A caution gives a right to be notified of an application, but does not give any priority on registration. Judges: Nourse, Kennedy, Roch LJJ Citations: Ind Summary 13-Jun-1994, Times 10-May-1994, [1994] EWCA Civ 12, [1994] Ch 370, [1994] 4 All ER 96, [1995] 1 FLR 212, [1995] Fam Law 132, [1994] 3 WLR 593 Links: … Continue reading Clark and Another v Chief Land Registrar and Another; Chancery Plc v Ketteringham: CA 5 May 1994
The second defendant had, under the undue influence of the first defendant sold him her house at an undervalue. She also asserted non est factum. He then charged it to the claimant. The court was asked which innocent party should prevail. She said she had been in actual occupation at the time of the charge. … Continue reading Bank of Scotland v Hussain and Another: ChD 5 Nov 2010
Cautions had been registered against land to protect interests claimed in a pending action. The action had been struck out at first instance, an appeal to the Court of Appeal had failed but a petition for leave to appeal to the House of Lords was still pending. Held: On an interlocutory notice of motion Brightman … Continue reading Calgary and Edmonton Land Co Ltd v Discount Bank (Overseas) Ltd: ChD 1971
The tenant sought an injunction against its neighbour and landlord to prevent it letting an adjoining property without a restriction similar to the one in its own lease. The claimants sought reassurance from the defendant tenants of the adjoining propery that they would act in accordance with the retriction, but no re-assurance was given. Held: … Continue reading Oceanic Village Ltd v United Attractions Ltd, Shirayama: ChD 9 Dec 1999
The defendant had made a mistake resulting in an equitable chargee not being given proper opportunity to object to the registration of a further charge with priority. The chargee sought compensation from the defendant registrar. Held: The registration of a charge is not to be defeated by a minor error – compensation payable. The 1925 … Continue reading Clark and Another v Chief Land Registrar and Another: ChD 2 Dec 1992
In an area of compulsory first registration, unregistered land was bought but no application made to register the title within two months. The purchaser then contracted for its sale. Held: In a contract for the sale of land, the vendor agrees to convey the legal estate, and until he had been registered he did not … Continue reading Pinekerry v Needs (Contractors): CA 1992
The plaintiff company acquired the registered freehold title of a house in 1957. The house was already demised on a long lease. The leaseholder had sublet to the defendant, who, by continuous non-payment of rent, had, by 1963, acquired a prescriptive title against her. In 1968 the defendant sought registration as proprietor of the leasehold … Continue reading Spectrum Investment Co Ltd v Holmes: ChD 1981
The agricultural landlord sold part of his land subject to the respondent’s tenancy to the appellant. Before the transfer was registered, notices to quit were served by both the landlord and his buyer. The tenant challenged both notices in the County court, against whose finding and order that the notices were invalid, both defendants now … Continue reading Stodday Land Ltd and Another v Pye: ChD 7 Oct 2016
A father had granted an option over land to his son, but it had not been registered. The father later tried to frustrate the option by conveying the land to his wife for 500 pounds. The land was worth 40,000 pounds. When the son found out about it, he sought to exercise the option, and … Continue reading Midland Bank Trust Co Ltd v Green (No 1): HL 11 Dec 1980
Wife in Occupation had Overriding Interest The wife had made a substantial financial contribution to the purchase price of the house which was registered only in her husband’s name, and charged to the bank. The bank sought possession. The wife resisted saying that she had an overriding interest. Held: Her equitable interest was not only … Continue reading Williams and Glyn’s Bank Ltd v Boland: HL 19 Jun 1980
The Chief Land Registrar appealed against the dismissal of his appeal against the adjudicator’s decision on the cancellation of a unilateral notice. On the day of the adjudication, the Silkstones had purported to withdraw their case, wanting to take it forward instead in the High Court. The adjudicator had proceeded in any event, ordering the … Continue reading The Chief Land Registrar v Silkstone and Others: CA 14 Jul 2011
