N.M. Stat. § 45-2A-14
Powers.
A. Subject to Subsection C of this section and except as expressly provided by will,
a trustee, in addition to any other powers conferred by law, without prior approval of any
court may:
(1)
retain property in the form in which it is received, including assets in which
the trustee is personally interested;
(2)
make ordinary or extraordinary repairs, store, insure or otherwise care for
any tangible personal property and pay shipping or other expense relating to the
property as the trustee considers advisable;
(3)
abandon property the trustee determines to be worthless;
(4)
invest principal and income in any property the trustee determines and,
without limiting the generality of the foregoing, invest in shares of an investment
company or in shares or undivided portions of any common trust fund established by
the trustee;
(5)
sell, exchange or otherwise dispose of property at public or private sale on
terms the trustee determines, no purchaser being bound to see to the application of any
proceeds;
(6)
lease property on terms the trustee determines even if the term extends
beyond the time the property becomes distributable;
(7)
allocate items of income or expense to income or principal, as provided by
law;
(8)
keep registered securities in the name of a nominee;
(9)
pay, compromise or contest claims or controversies, including claims for
estate or inheritance taxes, in any manner the trustee determines;
(10)
participate in any manner the trustee determines in any reorganization,
merger or consolidation of any entity whose securities constitute part of the property
held;
(11)
deposit securities with a voting trustee or committee of security holders
even if under the terms of deposit the securities may remain deposited beyond the time
they become distributable;
(12)
vote any security in person or by special, limited or general proxy, with or
without power of substitution, and otherwise exercise all the rights that may be
exercised by any security holder in an individual capacity;
(13)
borrow any amount the trustee considers advisable to obtain cash for any
purpose of the trust, and in connection therewith, mortgage or otherwise encumber any
property on any conditions the trustee determines even if the term of the loan may
extend beyond the term of the trust;
(14)
allot in or towards satisfaction of any payment, distribution or division, in
any manner the trustee determines, any property held at the then current fair market
value;
(15)
hold trusts and shares undivided or at any time hold them or any of them
set apart one from another;
(16)
enter into a lease or arrangement for exploration and removal of minerals
or other natural resources or enter into a pooling or unitization agreement;
(17)
sell or exercise stock subscription or conversion rights;
(18)
employ persons, including attorneys, auditors, investment advisers or
agents, even if associated with the trustee, to advise or assist the trustee in the
performance of duties, act without independent investigation upon their
recommendations and, instead of acting personally, employ agents to perform any act
of administration, whether or not discretionary;
(19)
continue any unincorporated business or venture in which the decedent
was engaged at the time of death;
(20)
incorporate any business or venture in which the decedent was engaged
at the time of death;
(21)
distribute property distributable to the estate of an individual directly to the
devisees or heirs of the individual; and
(22)
perform any other act necessary or appropriate to administer the trust.
B. Except as expressly provided in the will, the personal representative, in the
administration of the estate, has all of the powers of a personal representative under the
[Uniform] Probate Code and all of the powers of a trustee conferred under Subsection A
of this section. In addition, the personal representative has the power to satisfy written
charitable pledges of the decedent, irrespective of whether the pledges constitute
binding obligations of the decedent or were properly presented as claims, if in the
judgment of the personal representative the decedent would have wanted the pledges
satisfied under the circumstances.
C. Except as expressly provided in the will, the personal representative or trustee
shall observe the standards in dealing with the estate which would be observed by a
prudent person dealing with the property of another. If the personal representative or
trustee has special skills or is named personal representative or trustee on the basis or
representation of special skills or expertise, the person is under a duty to use those
skills. Except to the extent qualified property is not available, only property that qualifies
for the estate tax marital deduction under the Internal Revenue Code, as amended, may
be allocated to the surviving spouse under Section 6 [45-2A-6 NMSA 1978] of the
Uniform Statutory Will Act or to the surviving spouse's share of principal in a trust
established under Section 7 [45-2A-7 NMSA 1978] of that act.