Menu Expand
Property Law

Property Law

Roger Smith

(2018)

Additional Information

Book Details

Abstract

Part of the Longman Law Series, Property Law is an indispensable guide to all aspects of this compulsory subject. It combines clear and engaging explanations of core property law principles with in-depth analysis of key theoretical concepts enabling the student reader to both understand and evaluate modern land law doctrine in order to provide them with the best possible basis for their study of the subject.


Table of Contents

Section Title Page Action Price
Cover Cover
Title Page v
Copyright Page vi
Contents in brief vii
Contents in detail ix
Acknowledgement xix
Table of cases xxi
Table of statutes lxix
Table of statutory instruments lxxix
Part I Introducing property law 1
1 Basic property principles 3
1. What is property and property law? 3
2. Ownership 6
3. Some basic distinctions 7
4. The new property 10
2 The central concerns of property law 12
Introduction 12
1. What interests bind purchasers? 12
2. Creation and transfer 15
3. The rights of the parties 15
4. The effect on purchasers 16
3 Human rights 18
Introduction 18
1. The Convention rights 18
2. Enforcement of Convention rights 19
3. Convention rights in the courts 20
A. Horizontal effect? 20
B. Human rights in the exercise of proprietary rights 21
C. The exercise of proprietary rights: horizontal effect 24
D. The impact of human rights on property principles 26
4 Trusts and equitable interests 29
Introduction 29
1. Trusts 30
2. The trust as a proprietary interest 32
3. Other equitable interests 34
4. Equities 35
5. Equitable principles today 37
5 Property interests 39
Introduction 39
1. Land 39
A. Tenures 39
B. Freehold estates 40
C. Leases 48
D. Commonhold 48
E. Other interests 49
2. Chattels 51
3. Relative or absolute ownership? 52
6 The role of legislation and registration for land interests 54
Introduction 54
1. The 1925 legislation 55
A. Restricting legal estates and interests 55
B. Overreaching 56
C. Registration of land charges 58
D. Assessing the 1925 legislation 58
2. Land registration 58
3. Other modern legislation and overview 60
Part II General principles: creation and transfer of property interests 61
7 Original acquisition of property interests 63
Introduction 63
1. Finding 63
A. Things found on, in or under land 64
B. Things found in chattels 69
C. Treasure 70
2. Adverse possession 71
A. Justifications for adverse possession 72
B. Adverse possession against registered estates 75
C. Requirements for adverse possession 79
D. The effect of adverse possession 87
3. Fixtures 91
A. General principles 92
B. Removable fixtures 95
C. Is a right to remove fixtures a property interest? 97
8 The transfer and creation of property interests 99
Introduction 99
1. Deeds 99
2. Contracts for sales and dispositions of interests in land 101
A. Complying with the 1989 Act 102
B. Enforcing contracts that do not comply with the 1989 Act 108
C. Conclusions as to the 1989 Act 110
D. Electronic conveyancing 110
3. Land 111
A. Transfer 111
B. Creation of interests 112
C. Electronic conveyancing 113
4. Chattels 116
A. Transfer 116
B. Creation of interests 122
5. Choses in action 123
A. Assignable rights 123
B. Statutory assignments 124
C. Claims by the debtor 125
D. Equitable assignments 125
E. Creation of interests 127
6. Declarations of trust and equitable interests 127
A. Declaration of trust 127
B. Transfer of equitable interests 130
7. Wills 133
8. Restrictions upon transfers 134
9 Formalities: rationale and trusts 136
Introduction 136
1. Reasons for formality requirements 136
2. Resulting and constructive trusts 138
A. Presumption of resulting trust 138
B. Transfers for fraudulent purposes 141
C. Constructive trusts: an oral promise by a transferee to hold on trust for the transferor 142
D. Constructive trusts: an oral promise by a transferee to recognise the rights of a third party 143
10 Formalities: estoppel 149
Introduction 149
1. The nature and use of estoppel 149
2. When will an estoppel arise? 150
A. Representation or assurance 152
B. Reliance 158
C. Detriment 160
3. The effect of the estoppel 162
