Call
855-758-7878
Call 855-758-7878
Call
855-758-7878
Call 855-758-7878
Luxury and unique assets include things like aircraft, yachts, fine art, closely held businesses, real estate, farms and ranches, oil and gas interests, and other collectibles. What sets these assets apart is that they’re hard to value, often require specialized management, and carry unique risks if mishandled.
Many trust companies decline to hold these types of assets because of the complexity involved in valuing, insuring, and maintaining them. At Independent Trust Company, we’ve built our practice around solving exactly this problem, ensuring your trust can include every asset that matters to your family, not just the easy ones.
Whether it’s a family vacation home, a rental property, or a working farm or ranch, real estate held in trust demands constant attention: property taxes and insurance deadlines, maintenance and repairs, tenant relationships, contractor supervision, and periodic valuations that keep the trust’s records accurate.
We can manage it. From paying the bills and conducting annual inspections to collecting rents and coordinating a sale when the time comes, we treat every property with the same care the family always has, while removing the burden from any one member’s shoulders.
A significant art collection is more than the sum of its pieces. It requires documented provenance, climate-controlled storage or display arrangements, ongoing conservation, specialized insurance, and updated appraisals as the market moves. All details that are easy to let slip and costly to neglect.
As trustee, we take responsibility for that stewardship. We work alongside the conservators, appraisers, and advisors who know the collection best, keeping every piece documented, insured, and properly valued so the collection’s worth, financial and sentimental, is preserved for the next generation.
Owning a private aircraft, yacht, or valuable art collection brings a distinct set of responsibilities: registration and title tracking, insurance renewal, crew or captain management, maintenance schedules, storage or docking arrangements, and periodic appraisals for changing market value.
When these assets are held in a trust, that oversight doesn’t disappear, it becomes our job. We coordinate with the specialists you already trust (pilots, brokers, appraisers, conservators) so these assets stay protected and properly valued for as long as they’re part of the trust.
Classic and collector cars are living assets. They need proper storage, regular exercise and mechanical upkeep, meticulous documentation of provenance and restoration history, agreed-value insurance, and appraisals that keep pace with a market that can move quickly for rare examples.
When a collection is held in trust, we make sure none of that lapses. We coordinate with the mechanics, storage facilities, and specialty appraisers the family relies on, so the collection remains protected, road-ready, and accurately valued for as long as it’s part of the trust.
A fine watch collection carries value that’s easy to underestimate and easy to mishandle. Rare timepieces require secure storage, regular servicing by qualified watchmakers, careful documentation of provenance, boxes, and papers, and updated appraisals in a market where the right reference can appreciate dramatically.
As trustee, we make certain none of those details fall through the cracks. We coordinate with the watchmakers, specialty insurers, and appraisers who understand these pieces, keeping every timepiece documented, protected, and accurately valued so the collection passes to the next generation exactly as it should.
Consider a vacation home that has been in the family for years. Multiple branches of the family use it, but if the patriarch or matriarch cannot (or prefers not to) manage the property, there are certain issues that may arise such as:
In this scenario, Independent Trust Company could step in to support the management of the vacation home with the following:
The same principle applies to a family yacht or art collection. Who schedules the annual survey and insurance renewal on the boat? Who verifies a painting’s condition and updates its appraisal before it’s included in an estate valuation? Without a clear plan, these questions can create friction between beneficiaries or, worse, cause the asset to lose value through neglect. We step in to handle exactly this kind of coordination.
Some of our most in-demand unique asset offerings include:
Managing unique assets can be time-consuming and complex, often making it desirable to delegate this responsibility to a trusted expert. If you own assets that fall into the unique category and wish to include them in a trust, it’s essential to begin the crucial process of establishing their valuation as early as possible.
With over 20 years of experience in unique asset management, we understand the complexities these assets can introduce to estate planning. By bringing your unique assets to us for review now, you not only save on the immediate costs of having accountants assess their value, but you also streamline the process of integrating them into your trust. Our early involvement ensures that these assets are accurately assessed and ready for inclusion in the trust, saving both time and money in the long run.
Additionally, this proactive approach allows your assets to be seamlessly incorporated into our trustee services, ensuring they are properly managed and protected after the grantor’s passing.