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The claimant sought compensation from the Land Registrar for losses arising from following the results of an index map search. They relied upon a certificate showing certain land to be unregistered, in entering into a contract for its sale. A retention was made against the need to register. The errors caused it to be impossible … Continue reading Prestige Properties Ltd v Scottish Provident Institution and Others: ChD 13 Mar 2002
The defendant had taken assignments of the term of two underleases from the claimant, and then re-assigned them to a limited company with guarantors of the rent, and they in turn re-assigned the leases. The last company became insolvent. The landlord and the claimants and receivers agreed to look for a further assignee and therefore … Continue reading Scottish and Newcastle Plc v Raguz: ChD 11 Apr 2006
A person in actual occupation of registered land at time of transfer can enforce his rights against the transferee. A sub-underlessee in occupation of part could enforce an option to purchase against the freeholder acquiring intermediate registered title. Actual occupation of part of the land comprised in a registered disposition protected a right or interest … Continue reading Ferrishurst Ltd v Wallcite Ltd: CA 30 Nov 1998
The court refused parents leave to appeal against a mortgage possession order, rejecting their argument that children living with them had a beneficial interest in the mortgaged premises and were thus ‘in actual occupation’ so as to have overriding interests under section 70(1)(g) of the Land Registration Act 1925. A child cannot be in occupation … Continue reading Hypo-Mortgage Services Limited v Robinson and Another: CA 17 Nov 1996
Mrs Moss inherited the former matrimonial home. Her daughter (L) suggested that she transfer it into their joint names to ease its transfer on her mother’s death. It was agreed the house would never be sold during Mrs Moss’s lifetime. L borrowed andpound;30,000 using the house as security and forged her mother’s signature on the … Continue reading Abbey National plc v Moss and Others: CA 1994
The paper owner sought possession of land. The defendant said he had acquired a possessory title. The land was registered. Held: The claimant’s human rights under article 1 were engaged. To be justifiable, the interference in that right had to be ‘in the public interest’. The limitation rules were enacted by the State for public … Continue reading Beaulane Properties Ltd v Palmer: ChD 23 Mar 2005
Tenants of a block of flats sought enfranchisement. The landlord said the notices were defective in that the office copies supplied did not show the entitlement of the persons giving notice at the relevant time. Held: The scheme for collective enfranchisement must apply with equal rigour to unregistered and registered land. The consequence of non-compliance … Continue reading Raymere Ltd v Belle Vue Gardens Ltd: CA 17 Jul 2003
The claimants appealed an order finding that the defendant had acquired their land by adverse possession. They said that the defendant had asserted in defence to possession proceedings that they were tenants, and that this contradicted an intent to deny the claimants’ title. Held: The appeal failed. A finding by the ECHR that a particular … Continue reading Ofulue and Another v Bossert: CA 29 Jan 2008
The parties each had a charge over a property, and now disputed which had priority. The brewery appealed an order for rectification of the registers to reverse priority on the basis of an estoppel. The charge in their favour had been registered first, but the respondents charge was intended to secure finance to repay it … Continue reading Scottish and Newcastle Plc v Lancashire Mortgage Corporation Ltd: CA 5 Jul 2007
The tenant appealed against forfeiture of his lease for breach of a qualified covenant against assignment. It was said that the tenant had attempted to hide from the landlord the assignment of the premises to his company or its shared occupation. The judge had found a sharing of occupation. Held: The tenant’s appeal succeeded. The … Continue reading Akici v LR Butlin Ltd: CA 2 Nov 2005
The lessors sued the original lessees for rent due under the lease after the term had been assigned to another. The lessors had given a licence to assign and the licence contained a guarantee from a third party to the lessors that the assignee would pay the rent etc. Subsequently the lessors released the guarantee. … Continue reading Allied London Investments Ltd v Hambro Life Assurance Ltd (No 2): ChD 1984