A. Use as a sword 162
B. The remedy 164
C. Misconduct by the claimant 170
4. The proprietary status of the estoppel 171
A. The status of the estoppel before a remedy is given 171
B. Can the claimant transfer the benefit of an estoppel? 174
5. Other means of getting around formality requirements 175
A. Mutual benefit and burden 175
B. Donor doing all in his power 177
C. Rules relating to death 179
11 The family home 183
Introduction 183
1. Declaring the beneficial interests 184
2. An overview of the leading cases 186
3. Resulting or constructive trust? 187
4. Inferring and imputing intentions 188
5. Transfer into joint names 190
6. Transfer into a single name 192
A. Early developments: Pettitt and Gissing 192
B. The development of common intention prior to Stack: inferring intentions 193
C. The development of common intention prior to Stack: express common intentions 197
D. Stack v Dowden and Jones v Kernott 199
E. The application of Stack and Jones 201
7. Quantification of shares 203
8. Common intention after purchase: improvements 207
9. Accounting 210
10. Looking to the future 212
11. Constructive trusts and estoppels: the links 215
A. Protection of the estoppel by constructive trust 216
B. Similarities between constructive trusts and estoppel 216
C. Court comparisons 217
D. Is common intention the same as assumption or expectation? 218
E. Detrimental reliance 219
F. The form of the remedy 220
G. The remedy and purchasers 221
H. Tentative conclusions 222
12 Purchasers: general principles and the need for registration 223
Introduction 223
1. Rules for legal interests 224
2. The development of equitable rules 225
3. The doctrine of notice 226
A. Bona fide 226
B. Purchaser for value 227
C. Legal estate 227
D. Notice 227
E. Other considerations 229
4. Two competing equitable interests 230
5. Priority rules for equities 231
6. The time order 231
7. Assessing the legal and equitable rules 233
8. Registration as a solution 234
9. The land charges scheme 235
13 Purchasers: registration of title 238
1. Introduction: the scheme and its objectives 238
2. Types of interests 239
A. Registrable interests: first registration 240
B. Registrable dispositions 245
C. Minor interests 250
D. Overriding interests 260
3. Alteration 279
A. Grounds for alteration and rectification 280
B. The proprietor in possession 283
C. Deciding whether to order alteration 285
D. The effect of rectification 285
E. Rights to rectify as overriding interests 287
F. Assessment of alteration; reform 288
4. Indemnity 288
A. Rights to indemnity 289
B. Overriding interests and indemnity 290
C. Forgeries 291
D. Restrictions on indemnity 291
E. The significance of indemnity 293
5. Assessing land registration 293
6. The role of the rules of law and equity: do we have a system of title by registration? 295
Part III Rights to enjoy land: estates and commonhold 297
14 Successive and concurrent interests: introduction 299
Introduction 299
1. The recognised interests 299
2. Legal regulation 301
15 Joint tenancy and tenancy in common 304
Introduction 304
1. Joint tenancy or tenancy in common? 306
A. The four unities 306
B. Words of severance 308
C. Equitable presumption of tenancy in common 308
2. Severance of the joint tenancy 311
A. The old forms of severance 311
B. Section 36(2): notice in writing 317
C. Public policy 319
D. Conclusions 320
3. Do we need both the joint tenancy and the tenancy in common? 320
16 Trusts of land 323
Introduction 323
1. When is there a trust of land? 324
A. Successive interests 324
B. Joint tenancy 324
C. Tenancy in common 325
D. Bare trusts and special cases 326
E. Other cases? 326
2. Occupation 327
A. Background 327
B. Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 327
C. Civil partnerships, spouses, cohabitants and associated persons 331
D. Rent and other financial adjustments 332
3. Management of the land 336
A. Sale 337
B. Partition and termination of trusteeship 352
C. Delegation 353
4. Protecting purchasers: overreaching 353
A. The need for two trustees 354
B. Reform 356
C. Consent requirements 357
D. Protection against irregularities 357
