Co-Ownership & Trusts of Land Flashcards
Williams v Hensman (1861) Topic
Method of Severance by common law
Williams v Hensman (1861) Principle
• 4 ways to sever a joint tenancy at common law
o 1) Operating on one’s own share
o 2) Mutual agreement
o 3) course of dealings
o 4) Homicide (not referred to in the case)
Ahmed v Kendrick (1987) Topic
Severance at Common Law/ Unilateral Act
Ahmed v Kendrick (1987) Facts
• Husband and Wife were JTs
• Husband forged wife’s signature to sell the property
• Were they severed?
• Held:
o Sufficient to sever the JT
o Forging the signature is an act of alienation
o They are TC
o Husband only sells his share of the property
Ahmed v Kendrick (1987) Principle
- Forging the signature is an act of alienation
- An alienating your share of the property is sufficient to sever the JT
Re Buchanan-Wollaston’s Conveyance (1939) Topic
Dispute to sale/ Intention
s. 15 TOLATA
Re Buchanan-Wollaston’s Conveyance (1939) Facts
• Neighbours got together and purchased land in front of their houses
• Did not want someone to build on it
• Some neighbours wanted to sell
• Held:
o Purpose supports not to sell
o Intention of purchase is to preserve the land for all of them to benefit
Re Buchanan-Wollaston’s Conveyance (1939) Principle
- Intention of the creation of a trust can be expressly created
Re Citro (1991) Topic
Bankruptcy
Re Citro (1991) Facts
•C went bankrupt
•The couple separated and the wife lived with the 3 children in the house
•Debt owed exceeded the value of their homes
•Trustees in bankruptcy applied for declarations to sell the houses
•Held:
o Application was allowed
o Financial hardship is not an exceptional circumstance
o Hardship, eviction, relocation do not qualify as exceptional circumstances
o Exceptional means beyond the ‘melancholy consequences’
Re Citro (1991) Principle
o Normal disruption (home less/schooling) not good enough
• “Melancholy of Bankruptcy is not enough”
Edwards v Lloyds TSB Bank plc (2005) Topic
Dispute of Sale
s. 15 TOLATA
Welfare of Minors
Edwards v Lloyds TSB Bank plc (2005) Principle
- Postponement may be possible if harm to children
* Especially if secured creditor not prejudiced
Claughton v Charalamabous (1999) Topic
Bankruptcy
Exceptional Circumstances
Physical Illness
Claughton v Charalamabous (1999) Facts
- Severe medical needs
- House was built to accommodate these severe medical needs
- Bankruptcy sale was postponed indefinitely
- It is considered an exceptional circumstance
Claughton v Charalamabous (1999) Principle
o Illness may be exceptional
• Important for reason why house should remain unsold
Re Raval (1998) Topic
Bankruptcy
Exceptional Circumstances
Mental Illness
Re Raval (1998) Facts
- Mental Illness
- Schizophrenia
- Considered an exceptional circumstance
- 1 year postponement
Re Raval (1998) Principle
o Illness may be exceptional
• Important for reason why house should remain unsold
Re Draper’s Conveyance (1969) Topic
Form of statutory notice of Severance
s. 36(2) LPA 1925
Re Draper’s Conveyance (1969) Facts
• An affidavit in support of a divorce petition
• It asked for the property to be sold
• Asked the proceeds of the sale to be divided equally
• Held:
o Sufficient to effect the severance of the beneficial joint tenancy
Re Draper’s Conveyance (1969) Principle
o Document may not be designed to sever, but the court may find it is implied
Nielson-Jones v Fedden (1975) Topic
Severance at Common Law
Course of Dealing/Conduct
Narrow Approach
Nielson-Jones v Fedden (1975) Facts
• Family breakdown
• Negotiations about the home
• Idea, that the house would be sold, proceeds would be used to house the husband
• No intention to make husband sole owner of new house
• Question is whether these course of dealings intend sever JT
• Held:
• No
• The dealings were neutral about their JT
o This dealt with the use of land, not the ownership of proceeds of sale
o Memo was ambiguous about ownership
o Lord Denning thought this was wrongly decided
Nielson-Jones v Fedden (1975) Principle
Narrow Approach
Depends on the facts, not intention
Burgess v Rawnsley (1975) Topic
Severance at common law
Mutual Agreement
Leading Case
Burgess v Rawnsley (1975) Facts
- Mr H and Mrs R bought house together containing separate flats for them to occupy
- Misunderstandings – Mr H orally agreed to buy Mrs R’s ‘share’ for £750
- Mr H died – his executor argued severance; Mrs R survivorship
- Unenforceable contract to sell (s 40 LPA 1925) – so not act on own share
- But CA found H and R’s unenforceable agreement of sale indicated common intention to sever: Pennycuick VC (BEST ONE); Lord Denning MR & Browne LJ
- Mutual agreement therefore implied from agreement to sever