Occupation of property taken up ‘until works paid for’ was sufficiently certain to create a tenancy, despite the absence of a certain term. It would be clear when it was to come to an end. Accordingly the tenant had locus as against the mortgagee in possession proceedings. Citations: Gazette 22-Jan-1992 Statutes: Land Registration Act 1925 … Continue reading Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce v Bello and Others: CA 22 Jan 1992
Mr Sharp was the local land registrar with statutory duty to maintain the local registry, issuing certificates in response to search requests. A clerk who had been seconded by another Council to assist him negligently issued an inaccurate certificate to a prospective purchaser of land, omitting any reference to a claim to reimbursement of compensation … Continue reading Ministry of Housing and Local Government v Sharp: CA 1970
Tenants in a shopping precinct sought to enforce restrictive covenants directly against other tenants. Held: The leases were in the same form, and covenants had been imposed to restrict the uses to avoid conflict. The scheme had the characteristics required of a letting scheme. It was not necessary to look beyond the leases themselves. The … Continue reading Williams, Williams v Kiley T/A CK Supermarkets Limited: CA 21 Nov 2002
A couple bought a property and registered it in their own names with substantial financial assistance from the parents of one of them. The parents occupied the house with them. Without telling the parents, the owners borrowed again, executing further charges. Held: The fact of occupation did not add to the parents’ rights as equitable … Continue reading City of London Building Society v Flegg And Another: HL 14 May 1987
The applicant said that its land had been misappropriated, and sought rectification of the register against the respondent who was a successor in title having bought the land from the wrongdoer. Held: On registration, section 69 operated to vest only the legal title in the prior registered proprietor. The transfer being of no effect in … Continue reading Malory Enterprises Ltd v Cheshire Homes (UK) Ltd and others: CA 22 Feb 2002
A section 38 agreement was an overriding interest, and created a public right which was binding on purchaser. Citations: Times 02-Nov-1993 Statutes: Land Registration Act 1925 70(1)(a) Jurisdiction: England and Wales Cited by: Appeal from – Overseas Investment Services Ltd v Simcobuild Construction Ltd and Another CA 21-Apr-1995 Grant of s38 rights in a Highways … Continue reading Overseas Investment Services Ltd v Simcobuild Construction Ltd and Another: ChD 2 Nov 1993
Where a squatter had acquired adverse possession rights against lessee, but had not yet applied for registration, a surrender of the registered leasehold did not defeat his claim but operated as acquisition of lessee’s rights.The court was asked ‘whether, after more than 12 years’ adverse possession by a trespasser, the registered leaseholder of land can, … Continue reading Central London Commercial Estates Ltd v Kato Kagaku Ltd and Another, Axa Equity and Law Assurance Society Plc (Third Party): ChD 15 Jul 1998
The court considered a defence to an assertion of adverse possession, that the plaintiff had given notice of his intention to recover the land: ‘no one, either lawyer or non-lawyer, would think that a householder ceases to be in possession of his house simply by reason of receiving a demand that he should quit. On … Continue reading Mount Carmel Investments Limited v Peter Thurlow Limited: CA 1988
The claimants asked the defendant to find a purchaser for their house for a fee. Pretending to be a purchaser under an assumed name, he obtained from them the documents necessary to register the transfer, and received a further payment towards the deposit on a new house. He was registered as proprietor, and obtained a … Continue reading Collings v Lee: CA 2001
The court was asked: ‘can a way which is not connected to another public highway, or to some other point to which the public have a right of access, itself be a public highway?’ A path had been registered over part of te claimant’s land, but with no connection to any route back to the … Continue reading Kotegaonkar v Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Another: Admn 19 Jul 2012
A house owner allowed occupiers in and gave a informal option for them to buy it. He later charged it and sold the property to the chargee in satisfaction of the debt. Before buying it the mortgagee enquired of the occupiers as to whether they intended to purchase the property, and their reply did not … Continue reading Habermann v Koehler and Another (No 2): CA 22 Nov 2000
