An administrator de son tort, who was also a beneficiary, held the estate property on trust, and so could not establish adverse possession against the estate during the period of trusteeship. He held a sufficient interest in the assets already. A delay in the application for the grant did not apply where time had not … Continue reading Earnshaw and Others v Hartley: CA 31 Mar 1999
Judges: Nicholas Strauss QC J Citations: [2009] EWHC 2129 (Ch), [2010] 1 All ER (Comm) 81, [2009] BPIR 1478 Links: Bailii Statutes: Trustee Act 1925, Cross-Border Insolvency Regulations 2006 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Cited by: Appeal from – Rubin and Another v Eurofinance Sa and Others CA 20-Jul-2010 The Court considered whether the principle of … Continue reading Rubin and Another v Eurofinance Sa and Others: ChD 31 Jul 2009
The court was asked whether the conveyance of a farm out of which a tithe rentcharge issued carried with it, by reason of Section 63, the rentcharge itself. Held: The farm and the tithe rentcharge were two separate hereditaments and express words would be necessary to pass the rentcharge. The intention of the 1836 Act … Continue reading Public Trustee v Duchy of Lancaster: CA 1927
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The beneficiary, a child was to inherit estates of his grandparents and parents, all of which were intestate. An application was made to vary the provisions in order to reduce the liability to Inheritance Tax. Held: A deferment of vesting might constitute a ‘benefit’ for the purposes of the 1958 Act, but it was an … Continue reading Wright and Another v Gater and Others: ChD 7 Nov 2011
The income of a fund was to be held on trust for the support or benefit of the members of a class as the trustees might decide in their discretion. The trustees resolved in each of three successive periods to distribute part of the income to certain . .
The trustees of a large settlement made by Lord Vestey and his brother Sir Edmund Vestey exercised their discretion over the allocation of income with the apparent intention of income being accumulated during the minorities of a number of . .
The appellant had agreed to take leases on a development of the defendant, hoping to sell the apartments on at a profit. After difficulties, the appellant refused to complete, and the defendant forfeited the deposits. Held: Eyestorm’s appeal was dismissed. It had failed to show the breach of the contract by the defendant. Judges: Tuckey … Continue reading Eyestorm Ltd v Hoptonacre Homes Ltd: CA 19 Dec 2007
Major Stibbard had died appointing family members and a solicitor to act in his will. The family had become embroiled in bitter litigation. The defendants were appointed administrators with will annexed. As personal representatives of the last surviving trustee of the legal estate, the defendants had the power to appoint new trustees of the various … Continue reading Oliver, Iliffe v Trafford and Another: ChD 19 Dec 2001
A scheme of arrangements was proposed on behalf of infant beneficiaries to three settlements. The object of the scheme was to avoid losses to the beneficiaries by reason of inheritance tax. Held: The court rejected the contention that it had an inherent jurisdiction to vary the beneficial interests in a trust fund designated by the … Continue reading In re Downshire Settled Estates: CA 1953
A school board employed staff to manage a residential school for vulnerable children. The staff committed sexual abuse of the children. The school denied vicarious liability for the acts of the teachers. Held: ‘Vicarious liability is legal responsibility imposed on an employer, although he is himself free from blame, for a tort committed by his … Continue reading Lister and Others v Hesley Hall Ltd: HL 3 May 2001
The plaintiffs were Indian Chiefs from Canada. They complained that the 1982 Act which granted independence to Canada, had been passed without their consent, which they said was required. They feared the loss of rights embedded by historical treaties. The Attorney General sought the strike out of the claims. Held: The application for a strike … Continue reading Manuel and Others v Attorney-General; Noltcho and Others v Attorney-General: ChD 7 May 1982
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
A covenant on the sale of land for a public house provided that the vendor should not permit the building of licensed premises within half a mile. Held: The covenant operated personally only. The covenants which might be implied by the section to bind successors in title also, could not be implied where the commercial … Continue reading Morrells of Oxford Ltd v Oxford United Football Club Ltd and Others: CA 21 Jul 2000
A mortgagee may under common law go into possession before the ink is dry on the mortgage unless there is something in the contract, express or by implication, whereby he has contracted himself out of that right. He has the right because he has a legal term of years in the property or its statutory … Continue reading Four-Maids Ltd v Dudley Marshall (Properties) Ltd: 1957
Judges: Gloster, Patten, Floyd LJJ Citations: [2018] EWCA Civ 1082, [2018] WLR(D) 310 Links: Bailii, WLRD Statutes: Trustees Act 1925 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Agency, Torts – Other Updated: 22 April 2022; Ref: scu.616333
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 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
The wife joined in a charge on the family home to secure her husband’s business borrowings. The husband was found to have misrepresented to her the effect of the deed, and the bank had been aware that she might be reluctant to sign the deed. Held: The charge was not to be enforced. The bank … Continue reading Barclays Bank Plc v O’Brien and Another: HL 21 Oct 1993
