of such court for a discharge from liability as surety, and that such principal be required to account.

(2) Notice of such application may be served personally within or without the state. If it shall satisfactorily appear to the court or the judge that personal service cannot be had with due diligence within the state, the notice may be served in such manner as the court or judge shall direct. Pending such application the principal may be restrained from acting, except to preserve the trust estate.

(3) If at the time appointed the principal shall fail to file a new bond satisfactory to the court or judge, an order shall be made requiring the principal to file a new bond within 5 days. When such new bond shall be filed, the court or judge shall make an order requiring the principal to account for all of the principal's acts to and including the date of the order, and to file such account within a time fixed not exceeding 20 days; and shall discharge the surety making such application from liability for any act or default of the principal subsequent to the date of such order.

(4) If the principal shall fail to file a new bond within the time specified, an order shall be made removing the principal from office, and requiring the principal to file the principal's account within 20 days. If the principal shall fail to file the principal's account as required, the surety may make and file such account; and upon settlement thereof and upon the trust fund or estate being found or made good and paid over or properly secured, credit shall be given for all commissions, costs, disbursements and allowances to which the principal would be entitled were the principal accounting.

(5) The procedure for hearing, settling, and allowing the principal's account shall be according to the practice prescribed by ch. 862 for personal representatives. Upon the trust fund or estate being found or made good and paid over or properly secured, the surety shall be discharged from all liability. Upon demand by the principal, the discharged surety shall return the unearned part of the premium paid for the canceled bond.

(6) Any such fiduciary may institute and conduct proceedings for the discharge of the fiduciary's surety and for the filing of a new bond; and the procedure shall in all respects conform substantially to the practice prescribed by this section in cases where the proceeding is instituted by a surety, and with like effect.

History: 1993 a. 486; 2001 a. 102; 2005 a. 155 s. 39; Stats. 2005 s. 112.09.