@sjrcpa "But, what, if anything, does the trust document say about the house?"

Exactly.  Don't indict me until you have read the charges against the trustee.  If the trust says, "Sell or distribute everything when I die once the bills are paid," but the Wayward Trustee took directions from the three beneficiaries to let Charlie stay in the house as long as he wanted, then what you have is a new revocable trust by the three of them, and they are all equitable owners who didn't believe in following instructions.  On the other hand, if the trust says, "Let Charlie live there as long as he wants, and sell it only when he wants to move --- and if he dies first, it doesn't go to his estate," then Sections 671-679 don't apply. 

In your example, If John and Mike agree to keep the house in the trust, contrary to instructions, because that way John's wife doesn't need to know about it and a divorce is expected eventually, then yes, you should argue that John is a substantial owner, beginning with trustor's date of death.