DISTRICT COURT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
DIVISION OF ST. THOMAS AND ST. JOHN 
LILA SELBY, as Co-Trustee of the 
JANET HUGH REVOCABLE LIVING 
TRUST dated September 24, 2003, 
as amended, and THOMAS BRUNET, 
as Co-Trustee of the JANET HUGH 
REVOCABLE LIVING TRUST dated 
September 24, 2003, as amended, 
Plaintiffs, 
v. 
DOLLY HUGH-AKINTOBI, NERISSA 
HUGH, and FRED HUGH, JR., 
Defendants. 
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Civil No. 2019-54 
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ATTORNEYS: 
 
Lila Selby 
 
Pro se, 
 
Michael L. Sheesley 
MLSPC 
St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. 
 
For Thomas Brunet, 
 
Francis E. Jackson, Jr. 
Law Offices of Francis Jackson 
St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. 
 
For Dolly Hugh-Akintobi, Nerissa Hugh, and Fred Hugh, Jr. 
 
 
ORDER 
GÓMEZ, J. 
 
Before the Court is the emergency motion of Thomas Brunet 
to establish a trust account in this matter.  
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Selby et al. v. Hugh-Akintobi et al. 
Civil No. 2019-54 
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On September 24, 2003, Janet Hugh (“Hugh”) allegedly formed 
a revocable living trust (the “Hugh Trust”) in St. Thomas, 
Virgin Islands. At that time, Hugh transferred her entire 
interest in certain real and personal property into the Hugh 
Trust. The Hugh Trust named Hugh’s seven children as 
beneficiaries. Over a number of years, Hugh purportedly executed 
several amendments to the Hugh Trust. Those amendments made 
various changes to the named Trustees, the beneficiaries, and 
the planned distribution of the Hugh Trust assets. Hugh died on 
December 25, 2018. 
 
On July 15, 2019, Lila Selby (“Selby”) and Thomas Brunet 
(“Brunet”) as Co-Trustees for the Hugh Trust commenced the 
instant litigation against Dolly Hugh-Akintobi, Nerissa Hugh, 
and Fred Hugh, Jr. (collectively the “Defendants”). The 
complaint seeks various relief including a declaratory judgment 
that the Hugh Trust and each of the amendments purportedly 
executed by Hugh are valid.  
 
On March 11, 2020, Brunet filed an emergency motion to 
establish a trust account. In his motion, Brunet alleges that 
Selby transferred all of the Hugh Trust funds--approximately 
$617,000--from a Wells Fargo bank account established in the 
name of the Hugh Trust to a personal account opened by Selby. As 
such, Brunet requests that the Court (1) freeze the Hugh Trust 
Case: 3:19-cv-00054-CVG-RM   Document #: 42   Filed: 03/16/20   Page 2 of 4
Selby et al. v. Hugh-Akintobi et al. 
Civil No. 2019-54 
Order 
Page 3 
 
funds, (2) establish a new trust account to which each Co-
Trustee has access, (3) order Selby to return all Hugh Trust 
funds to the new trust account, (4) order Selby to provide an 
accounting for any funds withdrawn, and (5) order the Co-
Trustees to utilize the Hugh Trust funds in accordance with the 
terms of the Hugh Trust. 
 
On March 12, 2020, the Court held a telephonic status 
conference. Selby, Brunet’s counsel, and the Defendants’ counsel 
appeared. At that conference, Selby informed the Court that she 
had established a new trust account in the name of the Hugh 
Trust. The Court proposed entering an order to prevent any 
potential waste, misappropriation, or misuse of the Hugh Trust 
funds. Specifically, the Court proposed, and the parties agreed, 
that the Co-Trustees be required to (1) get Court approval for 
any expenditures, disbursements, or distributions of Hugh Trust 
funds; (2) rescind, if possible any expenditures made on or 
after January 15, 2020; and (3) provide an explanation for any 
such expenditures, disbursements, or distributions. 
 
The premises considered, it is hereby   
 
ORDERED that the Hugh Trust funds shall remain in the new 
trust account established by Selby in the name of the Hugh 
Trust; it is further 
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Selby et al. v. Hugh-Akintobi et al. 
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ORDERED that Selby shall provide Brunet with the account 
number of, and access to, the new trust account; it is further 
 
ORDERED that Selby and Brunet shall provide the Court with 
explanations for any expenditures, disbursements, or 
distributions of Hugh Trust funds that occurred between January 
15, 2020, and the date of this order; it is further 
 
ORDERED that, to the extent possible, any expenditures, 
disbursements, or distributions of Hugh Trust funds that 
occurred between January 15, 2020, and the date of this order 
shall be returned to the new trust account; it is further 
 
ORDERED that, effective March 12, 2020, no expenditure, 
disbursement, or distribution of the Hugh Trust funds shall be 
made without prior approval by this Court. A motion for any 
proposed expenditures, disbursements, or distributions of the 
Hugh Trust funds shall include (1) the reason(s) why such 
expenditures, disbursements, or distributions are necessary; and 
(2) the reason(s) why such expenditures, disbursements, or 
distributions are consistent with the terms of the Hugh Trust. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
S\ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Curtis V. Gómez 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
District Judge 
 
 
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