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French translation: (constitue) une décharge absolue de mes exécuteurs testamentaires
22:01 Jan 6, 2019
English to French translations [PRO] Law/Patents - Law (general) / Testament
English term or phrase:An absolute discharge to my executors
"The receipt of the treasurer, secretary or public officer for the time being of the beneficiary or beneficiaries under subparagraph (i) is an absolute discharge to my executors."
La réception par le trésorier, le secrétaire ou l’officier public immédiat du ou des bénéficiaires, en vertu de l’alinéa (i), constitue une décharge absolue de mes exécuteurs testamentaires.
I added commas that aren't there in the English to make it more clear (the absence of any object -- the thing being received -- from the sentence makes the French potentially confusing but I think these commas help).
This clause means:
1. A testamentary gift is being made to XYZ corporate or institutional beneficiary (not an individual person, but some entity that has a treasurer or secretary or public officer--for instance, a nonprofit, a university, a land trust, etc.); and
2. Once the relevant person (treasurer, secretary or public officer) has received the gift from the executors, the gift is accomplished, the executor has no further responsibilities with respect to that gift, and if the money somehow doesn't get to the ultimate beneficiary (e.g., the treasurer steals it), the executor will not be held legally responsible.
I agree with you on the basic point that the receipt of the bequest by the treasurer (or secretary, etc.) would have to be proven, but I don't read the English as meaning that the means of proof has to be a written receipt.
The means of proof would depend on what the asset is. If it's cash, the executor could write a check or wire the funds; the canceled check or bank records showing the wire transfer would be proof. If it's real estate, the deed transfer documents would be proof. If it's an objet d'art, perhaps then you would need to get a written receipt from the treasurer/secretary/public officer.
Because "receipt" can mean either réception or reçu, when a lawyer means reçu, we say "written receipt." That's how we make clear that we don't mean the mere physical receiving of the item.
Thank you. I wish I could have found a similar reference (centralwest...) for the language in French.
About the "receipt" not being a "written receipt", allow me to disagree with you. As we say in French, "les paroles s’envolent, les écrits restent". La déclaration de l’exécuteur à l’effet que la chose a été remise ne constituera jamais une preuve si la "réception" venait à être contestée/(dé)niée. And who knows where will be the treasury, secretary, officer "for the time being" if and when one needs him?
About the added commas suggested in your answer, don’t you think it’s hard to say whether "under subparagraph (i)" refers to the beneficiaries or the receipt (or some conditions/process) when reading the sentence as drafted? It seems to me that we need to know about the content of (i) to be sure. For the moment, I read it as referring to the beneficiaries, which doesn’t seem to be the case for you, or did I miss something?
Yes, the concept does exist. Google "décharge absolue" (with quotes) and see all the examples that come up.
"C'est donc une décharge absolue par la substitution d'un débiteur à un autre..."
"...à moins qu'on ne lui donnât une décharge absolue & générale de toute responsabilité & obligation..."
"Aujourd'hui on donne au Trésor royal non-seulement la décharge entiere des fonds qu'il peut avoir divertis, mais la décharge absolue de son obligation..."
"Ceci constitue une décharge absolue de responsabilité envers les pertes, dommages, blessures, ou autres revendications causés ou subis..."
1. A testamentary gift is being made to XYZ corporate or institutional beneficiary (not an individual person, but some entity that has a treasurer or secretary or public officer--for instance, a nonprofit, a university, a land trust, etc.); and
2. Once the executor has given the gift to the relevant person (treasurer, secretary or public officer), the gift is accomplished, the executor has no further responsibilities with respect to that gift, and if the money somehow doesn't get to the ultimate beneficiary (e.g., the treasurer steals it), the executor will not be held legally responsible.
So Germaine's suggestions at the start of this discussion are correct, except that the English "receipt" here doesn't mean a written receipt. It just means the fact of receiving.
means "accomplish all your duties as executor of the will", adding "absolute" to make it "absolute discharge" is there to reinforce that after obtaining
"The receipt of the treasurer, secretary or public officer for the time being of the beneficiary or beneficiaries under subparagraph (i)"
there is absolutely no more obligations imposed on / expected from the executor of the will.
IOW "discharge" as in "to discharge your duty" see
Le reçu du trésorier, du secrétaire ou de l’officier public immédiats du ou des bénéficiaires en vertu de l’alinéa (i) donne quittance [absolue] [inconditionnelle] à mes exécuteurs.
Notes: Quittance: Attestation écrite reconnaissant le paiement d'une somme due (dette, redevance, droit). Décharge: DR. Acte constatant la remise d'une pièce, la libération d'une dette, d'une gestion ou d'un engagement
En France, l’expression consentir bonne et valable décharge qui évoque le fait d’affranchir une personne de son obligation de restitution est jugée correcte. «L’expression, par la redondance des adjectifs, veut souligner le caractère irréprochable de la décharge et du même coup sa pleine efficacité. Strictement la décharge ne s’applique qu’à l’exécution des obligations de faire; s’agissant du paiement d’un prix, le pur langage juridique impose le recours à la bonne et valable quittance. » - Juridictionnaire
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Answers
4 hrs confidence: peer agreement (net): -3
an absolute discharge to my executors
(constitue) une dispense de peine inconditionnelle pour mes exécuteurs testamentaires
Absolute discharge An absolute discharge is the lowest-level adult sentence that an offender can get.
If an offender gets an absolute discharge, a finding of guilt is made but no conviction is registered, and they are not given any conditions to follow (i.e. a probation order). The offender is finished with their case that day. They don’t have to come to court again or check in with a probation officer.
An absolute discharge will stay on an offender’s criminal record for one year after the date they received the discharge. The offender doesn’t have to apply for a pardon for the discharge to be removed from their record.
peer agreement (net): -3