5. Trusts for sale 361
17 Successive interests 363
Introduction 363
1. The rule against perpetuities 363
2. The nineteenth-century need for reform of successive interests 364
3. The strict settlement and the Settled Land Act 1925 365
4. Trusts for sale 366
5. Reform under the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 366
6. Beneficiary control over management 367
18 Leases: types and requirements 369
Introduction 369
1. Requirements of leases 371
A. Certainty requirements: rent, commencement and length 371
B. Exclusive possession 376
2. Types of tenancies 396
A. Term of years absolute 396
B. Periodic tenancies 397
C. Tenancy at will 402
D. Tenancy at sufferance 402
E. Equitable leases 403
F. Tenancies by estoppel 405
G. Special cases 406
19 Leases: obligations and remedies 409
Introduction 409
1. The operation of contract principles 409
2. Interference with the tenant’s holding and use of the land 413
3. Repairing obligations 416
A. Obligations on tenants 417
B. Obligations on landlords 418
C. Enforcing repairing obligations 422
D. Liability for personal injuries 425
E. Reform 427
4. Forfeiture 427
A. The operation of forfeiture 428
B. Protection for residential tenants 429
C. Waiver 431
D. Relief: non-payment of rent 432
E. Relief: non-rent breaches 435
F. Reform 443
5. Distress and commercial rent arrears recovery 444
20 Leases: parties and the running of covenants 446
Introduction 446
1. Assignment and subletting 449
A. The power to assign and sublease 449
B. Assignment or sublease? 450
C. Common restrictions 451
D. Concurrent leases 454
2. Enforcing covenants after assignment 454
A. Privity of estate: general rules 454
B. Which covenants run? 455
C. Breaches committed after assignment 460
D. Breaches committed before assignment 467
E. Equitable leases and equitable assignments 468
3. Subleases 471
21 Commonhold 473
1. Nature and origins 473
2. Principal commonhold rules 474
A. Becoming commonhold land 474
B. Commonhold association and commonhold community statement 475
C. Common parts 475
D. Units 476
3. How successful is commonhold? 477
A. The use of commonhold so far 477
B. Overview 477
Part IV Other interests in land 479
22 Licences 481
Introduction 481
1. Forms of licences 483
A. Bare licences 483
B. Licences coupled with an interest 483
C. Contractual licences 484
D. Constructive trusts 492
E. Estoppel licences 494
F. Other analyses 500
2. Creation and transfer of licences 501
3. The relationship constituted by the licence 502
A. Trespass and nuisance 502
B. Comparisons with leases 504
23 Easements and profits 506
Introduction 506
1. Similar rights 507
A. Restrictive covenants 507
B. Natural rights 508
C. Public rights 510
D. Rights of fluctuating bodies 510
2. What can be an easement or profit? 511
A. Profits 511
B. Easements 512
3. The creation and transfer of easements and profits 523
A. Implied easements 524
B. Prescription 537
4. The relationship constituted by easements and profits 545
A. Extent of the right 545
B. User must be limited to dominant tenement 546
C. Repair 547
D. Conduct by the servient owner 548
E. Enforcement 548
5. Termination of easements and profits 548
A. Common ownership 549
B. Termination of the estate 549
C. Abandonment 549
24 Covenants 552
Introduction 552
1. Positive covenants 552
A. Running of the burden 552
B. The benefit of positive covenants 555
2. Restrictive covenants 557
A. The limitation to restrictive covenants 558
B. Dominant tenement 559
C. The running of the benefit 562
D. Modification 571
3. Enforcement of covenants 572
4. Reform 573
25 Mortgages 576
Introduction 576
1. Forms of mortgages 580
2. Creation of mortgages 581
3. Vitiating factors 582
A. Undue influence 583
B. Is the lender put on inquiry? 585
C. Consequences of being put on inquiry 587
D. The solicitor’s certificate 590
E. Other factors 591
4. The relationship constituted by the mortgage 591
A. Rules protecting the mortgagor 592
B. Rights and remedies of the mortgagee 602
Index 625
A 625
B 626
C 626
D 628
E 629
F 630
G 632
H 632
I 632
J 633
L 633
M 636
N 636
O 636
P 637
Q 638
R 638
S 640
T 640
U 642
V 642
W 642
Back Cover Back Cover