LEGG MASON TOTAL RETURN TRUST INC
485BPOS, EX-99.N, 2001-01-19
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                   MULTIPLE CLASS PLAN PURSUANT TO RULE 18f-3
                       LEGG MASON TOTAL RETURN TRUST, INC.


         Legg Mason  Total  Return  Trust,  Inc.  ("Fund")  hereby  adopts  this
Multiple Class Plan pursuant to Rule 18f-3 under the  Investment  Company Act of
1940, as amended (the "1940 Act").

A.       GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF CLASSES THAT ARE OFFERED:
         -----------------------------------------------

         1. Primary Class  Shares.  Primary Class shares of the Fund are offered
and sold without imposition of an initial sales charge or a contingent  deferred
sales charge.

         Primary Class shares of the Fund are available to all investors  except
those qualified to purchase  Institutional Class or Financial Intermediary Class
shares. Primary Class shares are also available by exchange, as described below.

         Primary Class shares of the Fund are subject to an annual  distribution
fee of up to 0.75% of the average  daily net assets of the Primary  Class shares
of the Fund and an annual  service fee of 0.25% of the average  daily net assets
of the  Primary  Class  shares of the Fund  under a  Distribution  Plan  adopted
pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

         2. Institutional  Class Shares.  Institutional Class shares are offered
and sold without imposition of an initial sales charge or a contingent  deferred
sales charge and are not subject to any service or distribution fees.

         Institutional  Class  shares of the Fund are  offered  only to  certain
categories  of investors as approved  from time to time by the  Directors and as
set forth in the Fund's  Institutional  Class  prospectus.  Institutional  Class
shares are also available for purchase by exchange, as described below.

         3. Financial  Intermediary Class Shares.  Financial  Intermediary Class
shares of the Fund are offered and sold without  imposition  of an initial sales
charge or a contingent deferred sales charge.

         Financial  Intermediary  Class  shares  of the Fund are  subject  to an
annual  distribution  fee of up to 0.15% of the average  daily net assets of the
Financial  Intermediary  Class  shares of the Fund and an annual  service fee of
0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Financial Intermediary Class shares
of the Fund under a Distribution  Plan adopted  pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the
1940 Act.

         Financial  Intermediary  Class  shares of the Fund are offered  only to
certain  categories  of investors as approved from time to time by the Directors
and  as set  forth  in  the  Fund's  Financial  Intermediary  Class  prospectus.
Financial Intermediary Class shares are also available for purchase by exchange,
as described below.

<PAGE>

B.       EXPENSE ALLOCATIONS OF EACH CLASS:
         ---------------------------------

         Certain expenses may be attributable to a particular class of shares of
the Fund ("Class  Expenses").  Class  Expenses  are charged  directly to the net
assets of the  particular  class and, thus, are borne on a pro rata basis by the
outstanding shares of that class.

         In addition to the distribution and service fees described above,  each
Class may also pay a different amount of the following other expenses:

                  (1)      legal,  printing  and  postage  expenses  related  to
                           preparing   and   distributing   materials   such  as
                           shareholder  reports,  prospectuses,  and  proxies to
                           current shareholders of a specific class;

                  (2)      Blue Sky fees incurred by a specific class of shares;

                  (3)      SEC registration fees incurred by a specific class of
                           shares;

                  (4)      expenses of  administrative  personnel  and  services
                           required  to support the  shareholders  of a specific
                           class of shares;

                  (5)      Directors'  fees  incurred  as  a  result  of  issues
                           relating to a specific class of shares;

                  (6)      litigation  expenses or other legal expenses relating
                           to a specific class of shares;

                  (7)      transfer   agent  fees  and   shareholder   servicing
                           expenses   identified  as  being  attributable  to  a
                           specific class; and

                  (8)      such other expenses  actually incurred in a different
                           amount by a class or related to a class's  receipt of
                           services of a different kind or to a different degree
                           than another class.

C.       EXCHANGE PRIVILEGES:
         -------------------

         Primary  Class  shares  of the Fund may be  exchanged  for or  acquired
through an exchange of Primary Class shares of any other Legg Mason fund.

         Institutional Class shares of the Fund may be exchanged for or acquired
through an exchange of shares of Legg Mason Cash Reserve Trust or  Institutional
Class  shares of any  other  Legg  Mason  fund  whose  prospectus  permits  such
exchanges,  provided  that the investor and the exchange  meets the  eligibility
criteria of that class of that fund.

         Financial Intermediary Class shares of the Fund may be exchanged for or
acquired  through an  exchange  of shares of Legg Mason  Cash  Reserve  Trust or
Financial  Intermediary  Class  shares  of  any  other  Legg  Mason  fund  whose
prospectus  permits such exchanges,  provided that the investor and the exchange
meets the eligibility criteria of that class of that fund.

                                       2

<PAGE>

         These exchange  privileges may be modified or terminated by the Fund to
the extent  permitted by SEC rules or policies,  and  exchanges may be made only
into  funds  that are  legally  available  for sale in the  investor's  state of
residence.

D.       CLASS DESIGNATION:
         -----------------

         Subject to approval by the Board of  Directors,  the Fund may alter the
nomenclature for the designations of one or more of its classes of shares.

E.       ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
         ----------------------

         This  Multiple  Class Plan is  qualified by and subject to the terms of
the then current  Prospectuses for the applicable  classes;  provided,  however,
that none of the terms set forth in any such Prospectuses  shall be inconsistent
with the terms of the classes  contained in this Plan. The  Prospectuses for the
Fund contain  additional  information  about the classes and the Fund's multiple
class structure.

F.       DATE OF EFFECTIVENESS:
         ---------------------

         This  Multiple  Class Plan is effective  on January 22, 2001,  provided
that this Plan shall not become  effective  with respect to the Fund unless such
action  has  first  been  approved  by the vote of a  majority  of the  Board of
Directors  of Legg Mason Total Return  Trust,  Inc. and by vote of a majority of
those directors who are not interested persons.


November 10, 2000


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