Land Law Flashcards
complete
Term for property so attached to land it becomes part of it
Fixture
Where does the burden of an easement appear when registered?
As a notice on the charges register of the servient tenement
Term for personal property on land that is not so attached to it that it will be sold with the land
Fitting
What are the two classes of personal property
Choses
- Choses in possession (tangible)
- Choses in action (intangible)
What is the difference between corporeal and incorporeal hereditaments?
Corporeal hereditaments are tangible aspects of land such as trees, ground, and fixtures.
Incorporeal hereditaments are intangible aspects of land such as rights, easements, and rents.
What are the two tests to determine whether an object is a fixture or fitting?
- The degree of annexation (more attached = more likely to be a fixture)
- The purpose of annexation (if intended to be permanent = fixture)
Purpose test prevails in case of conflict with degree of annexation test
The Crown owns all the land in England and Wales.
What do individual landowners hold?
Estates
Under the Law of Property Act 1925, what are the two types of legal estates?
- Freehold estate (‘fee simple absolute in possession’ - indefinite duration)
- Leasehold estate (‘a term of years absolute’ - fixed maximum duration)
Term for rarely-used form of land ownership relating to flats and commercial leases on business parks
Commonhold
Like a leasehold scheme in which a management company covenants to comply with maintenance obligations and provide services
Term for rights that do not confer ownership of land but are rights over land belonging to another
Interests in land
What are the 2 forms of interests in land?
- Legal interests
- Equitable interests
5 categories of legal interests
MERRP
- Mortgage
- Easement
- Rentcharge
- Right of entry
- Profits a prendre
Term for loan against property where lender entitled to certain rights, including right to sell property if borrower defaults on secured loan obligations
Mortgage
Terms for land burdened and land benefitting from easement
- Servient tenement
- Dominant tenement
Term for interest on land requiring periodic landowner payments (right to entry reserved in case of default)
Rentcharges
Paid to rentcharge owner
What are the two types of profit a prendre?
- Profit a prendre in gross - can be traded independently, not attached to land ownership, may be registered at HMLR
- Profit a prendre appurtenant - attached to land like easement, cannot be registered at HMLR
Which type of interest in land is preferable due to being easier to enforce and requiring less protection?
Legal interest
Term for type of mortgage that can still take effect in equity despite defective deed
e.g. not witnessed
Equitable mortgage
Which type of covenant can be enforced against a later landowner?
Restrictive (negative) covenant
Term for multiple legal and equitable interests existing in land at the same time
Concurrent interests
What is required to create and transfer most legal interests in land?
Deed
What are the 4 conditions of a valid deed?
- In writing
- State it is a deed
- Signed by grantor & signature attested by witness
- Delivered (showing intention to be bound e.g. dating or sealing document)
Term in unregistered land system meaning seller must prove they own the estate
The seller must _______ title to the buyer
Deduce
How must a seller of unregistered land prove ownership of freehold?
- Good root of title
- Demonstrate at least 15 years’ unbroken chain of ownership
What do the following consitute in title deeds in unregistered land:
- Document not properly signed
- Incorrect stamp duty paid
Defect
Document that evidences the fact that a lender has lent money to the current owner and has taken charge over the land as security for the loan
Mortgage deed
What is the document that transfers the land from the personal representative to the correct beneficiary of the land?
Assent
Type of title deed
What document is usually used as ‘root of title’?
A conveyance deed
Term for chronological list of documents with copies that seller sends to buyer to prove they own the unregistered land
Original title deeds are sent once the sale proceeds have been received
Epitome of title
When must the buyer’s solicitor investigate seller’s title?
Prior to exchange of contracts
Queries about title are known as requisitions
In equity, what is the point following which both parties are compelled to proceed (also the point the buyer becomes the equitable owner and should insure the property from)?
From exchange of contracts
When does the legal title to unregistered land pass to the buyer?
When the deed is handed to the buyer’s solicitor
When must an application to HMLR for first registration of buyer’s title to the land be made?
Within 2 months of completion
Which type of interests are binding irrespective of notice?
Legal interests
How are third-party interests discoverable?
3
- Investigating the title
- Carrying out conveyancing searches
- Physical inspection of land
How are legal interests discoverable?
Checking deeds and possibly by inspecting property
How are most equitable rights and interests protected?
Why?
By registration at the Land Charges Register
Constitutes actual notice (makes it binding on all subsequent landowners)
What are the 3 key Class C land charge categories?
- C(i) Puisne mortgage (second or subsequent mortgage)
- C(iii) General equitable charge/Equitable mortgage
- C(iv) Estate contract - e.g. contract to purchase, right of pre-emption
Which land charge would be entered into to protect a buyer from the seller selling the land to someone else in the period before completion of purchase takes place?
C(iv) - estate contract
What are the 2 key Class D land charge categories?
- D(ii) Restrictive covenants
- D(iii) equitable easements
Land charge that protects a non-owning spouse’s statutory right of occupation of the matrimonial home under the Family Law Act 1996
Matrimonial home rights
Not an interest in land but protected by entry of land charge and thereby enforceable against third parties
Class F land charge
What does ‘equity’s darling’ mean?
A bona fide purchaser for valuable consideration of a legal estate without notice
Which type of equitable interest cannot be protected by a land charge?
