W4 Leaseholds II Flashcards
What is assignment of the freehold reversion?
When the landlord sells the freehold interest to another
What are the formalities for an assignment of the freehold reversion?
Deed of Transfer (TR1, s52 LPA 1925) and registration (s27 LRA 2002)
What is the technical name for when the landlord sells the freehold interest to another?
Assignment of the freehold reversion
What is an assignment of the lease?
When the tenant sells the leasehold interest to another
What are the formalities for an assignment of the lease?
Deed of assignment (s52 LPA 1925)
Registration if lease is registered (s27 LRA 2002) or if lease is unregistered but more than 7 years remaining (s4 LRA 2002)
When does an assignment of a lease need to be registered?
If the lease is already registered (s27 LRA 2002) OR
Lease is unregistered but has more than 7 years remaining (s4 LRA 2002)
What is an old lease?
Lease created before 1st January 1996
What is a new lease?
Lease created on or after 1st Jan 1996
What is the default position for old leases and transfer of covenants post-assignment?
Original parties of the lease remain bound based on privity of contract
How can the original tenant of an old lease attempt to reclaim money from an assignee tenant?
1) Indemnity (express or implied) or
2) Common law rule in Moule v Garrett
Moule v Garrett 1872
Facts: Claimant assigned a lease to someone, who assigned it further to the defendants. Both assignment vehicles included express covenants from assignee to indemnify assignor. Current tenant breached covenant to repair, landlord recovered damages from original tenant, question was whether you could chain the indemnities. Court said yes.
Significance: Assignee of a lease (under old law) is under an obligation to indemnify the original lessee against breaches of covenant.
Old lease: When does the assignee tenant have the burden and benefit of leasehold covenants?
If there is:
1) Privity of estate
2) Legal lease that was legally assigned
3) Covenant touches and concerns the land
Authority: Spencer’s Case
Spencer’s Case 1583
Facts: Concerned a covenant to build a brick wall, and the relevant lease was assigned twice before the wall was built.
Significance: Covenants which touch and concern the land pass to assignees.
What is the benefit of a covenant?
The party with the benefit of a covenant can enforce the covenant (i.e. they can sue if it is not fulfilled)
What is the burden of a covenant?
The party with the burden of a covenant can have an action brought against them if unfulfilled (i.e. they can be sued)
What is privity of estate?
The enforcer and enforcee must have the relationship of landlord and tenant between the parties
What is the result of tenant covenants passing under Spencer’s Case?
A landlord has a choice of new tenant or old tenant to sue
What does it mean for a covenant to “touch and concern the land”?
Affects landlord in their capacity as a landlord and affects a tenant in their capacity as tenant.
Hua Chiao Commercial v Chiaphua 1987
Facts: Lease contained a covenant by the landlord to return a deposit to the tenant at end of the lease. Landlord assigned the reversion, and it was held the covenant was not binding on landlord’s assignee as it did not touch and concern the land.
Significance: Deposits collateral to the lease do not touch and concern the land
Old lease: when does a new landlord have the benefit and burden of covenants?
When the covenants refer to the subject matter of the lease
s141 LPA 1925
Makes the collection of rent and related forfeiture/re-entry enforceable
Makes the above enforceable by the owner of the reversion, even if the right arose prior to the transfer
S142 LPA 1925
Lessor’s covenants with reference to the subject-matter of the lease run with the reversion
Old lease: from when does the benefit of covenants pass to the new landlord?
From the date the lease began (not date of assignment)
Auth: Re King
Re King 1963
Facts: Lease included a covenant for the tenant to keep a fire insurance policy in the joint names of landlord and tenant. Question arose regarding who was entitled to the money paid out under the policy, since the tenant had died and landlord had assigned the reversion. Court decided that since (old law) the new landlord has the benefit of covenants from the beginning of the lease, the old landlord was not entitled to the policy money.
Significance: Assignment of a reversion passes the entire benefit (from start of lease) to new landlord, not just from date of assignment.
What does LTCA stand for?
Landlord & Tenant (Covenants) Act 1995
What happens to the burden of tenant covenants upon transfer of a new lease?
Original tenant is released from burden (s5 LTCA 1995), unless the assignment was without consent or there were pre-existing breaches
Passes to new tenant under s3 LTCA 1995
s5 LTCA 1995
Releases a tenant from both benefit and burden of covenants upon assignment of the lease
s11 LTCA 1995
If assignments are made in breach of covenant or by operation of law, then the original tenant is not relieved of benefit/burden
s24 LTCA 1995
Parties are still liable for breach of covenant occurring prior to assignment/release
What is an AGA?
Authorised Guarantee Agreement - where an old tenant is liable for their immediate successor (can’t chain AGAs)
s16 LTCA 1995
Allows AGAs
s19(1)(A) LTA 1927
Landlords cannot unreasonably withhold consent to assign/underlet, but may request payment of a reasonable sum
s3 LTCA 1995
Benefit and burden of both landlord and tenant covenants pass on assignment
BHP Petroleum v Chesterfield 2000
Facts: Landlord assigned the reversion and served a notice releasing themselves from landlord obligations. Tenant discovered physical damage to the building, putting landlord in breach of covenant. Court held that the covenant was personal and not a landlord covenant, even though it touched and concerned the land. As such, original landlord was not released from the burden of the covenant.
Significance: Something can touch and concern land but still be a personal covenant. Under new law, any covenants which are not landlord/tenant covenants do not pass and are still enforceable to original parties.
Can the LTCA provisions regarding landlord covenants be excluded?
No
Auth: s25 LTCA 1995
s25 LTCA 1995
Cannot contract out of LTCA 1995
New leases: Is the original landlord released from landlord covenants upon assignment?
Yes (s6/8 LTCA 1995) if tenant consents
BUT only from date of assignment - old landlord still on the hook for pre-existing breaches (s24 LTCA 1995)
London Diocesan v Phithwa 2005
Facts: X was sublandlord, subletting six shops. Each sublease had an exclusion of sublandlord’s liability, to limit it to only when they held the reversion. X assigned the reversion, and the new party disappeared, so the rent under the headlease was not being paid. The sublettors were granted relief from forfeiture but were expected to pay the rent arrears under the headlease and take new leases of shops. Sublettors tried to claim damages from X for breach of landlord covenant. Court upheld the exclusion clause as valid.
Significance: Under new law, landlords and tenants can limit their liability under covenants in their agreements.
Does the burden of landlord covenants and benefit of tenant covenants pass to the new landlord for new leases?
Yes (s3 LTCA 1995)
Re King is ______________ for new leases
Reversed - under new law, benefit and burden pass from date of assignment, whereas Re King backdates to beginning of lease
(see s24 LTCA 1995)
Why (where allowed) would a landlord try to recover rent from an old tenant?
If new tenant is not paying
What is a s17 notice?
A notice of intention to recover unpaid rent, under s17 LTCA 1995
When must a s17 notice be issued?
Within 6 months of charge becoming due
If issuing a s17 notice to an old tenant, then will the rent be the same or greater than they paid?
If there was a contractual price variation in place when they were a tenant, then that will apply
If the rent has changed unforeseeably, then the change does not apply (s18 LTCA 1995)