co-ownership (workbook) Flashcards
what is concurrent co-ownership?
arises where 2 or more people together own the same estate (freehold or leasehold) in the same piece of land at the same
time.
e.g., when a couple buy a house together, both people share the ownership of
the freehold and are said to own the freehold concurrently.
which act governs co-ownership?
Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 (TOLATA 1996), effective 1 Jan 1997
when is a trust of land imposed?
whenever land is owned jointly (s1)
what is legal title
- held by trustees
- registered owner(s) at the Land Registry
- powers and duties of management (e.g., admin - signing docs such as mortgage and transfer deeds)
what is beneficial/equitable title
- held by the beneficiaries
- names kept private
- arrangements re: equitable title do not appear on the registers
can a person be a trustee and beneficiary
yes
does a beneficiary in a trust of land have a proprietary right in the land?
yes, they have an equitable interest
formalities for express trust of land
- declaration of trust must be in writing
- signed by the declarant(s)
example of express trust of land
A grandparent made a will in which they left their house on trust for their six grandchildren in
equal shares. They appointed A and B as trustees.
After the grandparent’s death, the executors of the estate transferred the legal title of the house
to A and B. As the will set out the declaration of trust in writing which was signed (LPA 1925, s53(1)(b)), the trust is properly declared in favour of the grandchildren. The grandchildren hold the
equitable interest.
The trustees have the power to sell the house, but they cannot keep the proceeds: they are bound as trustees to account to the beneficiaries or reinvest for them.
another example of express trust of land
A brother and sister, X and Y, bought a home together. X paid 75% of the price and Y paid 25%.
The transfer deed transferred the legal title to them both. In the transfer deed X and Y made an
express declaration that they hold the property for themselves beneficially in proportion to their
contributions (75% for X and 25% for Y).
Here, X and Y hold both the legal and equitable title. The flexible rules relating to the equitable
title enable them to reflect their individual contributions.
are there any formalities for implied trusts?
no
what are the two types of implied trust
- resulting
- constructive
example of implied resulting trust
a property is bought in A’s name, but B makes a financial contribution. So if B paid 25% of the price, A will hold the property on trust for A and B in a 75%:25% ratio.
which type of trust will be used in the context of a family home?
common intention constructive trust
what are constructive trusts a response to?
where it is unconscionable for the legal owner of the land to deny the interest of another person
example of an implied trust
- V and W decided to buy a home together. Although they both contributed to the purchase price,
the property was transferred to V as sole legal owner. - As the property was bought as a family home, and W paid part of the price, they may be able to
establish an interest under a common intention constructive trust. No formalities are required for
this to happen: LPA 1925, s 53(2). V will hold the property as trustee for V and W in shares quantified by the court. - If the property is mortgaged or sold, V as trustee will be the person who has the power to execute
the mortgage or transfer deed.
what are the two types of co-ownership?
- joint tenancy
- tenancy in common
what is ‘unity of possession’
No co-owner is entitled to exclusive possession of any part.
Applies to both joint tenancies and tenancies in common
joint tenancy characteristics
- must have 4 unities
- level of contribution irrelevant
- no shares: composite ownership
- single entity
- survivorship applies
summary of a tenancy in common
- unity of possession (others optional)
- no survivorship share passes with will
- each person has own share
- individual but ‘undivided’ shares
- share can be proportionate to contribution
four unities of title
- unity of possession
- unity of title
- unity of interest
- unity of time
unity of possession
Each co-owner is as much entitled to possession of any part of the land as the others. No co-owner can be excluded from any part of the land.
unity of title
All co-owners must acquire their title from the same document. This will be satisfied if they all obtain title from the same transfer deed or lease.
unity of interest
The interest in land held by each co-owner must be of the same nature and duration. For example, in a leasehold context, all owners must hold the lease for the same length of time, with joint obligations.
unity of time
The interest of each co-owner must vest at the same time. This does not mean that they must all sign the document at the same time or move into the property at the same time.
To have unity of time, the interest of each co-owner must take effect at the same time.
what is the right of survivorship / ius acccrescendi
the notional interest of the deceased joint tenant accrues to the surviving joint
tenants, who become the sole owner(s)
does survivorship operate automatically?
yes, as soon as the joint tenant dies.
the interest in unaffected by provisions in a will, or intestacy
why do will provisions have no effect on survivorship?
a will is of no effect until after death, by which time
survivorship has already operated
when does the right of survivorship not apply?
when an interest is held as a tenancy in common
what happens to an interest held as tenancy in common
the deceased’s share passes under their will or, if no will, by the intestacy rules
how many trustees can hold the legal title
maximum of four legal owners
the trustees must be sui juris - what does this mean?
of full age (18yo) and sound mind
how must the legal owners own the property?
as joint tenants
what happens if the land is transferred to more than 4 people?
the first four named who are sui juris will be the legal title holders
do the legal title holders need to have the four unities?
yes, because the legal title must be held as a joint tenancy
can the legal joint tenancy be severed to make a tenancy in common?
no
equitable title characteristics (more flexible)
- no limit on number of people who can hold an equitable interest
- no requirement to be sui juris (property often held on trust for under 18s)
- equitable owners can choose whether to hold the title as joint tenants or tenants in common
to have an equitable joint tenancy, what is needed?
the four unities
what happens if one of the unities is missing?
it will be a tenancy in common, providing that unity of possession exists
what happens if there is an express declaration that the owners hold as tenants in
common
tenancy in common will prevail (Pink v Lawrence [1978])
what if words such as ‘in equal shares’ or ‘equally’ are present?
this would again suggest tenancy in common
when else would a tenancy in common apply?
if there is a rebuttable presumption of a tenancy in common:
- land is a business asset (Bull v Bull); and
- the purchase price of a non-domestic property has been paid in unequal shares (Lake v Craddock)
in commercial situations where there is no express declaration of trust or words of severance, equity is likely to presume what?
a tenancy in common:
see:
[Lake v Craddock] [Stack v Dowden] and [Jones v Kernott] - CHECK THESE