Mark Pawlowski highlights some far-reaching implications arising out of the case law on beneficial ownership ‘The size of the parties’ respective shares upon acquisition will be determined according to the terms of their express trust regardless of their actual contributions to the purchase of the property.’ Let us begin with the following example. Suppose Mr …
Continue reading "Cohabitation: Fair shares in the family home?"
This post is only available to members.
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Autumn 2018 #173The claimants occupied land at Falmouth in Cornwall (the property) initially pursuant to a written agreement for the grant of a 15-year lease from 1 January 1993 at a rent of £400 per annum. The agreement was never signed by the defendant’s parents, who were then the freehold owners, with the result that it did not qualify as a valid agreement for the grant of a tenancy of 15 years, due to failure to comply with the requirements of s2 of the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989. After the expiry of the 15-year period, the claimants continued to pay, and the defendant to ac...
Amanda Tipples QC examines the interaction of common intention constructive trusts and proprietary estoppel in light of the decision in Matchmove v Dowding ‘For a party to succeed on a claim to enforce an oral bargain in respect of land, coupled with reliance and detriment, it needs to base its case on a common intention …
Continue reading "CICTs And Section 2: Some thoughts from the Bar"
This post is only available to members.
The courts will sometimes give effect to oral agreements for the transfer of land. David Sawtell examines recent case law ‘The courts have afforded some considerable protection to trustees and beneficiaries of land from the inadvertent creation of informal rights over property. The unanimity principle has achieved some prominence as a consequence.’ In order to …
Continue reading "Constructive Trusts: More than words?"
This post is only available to members.
Sandra Clarke examines the factors that determine a contract for the disposition of an interest in land ‘The essential terms for a valid contract to sell land are the parties, the property and the consideration.’ The recent Court of Appeal decision in Rollerteam Ltd v Riley [2016] adds to the decided cases surrounding s2(1), Law …
Continue reading "Contract: A question of interpretation"
This post is only available to members.
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | March 2017 #167The appellant appealed a decision regarding the enforceability of an agreement to sell a piece of land through proprietary estoppel and constructive trust notwithstanding the absence of a written contract.
F, a property developer, was the moving spirit of the appellant (M). In 2002, F began negotiations with G for the purchase of a plot of land (the land) and a meadow (the meadow). F intended to divide the land into two plots. Plot 1 and plot 2 would be sold separately. G did not want to sell until he had planning permission, which was granted in 2003.
By late 2003, a ‘comm...
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | October 2016 #163The defendant (D) appealed against an order of His Honour Judge Blair QC whereby he made a declaration as to the extent of the parties’ beneficial interests in a property (the property).
D met the claimant (C) in 1986. A year later, C moved with his three sons into D’s house (37 Ashley Road). That year, C also purchased the property with a mortgage and conveyed it into his sole name. D made no contribution to the purchase price.
In 1989, D purchased another property (89 Bournemouth Road). C maintained that he contributed c.£16,000 to the purchase price, but D di...
Mark Pawlowski asks whether there is scope for giving effect to informal land agreements by applying the doctrine of proprietary estoppel ‘The question remains as to whether an estoppel on its own (independently of any finding of a constructive trust) can operate so as to enforce an agreement for sale notwithstanding non-compliance with s2(1), Law …
Continue reading "Proprietary Estoppel: A separate cause of action?"
This post is only available to members.
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | November 2015 #154The appellant (Mr Herbert) owned the freehold of a house and a large garden. The respondents (Mr Doyle and Mr Talati) owned the freehold of an adjacent property comprising a dental surgery with nine parking spaces. They also leased part of the ground floor in the main house from Mr Herbert. They carried on a practice as dental practitioners from the freehold and leasehold premises and they and their clients used the parking spaces. Mr Herbert wished to develop the former walled garden of Mansfield House and to build mews houses, but to do so he needed Mr Doyle and Mr Talati to exchange s...
Mark Pawlowski considers the Court of Appeal’s decision in Pankhania v Chandegra, which discusses whether express declarations of trust are conclusive The Law Commission endorsed the conclusive nature of the declaration of trust in the context of transfers of title to joint owners, stating that, ‘it is essential that courts strictly enforce declarations of trust …
Continue reading "Trusts And Property: Declarations of trust in the family home"
This post is only available to members.