The plaintiff had and exercised a right of pre-emption entitling him to take a long lease of a garage. He was at the time also licensee of the garage. Held: The use of the garage amounted to actual occupation, thereby protecting the right as an overriding interest as regards the garage. His right was protected … Continue reading Kling v Keston Properties Ltd: ChD 1985
An option to purchase the reversion contained in a seven-year lease was protected under s. 70(1) by virtue of the tenant’s occupation under the lease. ‘It is vital . . . to bear in mind that what we are seeking to ascertain at present is whether options to purchase are overriding interests or rights within … Continue reading Webb v Pollmount Ltd: ChD 1966
The significance of the distinction between occupation and rights was that although the deserted wife was in actual occupation of the former matrimonial home, the quality of her rights was not such as to be capable of amounting to an overriding interest. A purchaser of land and in particular a reversion to a lease, will … Continue reading National Provincial Bank Limited v Ainsworth: HL 1965
Houses were built next to a common. Over many years the owners had driven over the common. The landowners appealed a decision that they could not acquire a right of way by prescription over the common because such use had been unlawful as a criminal offence under section 193 of the Law of Property Act … Continue reading Bakewell Management Limited v Brandwood and others: HL 1 Apr 2004
‘The novel issue raised by this appeal is whether the doctrine of overreaching in section 2(1) of the Law of Property Act 1925 (‘LPA 1925′) is capable of operating in circumstances where the conveyance to a purchaser which is alleged to have the overreaching effect is the grant of an easement over land, and the … Continue reading Baker and Another v Craggs: CA 16 May 2018
Grant of s38 rights in a Highways agreement didn’t operate as grant of future public rights of way, nor create an overriding interest. Citations: Ind Summary 12-Jun-1995, Times 21-Apr-1995 Statutes: Highways Act 1980 38(3)(b), Land Registration Act 1925 70(1)(a) Jurisdiction: England and Wales Citing: Appeal from – Overseas Investment Services Ltd v Simcobuild Construction Ltd … Continue reading Overseas Investment Services Ltd v Simcobuild Construction Ltd and Another: CA 21 Apr 1995
The tenant overpaid rent, including a payment in May 1997 on advice that the payment would be recoverable following litigation establishing that it was an overpayment. The court later held that the payments in question were indeed overpayments. The plaintiff then sought repayment of the sums overpaid (including the payment made in May 1997), on … Continue reading D B Ramsden and Co Ltd v Nurdin and Peacock Plc and Another: ChD 14 Sep 1998
The plaintiff had transferred her house to her lodger, expressing it to be for her love and affection for him. The judge at first instance had held that the true intention of the plaintiff had been that she would continue to live there as before and that she owned the equity. The lodger had sold … Continue reading Hodgson v Marks: CA 12 Mar 1971
Registered land was bought with an advance from the plaintiff. The transfer and charge were registered one month later, but in the meantime, the buyer’s parents moved in. When the buyer defaulted, his mother resisted possession proceedings, saying that she had an overriding interest through her occupation at the time when the charge was registered. … Continue reading Abbey National Building Society v Cann: HL 29 Mar 1990
Cross J set out the nature of overriding interests: ‘Overriding interests are, speaking generally, matters which are not usually shown on title deeds or mentioned in abstracts of title and as to which, in consequence, it is not possible to form a trustworthy record on the register. As to such matters, persons dealing with registered … Continue reading National Provincial Bank Ltd v Hastings Car Mart Ltd: ChD 27 Mar 1963
Mr. Boyle sought compensation in respect of a rectification of the register by removal from his title of land belonging to a neighbour. Since Mr. Boyle’s registered title was subject to overriding interests, he would not have been entitled to compensation if the land removed from the title was in the actual occupation of the … Continue reading In re Boyle’s Claim: ChD 1961