This appeal concerns the question whether an area of land in Bath known as the Recreation Ground, commonly called ‘the Rec’, is still subject to a restrictive covenant imposed in a conveyance of the Rec dated 6 April 1922 (‘the 1922 conveyance’). That turns on the question whether there is anyone who can now claim … Continue reading Bath Rugby Ltd v Greenwood and Others: CA 21 Dec 2021
Minor Irregularity in Break Notice Not Fatal Leases contained clauses allowing the tenant to break the lease by serving not less than six months notice to expire on the third anniversary of the commencement date of the term of the lease. The tenant gave notice to determine the leases on 12th January 1995, although the … Continue reading Mannai Investment Co Ltd v Eagle Star Assurance: HL 21 May 1997
LRA Rentcharges : Nature and Extent : Rectification or Setting Aside of Documents : Scope of Jurisdiction – Rentcharges – grant of lease over rentcharge to trustees to enforce payments due under a rentcharge – equitable status of lease pending registration – proof of title to rentcharge – proof of sums due and owing – … Continue reading Roberts and Others v Keegan: LRA 3 Mar 2014
The lease contained a break clause. The parties disputed whether the benefit of the clause was personal to the orginal lessee, or whether it touched and concerned the land, and therefore the benefit of it passed with the land. Held: The defendant was entitled to exercise and did validly exercise the break clause. The purpose … Continue reading Harbour Estates Limited v HSBC Bank Plc: ChD 15 Jul 2004
Quasi-Easements granted on sale of part of Estate S owned a workshop and an adjoining plot of land. The workshop had three windows looking out over the plot. The property was sold in separate lots at auction. The land was sold with no express reservation of any easements, and then similarly the workshop. The plaintiff … Continue reading Wheeldon v Burrows: CA 17 Jun 1879
A clause in a trust deed may validly excuse trustees from personal liability for even gross negligence. The trustee was exempted from liability for loss or damage ‘unless such loss or damage shall be caused by his own actual fraud’. Held: The trustee was under no liability in absence of any dishonest intention. Millett LJ … Continue reading Armitage v Nurse; etc: CA 19 Mar 1997
The land owners sought relief from possession orders made under mortgages given in equity release schemes: ‘If the purchaser raises all or part of the purchase price on mortgage, and then defaults, the issue arises whether the mortgagee’s right to possession has priority over, or is subject to, any entitlement of the vendor to continue … Continue reading Cook v The Mortgage Business Plc: CA 24 Jan 2012
Approprietary remedy against Fraudulent Agent The Court was asked whether a bribe or secret commission received by an agent is held by the agent on trust for his principal, or whether the principal merely has a claim for equitable compensation in a sum equal to the value of the bribe or commission. Held: The appeal … Continue reading FHR European Ventures Llp and Others v Cedar Capital Partners Llc: SC 16 Jul 2014
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
Presumption of dedication dates back. The claimant tripped over a tree root raising a path in the park. The court was now asked whether the pathway through a public park, but which was not a public right of way, was maintainable at public expense as a highway governed by the 1980 Act. Held: As to … Continue reading Barlow v Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council: CA 1 Jun 2020
Long Relationship Not Enough for Interest in Home The parties lived together for 17 years but were not married. The woman took the man’s name, but beyond taking on usual household duties, she made no direct financial contribution to the house. She brought up their two children over 17 years. Latterly she went to work, … Continue reading Burns v Burns: CA 1984
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
Testing for Mutual Wills The parties disputed whether wills were mutual. The claimants challenged the probate granted to a later will of their deceased mother, saying that her earlier will had been mutual and irrevocable after the death of their father. Held: The claim was established. ‘in my judgment this evidence would establish two agreements … Continue reading Legg and Another v Burton and Others: ChD 11 Aug 2017
The parties were not married, but had brought together their resources to purchase a home in the name of one of them. Nothing had been said about the respective shares on which the property was to be held. Held: The shares were to be assessed as at the time of the sale, not the time … Continue reading Oxley v Hiscock: CA 6 May 2004
The claimant bank said that it had been the subject of a mortgage fraud, and that the defendant solicitors had acted for the borrower. The claim was for breach of trust, in not having exercised reasonable skill and care on their behalf. Andrew Smith J [2013] EWHC 1380 (QB) Bailii Trustee Act 1925 61 England … Continue reading Santander UK Plc v RA Legal Solicitors (A Firm): QBD 23 May 2013
Trustees applied to the court for orders under section 57(1) of the Trustee Act 1925, and under the court’s inherent jurisdiction, to extend their powers. . .
The claimant had paid money for a property, but the seller was a fraudster and no money or title was recovered. The claimant sued both his conveyancers and the solicitors who had acted for the fraudster, in each case innocently. The defendants each . .
References: (1937) 57 CLR 666, [1937] HCA 52 Links: Austlii Coram: Dixon J, Latham CJ Ratio: (High Court of Australia) Cases of mutual wills are only one example of a wider category of cases, for example secret trusts, in which a court of equity will intervene to impose a constructive trust. Latham CJ described a … Continue reading Birmingham v Renfrew; 11 Jun 1937
