Continue reading "Unincorporated Associations: Game, set and match"
Clarke & ors v Shrewsbury and Atcham Constituency Labour Party & ors [2024] WTLR 67
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Spring 2024 #194James Morris (the settlor), a Labour Party councillor and businessman, settled two trusts (the trusts). This claim concerned the validity of the trusts, their rectification, a proprietary estoppel claim by a beneficiary, and the consequences of the trusts’ invalidity.
The first trust concerned Morris Hall, Bellstone Court, Bellstone, Shrewsbury (the hall), which Mr Morris transferred to himself and three others to hold pursuant to a declaration of trust dated 5 April 1934 (the hall trust).
Clause 1(g) of the hall trust provided:
‘After making provision fo...
Gibbons & anr v Smith & ors [2020] WTLR 947
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Autumn 2020 #180The claim concerned two adjacent plots of land on Station Road, Hollingwood near Chesterfield, Derbyshire (Plot 1 and Plot 2, collectively the land). At some point before 1986 a Mr Mills, Mr Hartshorne and Mr Unwin had formed a club for railway workers (the association). Plot 1 was purchased by the three in 1986, the conveyance describing them as the trustees of the association and that they took the plot on trust for the association. In 1990 the same three purchased Plot 2. The conveyance again stated they were purchasing as trustees of an association, but the name of that association w...
Phillipe & ors v Cameron & ors [2019] WTLR 661
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Summer 2019 #175The claimants were the trustees (‘trustees’) of land at Sandy Lane, Cheam (‘land’) which had been occupied by St Andrew’s (Cheam) Lawn Tennis Club (‘club’) since the execution of a declaration of trust dated 11 July 1938 (‘trust deed’). The club had been established for the purpose of acquiring and fitting out land for use at a tennis club by members of St Andrew’s Cheam United Reformed Church (‘church’). When an opportunity arose to acquire suitable vacant land, a general meeting was called at which it was proposed to spend £750 in the purchase of the land and additional sums for the co...
The Charity Commission for England and Wales v Framjee & ors [2014] EWHC 2507 (Ch)
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | November 2014 #144The Dove Trust (the trust) was established by a declaration of trust dated 16 June 1983 for such charitable purposes as the trustees should in their discretion from time to time think fit. It was subsequently registered as a charity.
In 2004 a website for charitable giving called www.charitygiving.co.uk (the website) was established for the purpose of facilitating members of the public to make donations to the trust for the benefit of other charities or good causes of their choice. Donations which were charitable could then be augmented by gift aid, which the trust would claim sub...
Phillipe & ors v Cameron & ors [2012] EWHC 1040 (Ch)
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | September 2012 #122The claimants were the trustees of the St Andrew’s (Cheam) Lawn Tennis Club Trust (the trustees). The trustees sought declarations as to the beneficial ownership of land occupied by the St Andrew’s (Cheam) Lawn Tennis Club (the club) since 1938 (the land).
The church now known as St Andrew’s United Reformed Church Cheam (the church) was originally founded in the 1920s. From the church’s inception many of its members played tennis together and in 1930 they established a tennis club which was to become the club. The club’s first general meeting was held...