(Bristol County Court) The relevant date for identifying occupation for section 70 was the date of execution of the building society’s charge. On appeal the case was decided on a different point. Judges: Judge McCarraher Citations: (1985) 50 P and CR 244 Statutes: Land Registration Act 1925 70(1)(g) Jurisdiction: England and Wales Cited by: Cited … Continue reading Paddington Building Society v Mendelsohn: 1985
The respondent stayed on in the family home owned by her husband after he had left, and resisted a possession order sought by the chargee. The husband had charged the house as security for his business debts.Lord Wilberforce described the common law characteristics of property, saying: ‘Before a right or an interest can be admitted … Continue reading National Provincial Bank v Ainsworth: HL 13 May 1965
Claim by a wife that she has a beneficial interest in a house registered in the sole name of her husband and that her interest has priority over the rights of a bank under a legal charge executed without her knowledge. The case raises a point of importance in the law of registered conveyancing. Shortly … Continue reading Lloyds Bank plc v Rosset: CA 13 May 1988
The leaving of furniture in a flat or having a key to the flat or making occasional use of it was not enough to constitute actual occupation. Where A permits B to occupy land on B’s own behalf by way of gratuitous licence, A’s capacity as licensor will not by itself entitle him to claim … Continue reading Strand Securities Ltd v Caswell: CA 2 Feb 1965
The purpose and effect of section 70(1)(g) of the Land Registration Act 1925 was to make applicable to registered land the same rule as previously had been held to apply to unregistered land. (Russell LJ, Dissenting) ‘Nor should the mind be in any way distracted by the fact that the owner of the rights under … Continue reading National Provincial Bank Ltd v Hastings Car Mart Ltd: CA 1964
The plaintiff, an elderly widow, transferred her house into the name of her lodger, but remained in occupation of the house, on exactly the same basis as before, until the lodger sold the house and the purchaser had mortgaged it to a building society. Held: The court dismissed the plaintiff’s claim to be registered as … Continue reading Hodgson v Marks: ChD 1970
The defendant tenants, anticipating that the landlord might delay or refuse consent to a subletting entered into a ‘virtual assignment’ of the lease, an assignment in everything but the deed and with no registration. The lease contained a standard form prohibition against assignments or sub-letting. The defendants now appealed against a finding that they were … Continue reading Clarence House Ltd v National Westminster Bank Plc: CA 8 Dec 2009
Brightman J [1971] Ch 499 Land Registration Act 1925 70(1)(g) England and Wales Citing: Approved – Re Birmingham, deceased; Savage v Stannard 1957 An unpaid vendor’s lien arises the moment the contract is entered into. It is discharged on completion to the extent that the purchase money is paid. . . Cited by: Cited – … Continue reading London and Cheshire Insurance Co Ltd v Laplagrene Property Co Ltd: ChD 1971
An overriding interest, namely an estate contract, was protected under s. 70(1) of the Act even though it could have been protected by a caution under s. 59. Harman J [1957] Ch 475 Land Registration Act 1925 70(1)(g) England and Wales Cited by: Cited – Ferrishurst Ltd v Wallcite Ltd CA 30-Nov-1998 A person in … Continue reading Bridges v Mees: ChD 1957
The claimant was the original tenant under two 99 year underleases granted in 1967, and assigned them to the defendant who then himself assigned them. The eventual assignee had become insolvent. The landlord recovered the rents from the claimant who now sought an indemnity from the defendant under the 1925 Act. To minimise the losses, … Continue reading Scottish and Newcastle Plc v Raguz: CA 6 Mar 2007
To defeat a defence of adverse possession, the plaintiff must succeed in an action which itself had been commenced within the twelve year period. A squatter does not succeed to the title that he has disturbed: by sufficiently long adverse possession he obtains a title of his own, but ‘his possession only defeats the rights … Continue reading St Marylebone Property Co Ltd v Fairweather: HL 16 Apr 1962
Land had been divided into three lots on its development, but the site plan did not match the line of a fence actually erected. Held: The court was not bound by the Watcham case, and would not follow it to allow reference to the later behaviour of parties in interpreting a deed. The court related … Continue reading Beale v Harvey: CA 28 Nov 2003
