Constructive Trust Flashcards
What is constructive trust?
Trust imposed by the court on the grounds of conscience without reference to the implied or presumed intention of any person
There are the five instances where constructive trust can be construed ?
What is the first instance?
- Where a stranger to the trust meddles with the trust property
What does equity regard a stranger that meddles with trust property as?
A trustee de son tort
What is the second instance where constructive trust can be construed?
A recipient of trust property from an express trustee
A recipient of a trust property from an express trustee wouldn’t hold the property as a constructive trust where?
If he proves he was a bonafide purchaser for value without notice of the trust
Third instances constructive trust can be construed
Any profit made by a trustee or other fiduciary in the execution of his duties
As regards the third instances who does he hold this constructive trust for ?
Beneficiary or other persons entitled
The 4th instance where constructive trust can be construed?
A mortgagee who is in the exercise of his power of sale sold the mortgaged property holds the property as a constructive trustee of any proceeds of dale left after paying to himself the amount of the loan plus interest and the costs of sale
The fifth instance?
A vendor of land hold the land in constructive trust for the purchaser between the signing of the contract of sale and the actual conveyance.
Constructive trust
Imposed by the court on what grounds?
On grounds of conscience without reference to the implied or presumed intention of any person
Instances where constructive trust can be construed?
Unauthorized profits by trustees and other fiduciaries
2.
Strangers receiving or meddling with trust property
3
Vendors of land after signing the contract of sale
4
Mortgages and mortgagors in certain situations
5
Acquisition of property by fraud
PROFITS MADE BY A TRUSTEE OF OTHER FIDUCIARY
When will a person in a fiduciary position be a constructive trust?
When he makes profits from the property entrusted to his care for the benefit of the person’s entitled to the property
Does this rule apply to trustees only?
No
Applies to fiduciaries
Fiduciaries like agent
Case?
De Bussche v Alt
Partners
Case?
Featherstanhough v Fenwick
Company directors
Case?
Selangor United Rivber Estates Ltd v Craddock
This principle is expressed in what case?
Bray v Ford
Dictum of LORD HERSCHELL
It is an inflexible rule of a court of equity that a person in a fiduciary position is not, unless otherwise expressly provided, entitled to make a profit, he is not allowed to put himself in a position where his interest and duty conflict
This type of constructive trustmay be considered under?
Renewal of lease
Incidental profits
RENEWAL OF LEASE
What is the leading case?
Keech v Sandford
Facts of the case?
Here the defendant was express trustee of the lease of a market for an infant. On the expiration of the lease, the defendant asked the lessor for a renewal on behalf of the infant. This the lessor refused to do, since the infant, because of his contractual incapacity, could not enter into the usual covenants. The lessor however had no objection to a renewal in Favour of the defendant personally; whereupon the latter took a renewal on his own benefit
What did the court hold?
Held that the defendant was a constructive trustee of the new lease for the infant
This rule in Keech v Sandford has been expressly applied in two Nigeria case namely?
Marques v Edematie
Ukatta v Emembo
Facts of Marques Edematie
Here the plaintiff father X, had been lessee of a plot of crown land at Warri. When X fixed in 1913 the plaintiff was an infant . After the death of X , the Commissioner of land , continued to accept rent from the plaintiff uncle Y and in 1944 granted a new lease to Y.
What was held
Held that after the death of C, Y became trustee of the property for the plaintiff and therefore Y was a constructive trustee of the new lease for the benefit of the plaintiff . He was accordingly ordered to assign the lease to the plaintiff and to account for all the profits