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
Two brothers had acquired land as joint tenants with the aid of a mortgage. Distinct orders were made against each of them charging their respective interests in the land. The mortgagee assigned the mortgage. The brothers held under a trust for sale. The judgment creditor sought to redeem the mortgage which was opposed by the … Continue reading Irani Finance Ltd v Singh: CA 1970
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
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
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
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
A caution gives a right to be notified of an application, but does not give any priority on registration. . .
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 . .
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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
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
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
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
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
Where land had been registered in the name of a transferee as a result of a fraud and where there had been no consideration and it had been in breach of a fiduciary duty, the owners retained an overriding interest under the act, and the transferee held the land as trustee for the defrauded party. … Continue reading Collinge v Lee and Another: CA 26 Oct 2000
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
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
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
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
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
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 plaintiffs had paid deposits for apartments which were to be built. After the developer became insolvent the plaintiffs sought recovery of the deposits, saying they had a lien which preceded the claims of chargees.
Held: The one appeal . .
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 . .
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 . .
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 . .
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 . .
The claimants had sought entry into theirs and their neighbour’s registered land titles of entries to acknowledge their rights of way. The neighbours appealed the finding of a right of way of necessity and by proprietary estoppel, and an order for rectification. Held: The appeal failed. The restriction on rectifying the register contained in section … Continue reading Sommer and Another v Sweet and Another: CA 10 Mar 2005
Issues – rectification of a transfer made in 1992 – whether there was a mutual mistake as at the date of the transfer – whether the equity of rectification bound subsequent purchasers – whether the previous purchasers were in ‘actual occupation’ pursuant to section 70(1)(g) of the Land Registration Act 1925 – whether the Tribunal … Continue reading Conway, Conway v Shelton, Shelton (Rectification or Setting Aside of Documents : Grounds for Rectification): LRA 8 Dec 2014
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
When setting out to establish that a piece of land has become a village green with rights of common, the tests are similar to those used in the law of prescription and adverse possession. Accordingly, there is no need to establish a belief in those using the rights asserted beyond that the use is as … Continue reading Regina v Oxfordshire County Council and Another, Ex Parte Sunningwell Parish Council: HL 25 Jun 1999
The registration of an action as a lis pendens by a non-counterclaiming defendant was held to be an abuse, and although there was no jurisdiction to vacate the registration under the Land Charges Act 1925, the Court had an inherent jurisdiction to prevent ‘an abuse of this sort’ because the registration ‘ought never to have … Continue reading Heywood v BDC Properties Ltd (No 2): CA 1964
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
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
UTTC Rentcharges – leases created pursuant to section 121(4) of the Law of Property Act 1925 – registration – mortgage by demise [2016] UKUT 395 (TCC) Bailii Law of Property Act 1925 121(4) England and Wales Registered Land Updated: 24 January 2022; Ref: scu.570424
LAND REGISTRATION – EASEMENTS AND PROFITS – the rule in Wheeldon v Burrows – section 62, Law of Property Act 1925 and whether contrary intention must be expressed in the conveyance [2021] UKUT 307 (LC) Bailii England and Wales Registered Land Updated: 13 January 2022; Ref: scu.670632
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
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 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 claimants had been the registered proprietors of land, they lost it through the adverse possession of former tenants holding over. They claimed that the law had dispossessed them of their lawful rights.
Held: The cumulative effect of the . .
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 respondent mortgagee had obtained an order for possession against the mortgagor freeholder, referred to in the judgment as ‘the Chief’, who had, prior to the mortgage, granted a tenancy to the appellant.
Held: The landlord’s retention of a . .
References: [2016] UKUT 395 (TCC) Links: Bailii Ratio: UTTC Rentcharges – leases created pursuant to section 121(4) of the Law of Property Act 1925 – registration – mortgage by demise Statutes: Law of Property Act 1925 121(4) Jurisdiction: England and Wales Last Update: 27-Oct-16 Ref: 570424