Leases had been granted. They had been assigned to the defendant who had assigned them again. The last assignee became insolvent and statutory demands were served on the claimant under the 1995 Act for rent. The claimant paid the sums due and now sought them from the defendant. He countered that his obligation under the … Continue reading Scottish and Newcastle Plc v Raguz: CA 24 Jul 2003
The court reviewed the conflicting authorities with regard to the creation of trusts and held that the overwhelming preponderance of authority was that, in the absence of any claim for rectification or rescission, provisions in a conveyance declaring that the plaintiff and the defendant were to hold the proceeds of sale of the property ‘upon … Continue reading Goodman v Gallant: CA 30 Oct 1985
An equitable easement (a right of way), which was not protected by any entry on the register, was a right openly exercised and enjoyed as appurtenant, in this case to a garage, and it adversely affected registered land as an overriding interest. The court generally considered the availability of a remedy for infringement of a … Continue reading Celsteel Ltd v Alton House Holdings Ltd: ChD 1985
Same Sex Paartner to Inherit as Family Member The claimant had lived with the original tenant in a stable and long standing homosexual relationship at the deceased’s flat. After the tenant’s death he sought a statutory tenancy as a spouse of the deceased. The Act had been extended to include as a spouse someone living … Continue reading Fitzpatrick v Sterling Housing Association Ltd: HL 28 Oct 1999
The house had been bought during the marriage but in the husband’s sole name. The plaintiff’s charge secured the husband’s overdraft. The bank issued possession proceedings. Mr Rosset had left, but Mrs Rosset claimed, as against the bank an interest in it as the matrimonial home. She said there had been a common understanding or … Continue reading Lloyds Bank plc v Rosset: HL 29 Mar 1990
The lease had been assigned by the claimant to the defendant and on again to a tenant who became insolvent. The landlord had recovered sums said to be due from the claimant who now sought an indemnity from the defendant. The defendant said that the claimant had overpaid, including sums excused by section 17 of … Continue reading Scottish and Newcastle Plc v Raguz: HL 29 Oct 2008
The parties disputed ownership of a strip of land between a garden and a farm. The land was registered. There was a hedge and a ditch along the disputed boundary, it had been conceded in the Court of Appeal that a conveyance of land on the hedge side of the ditch transferred land only up … Continue reading Alan Wibberley Building Ltd v Insley: HL 24 Mar 1999
The appellant challenged a sale and rent back transaction. He said that the proposed purchaser had misrepresented the transaction to them. The Court was asked s whether the home owners had interests whose priority was protected by virtue of section 29(2)(a)(ii) of, and Schedule 3, paragraph 2, to the Land Registration Act 2002. Held: The … Continue reading Scott v Southern Pacific Mortgages Ltd and Others: SC 22 Oct 2014
Appropriation was not in sufficient form The claimants had challenged an order supporting the decision of the Council to use their allotments for a new primary school, saying that the land had be appropriated as allotment land, and that therefore the consent of the minister was needed. Held: The appeal failed. The use of the … Continue reading Adamson, Regina (on The Application of) v Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council: CA 18 Feb 2020
The First Defendant agreed to purchase a business from the Second Defendant for andpound;160,000. andpound;80,000 was raised by way of a secured loan from the plaintiff and was paid to the Second Defendant. The balance of andpound;80,000 was left . .
The court refused parents leave to appeal against a mortgage possession order, rejecting their argument that children living with them had a beneficial interest in the mortgaged premises and were thus ‘in actual occupation’ so as to have overriding . .
To defeat a defence of adverse possession, the plaintiff must succeed in an action which itself had been commenced within the twelve year period. A squatter does not succeed to the title that he has disturbed: by sufficiently long adverse possession . .