Beneficial interest under a trust (BIUT)
How is a buyer bound under Beneficial interest under a trust (BIUT)?
They are bound unless they can show they are equity’s darling
Three forms of notice
Equity’s darling is a bona fide purchaser for valuable consideration of a legal estate without notice
- Actual notice - person had actual knowledge of interest
- Constructive notice - would have discovered had they made reasonable enquiry
- Imputed notice - notice given to buyer’s agent
Which 4 unregistered interests override first registration under the LRA 2002?
- A lease granted for 7 years or less
- Implied legal easements and profits a prendre
- A local land charge
- An interest belonging to a person in actual occupation relating to occupied land
Term for process of acquiring title to land by dispossessing the previous holder and occupying the land
Adverse possession
How long must squatter occupy unregistered land for adverse possession to arise?
12 years
Three points applicant must show to sucessfully claim adverse possession
- They have physical possession of the land
- Possession is exclusive to the applicant; and
- The possession is without the permission of the landowner
Triggering events occurring following which date require unregistered property registration?
1December 1990
What are the below examples of?
- A conveyance on sale of freehold land
- An assent
- A deed of gift
- A grant of lease term over 7 years
- An assignment on sale of a lease having an unexpired term of over 7 years
Triggering events
When must an HMLR application for first registration of title be made following a triggring event?
Within 2 months of the date of the triggering event
What happens if unregistered land is not registered within the deadline following a triggering event?
The transfer becomes void and the legal estate reverts to the seller
Which party is usually responsible for perfecting the title by effecting registration?
Buyer
Which updated document is produced by HMLR following the registration of a disposition?
Title Information Document
An updated copy of the register reflecting the disposition
Which register details the class of title awarded by HMLR and the Registered Proprietor?
Proprietorship Register
What is the best class of title that can be awarded?
Absolute freehold title
Which class of title is based on factual possession of land rather than documentary evidence?
Used for adverse possession
Can be trumped by someone with a better title
Possessory title
Which class of title means the freehold title was not produced to HMLR on application?
Good leasehold title
What is the difference between absolute title and good leasehold title?
In good title, the guarantee of the register does not extend to the freehold estate or any superior leasehold titles, meaning the proprietor is subject to any rights or obligations contained in them.
When would HMLR award an absolute leasehold title?
When it has inspected all superior leasehold titles and the freehold title
What are the 4 estates that can be substantively registered (with their own title number and register)?
- Estates in land (freehold and leasehold)
- Rentcharges
- Franchises
- Profits a prendre in gross
If accepted by HMLR, what does a caution against first registration do?
Ensure a party with an interest in unregistered land is informed if that land is about to be registered
Caution is allocated its own caution title number, individual caution register, and caution plan
In caution against first registration, when will the cautioner be given a specified period to either object to the application for registration or give notice that they do not intend to object?
If the caution is lodged and is unchallenged when the property is about to be registered
What will the Registrar notify the cautioner if estate owner applies for caution to be cancelled?
That his caution will be cancelled unless an objection is made within the prescribed period
In the registered system, what is required before the legal estate can be transferred?
Registration of the disposition must be completed at HMLR
Which 3 registers is the register of title divided into?
- Property Register
- Proprietorship Register
- Charges Register
On which register within the Register of Title would a restriction affecting the title appear?
Proprietorship Register
On which register within the Register of Title would beneficial rights (e.g. right of way over neighbour’s land) appear?
Property Register
On which register within the Register of Title would details of encumbrances on the land (e.g. restrictive covenant, mortgage) appear?
Charges Register
Which 2 third-party interests must be registered on a title to take effect at law?
Can still take effect in equity if unregistered
- Legal mortgage of registered land
- Legal easements
For which type of new owner will notice of an interest be binding and not be binding if it is not registered?
- Interest will not be binding on a purchaser for valuable consideration
- Interest will be binding on someone who is gifted the property or inherits it
What is the liability of someone whoo registers a notice without reasonable cause?
Liable to any person who suffers damages as a result
How are BIUTs protected?
Form A restriction
What is the effect of entering a restriction?
The instruction must be complied with in order for the estate to be transferred
Who is an overriding interest binding on?
- Registered proprietor (landowner)
- Any person who acquires an interest in the property despite the fact they do not appear on the affected register of title
What are the three main interests that override registered dispositions?
- Legal leases for 7 years or less
- Implied legal easements or profits a prendre
- Interests of persons in actual occupation
Criteria for implied legal easement or profits a prendre to be overriding on the purchaser?
3
- Purchaser has actual knowledge of easement/profit
- Easement/profit is obvious on reasonably careful inspection of land; or
- Easement/profit has been exercised within 1 year of disposition date
What is the term for long use (e.g. of an easement)?
Prescription
Interests in land of a person in actual occupation of property are overriding, unless…
- The occupier failed to disclose their occupation upin reasonable enquiry; or
- The occupation was not obvious on reasonably careful inspection of the land at the time of the disposition and the buyer did not have actual knowledge of the interest
The term ‘overriding interest’ is only relevant in the context of which type of land?
Registered land
In adverse possession on registered land, when must the 10 year period be completed after?
13 October 2003