Evans v James (Administratrix of the Estate of Thomas Hopkin Deceased): CA 5 Jul 1999

Before the parties called evidence, and having read the papers, the court considered that there was no real defence shown, and invited submissions. Negotiations for the grant of a tenancy had been terminated by the sudden illness of the proposed tenant. His family asserted a contract was concluded.
Held: There was no prospect of upholding the assertion that the solicitor’s actions bound his client landlord. A solicitor does not have apparent or implied authority to make a contract for the disposal or acquisition of an interest in land on behalf of his client.
In this case, and despite the absence of an application for summary judgment the judge had been right to raise the isue, and indeed it should have been raised earlier.
[1999] EWCA Civ 1759
Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989
England and Wales
Citing:
CitedJavad v Aqil CA 15-May-1990
P in possession – tenancy at will Until Completion
A prospective tenant was allowed into possession and then made periodic payments of rent while negotiations proceeded on the terms of a lease to be granted to him. The negotiations broke down.
Held: The tenant’s appeal failed. It was inferred . .
CitedAttorney General of Hong Kong v Humphreys Estate (Queen’s Gardens) Ltd PC 1987
An agreement in principle was marked ‘subject to contract’. The Government would acquire some flats owned the plaintiff Group of companies in return for the Government granting, inter alia, a lease to the Group of some Crown lands. The Government . .
CitedYaxley v Gotts and Another CA 24-Jun-1999
Oral Agreement Creating Proprietory Estoppel
The defendant offered to give to the Plaintiff, a builder, the ground floor of a property in return for converting the house, and then managing it. They were friends, and the oral offer was accepted. The property was then actually bought in the name . .
CitedGodden v Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association CA 15-Jan-1997
The Plaintiff was a building contractor; the Defendant a housing association engaged in developing suitable sites for residential accommodation for letting to tenants. Before the contract the parties had successfully completed what was been called . .
CitedD’Silva v Lister House Development Ltd 1970
Even an unlawful sub-tenancy can have protection under Part II of the 1954 Act. The court described as fallacious the submission that section 74(1) does not extend to or answer the question whether the document has ever been delivered, saying: ‘The . .
CitedLloyds Bank plc v Rosset HL 29-Mar-1990
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 . .
CitedKok Hoong v Leong Cheong Kweng Mines Ltd PC 1964
A clear public policy underlying a statute (for instance, the need to protect vulnerable persons dealing with moneylenders or landlords) prevents an estoppel arising: ‘To ask whether the law that confronts the estoppel can be seen to represent a . .
CitedEccles v Bryant and Pollock CA 1947
The Plaintiff contended that a letter written by the purchaser’s solicitor which effectively set out the terms of the agreement, enclosed the part of the contract signed by the purchaser, and asked in exchange for the counter-part signed by the . .
CitedYonge v Toynbee CA 1910
Solicitors conducted a whole series of interlocutory applications in the course of an action in ignorance of the fact that their client had been certified as being of unsound mind.
Held: When the action was ultimately aborted, they were held . .
CitedLockett v Norman-Wright 1925
As such, a solicitor does not have ostensible authority to conclude a contract for his client: ‘In the present case there was no evidence of any authority being conferred on the solicitors to make such a bargain, and I think that that fact is . .
CitedEccles v Bryant and Pollock CA 1947
The Plaintiff contended that a letter written by the purchaser’s solicitor which effectively set out the terms of the agreement, enclosed the part of the contract signed by the purchaser, and asked in exchange for the counter-part signed by the . .
CitedHollington Bros v Rhodes ChD 1951
A solicitor does not withoutmore have ostensible authority to conclude a contract for his client. . .
CitedFreeman and Lockyer v Buckhurst Park Properties (Mangal) Ltd CA 1964
The defendant company allowed one of its directors to act as the Managing Director and to give instructions to the Plaintiff to do work on its behalf.
Held: The fact that he had never been formally appointed as Managing Director was of no . .
CitedMcPhilemy v Times Newspapers Ltd and Others (2) CA 26-May-1999
The new Civil Procedure Rules did not change the circumstances where the Court of Appeal would interfere with a first instance decision, but would apply the new rules on that decision. Very extensive pleadings in defamation cases should now be . .

Cited by:
CitedPadwick Properties Ltd v Punj Lloyd Ltd ChD 9-Mar-2016
The tenant had left the property, their solicitors writing informing the landlord that it had vacated the Property and asserting that ‘the security and safety of the Property will revert to your client.’ The keys were returned, and on the insolvency . .

Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Updated: 08 October 2021; Ref: scu.146674