Land had been given to a football club under a trust for its exclusive use as such. That land was sold and a new ground acquired and a stadium built, but the land was subject to restrictive covenenats limiting its use to sports, which considerably reduced its value. The trustees sought clarification of their duties.
Held: A gift on trust must have a cestui que trust and must be for the benefit of individuals, unless charitable. It must have a definite object, and there must be someone in whose favour the court can enforce it. In general, in order to be valid, a non-charitable trust must have an ascertainable beneficiary in whose favour performance of the trust may be decreed.
Judges:
Lawrence Collins J
Citations:
[2006] EWHC 2386 (Ch)
Links:
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Citing:
Cited – Conservative and Unionist Central Office v Burrell (Inspector of Taxes) CA 10-Dec-1981
An unincorporated association is defined as ‘two or more persons bound together for one or more common purposes, not being business purposes, by mutual undertakings each having mutual duties and obligations, in an organisation which has rules which . .
Cited – Saunders v Vautier 7-May-1841
A direction in a will stated that the income from certain shares was to be accumulated and invested until the beneficiary attained the age of 25. On attaining his majority at 21 years, the beneficiary sought termination of the trust, and transfer of . .
Cited – Morice v Bishop of Durham HL 1805
The court was asked whether a gift of residue to be applied ‘to such objects of benevolence and liberality as the Bishop of Durham in his own discretion shall most approve of’ was valid as being confined to purposes that were charitable.
Held: . .
Cited – Neville Estates Ltd v Madden ChD 1962
A charitable trust was created for the benefit of the members of Catford Synagogue.
Held: The court considered three categories of valid non-charitable purpose gifts: (1) an absolute gift to members of an association at the date of the gift, . .
Cited – Re Nottage CA 12-Jul-1895
A testator bequeathed a fund in trust to provide annually for ever a cup to be given to the most successful yacht of the season, stating that his object in giving the cup was to encourage the sport of yacht-racing.
Held: (affirming the . .
Cited – Elvridge v Coulson ChD 15-Jul-2003
An unregistered friendly society was dissolved. The governing instrument provided that the votes should be counted according to value, and that a vote of five sixths of such members by value were need to dissolve the company. Members claimed to be . .
Cited – Re GKN Bolts and Nuts Ltd etc Works Sports and Social Club ChD 1982
There was a sports and social club associated with GKN, whose members were all employees of GKN. The main issue in the case was whether the club had ceased to exist. But one subsidiary issue was whether a meeting had been validly convened. The club . .
Cited – Re Lead Co.’s Workmen’s Fund Society 1904
. .
Cited – Leahy v Attorney-General of New South Wales PC 20-Apr-1959
leahy_agnswPC1959-4
A gift to an unincorporated association simpliciter, i.e. where neither the circumstances of the gift nor the directions given nor the object expressed impose on the donee the character of a trustee, is nothing else than a gift to its members at the . .
Cited – Re Endacott CA 12-Oct-1959
The will had left the residue to a parish council for the purpose of providing some useful memorial to myself, subject to the proviso that if my wife outlives me they must during the lifetime of my wife pay to my wife the interest which may accrue . .
Cited – Neville Estates Ltd v Madden ChD 1962
A charitable trust was created for the benefit of the members of Catford Synagogue.
Held: The court considered three categories of valid non-charitable purpose gifts: (1) an absolute gift to members of an association at the date of the gift, . .
Cited – In re Denley’s Trust Deed ChD 1969
The trustees of land in Gloucestershire were to maintain the land as a sports ground for the benefit of the employees of a company and also for ‘such other person or persons (if any) as the trustees may allow to use the same . . .’ The Deed . .
Cited – Whishaw v Stephens (on appeal from In re Gulbenkian’s Settlement) (No 1) HL 31-Oct-1968
Parties disputed the effect of clauses describing the beneficiaries of a trust.
Held: The clause did not make sense as it stood. In a fixed non-charitable trust (as opposed to a discretionary trust) the court must be able to draw up a list of . .
Cited – Re Grant’s Will Trusts ChD 1980
The deceased left property to the Labour Party property committee.
Held: A trust created by making a gift to the members of an unincorporated assoication as at the date of the gift can be wound up only if under the rules, the members could, at . .
Cited – McPhail v Doulton (on appeal from In re Baden’s Deed Trusts) HL 6-May-1970
The settlor asked whether the test for validity, in point of certainty of objects, is the same for trusts and powers, or whether the test for trusts is more demanding.
Held: The test is the same. The context was a provision, held to be a . .
Cited – In re Bucks Constabulary Widows and Orphans Fund Friendly Society (No 2) 1979
In the absence of any contractual obligation otherwise, the funds of a mutual society must be distributed equally on a dissolution. . .
Cited – Re Recher’s Will Trusts ChD 1972
The deceased gave a share of the residue, to ‘The Anti-Vivisection Society, 76 Victoria Street, London S.W.1.’ She died in 1962 and her husband died in 1968. Until the end of 1956 a non-charitable unincorporated society, known as the ‘London and . .
Cited – Re Lipinski’s Will Trusts ChD 1976
Harry Lipinski bequeathed his residuary estate on trust as to half for the Hull Judeans (Maccabi) Association to be used solely to construct and improve the new buildings for the association. The executors sought a determination whether the bequest . .
Cited – Sharab v Salfiti CA 12-Dec-1996
No amendment was to be allowed to a claim introducing an allegation of a foreign criminal offence. The claim in contract failed for insufficient certainty or on some other ground, but a claim nonetheless succeeded as a quantum meruit. . .
Cited – Way v Latilla HL 1937
Mr Way (W), the plaintiff, was employed by Ariston, which had mining operations in Africa, as a consulting engineer and manager. He met the respondent (L) in England. He was asked to seek options to acquire concessions the respondent might acquire. . .
Cited – Becerra v Close Brothers ComC 25-Jun-1999
ComC Claim for fee for introducing successful bidder at a controlled auction – no express contract – no implied contract based on City practice – claim for quantum meruit failed because no express or implied . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Trusts, Land
Updated: 01 July 2022; Ref: scu.245176