Common Law & Civil Law Common Law & Civil Law Property * A Conversation *Property * A Conversation *

Professor Kirsten AnkerProfessor Kirsten Anker

Professor David LamettiProfessor David Lametti

22 March, 201122 March, 2011

Common Law PropertyCommon Law Property* Idiosyncrasies** Idiosyncrasies*

Archaic terminologyArchaic terminology Fee simple estate, freehold tenure, seisin, feoffee, Fee simple estate, freehold tenure, seisin, feoffee,

replevin, ejectmentreplevin, ejectment Sources and defining propertySources and defining property No “owners”No “owners” Title is relativeTitle is relative

Possession gives rightsPossession gives rights All titles “held of” the CrownAll titles “held of” the Crown

Five dimensions of property in landFive dimensions of property in land Divisions over timeDivisions over time Legal and equitable interestsLegal and equitable interests

Aboriginal rightsAboriginal rights

Civil Law Property : Civil Law Property : *Absolutes**Absolutes*

Patrimonial Rights

$$$

Patrimonial Rights

Extra-patrimonial Rights

[Aubry v. Vice-Versa]

Real Rights

Personal Rights

Ownership

Defining Property - CaselawDefining Property - Caselaw Yanner v. Eaton Yanner v. Eaton (1999) (1999)

The ultimate fact about property is that it does not really The ultimate fact about property is that it does not really exist: it is mere illusion. (“native title”)exist: it is mere illusion. (“native title”)

INS v. Associated PressINS v. Associated Press (1918) (1918) Property, a creation of law, does not arise from value, Property, a creation of law, does not arise from value,

although exchangeable – a matter of fact. (“hot news”)although exchangeable – a matter of fact. (“hot news”) Storey-Bishoff v. Storey-BishoffStorey-Bishoff v. Storey-Bishoff (1994) (1994)

One of the inherent qualities of property is that it may One of the inherent qualities of property is that it may be transferred, bought, sold, exchanged, gifted or be transferred, bought, sold, exchanged, gifted or hypothecated. (“degrees as matrimonial property”)hypothecated. (“degrees as matrimonial property”)

Stewart v. The QueenStewart v. The Queen (1988) (1988) As the term "property" is simply a reference to the As the term "property" is simply a reference to the

cluster of rights assigned to the owner, this protection cluster of rights assigned to the owner, this protection [for confidential information in the commercial field] [for confidential information in the commercial field] could be given in the form of proprietary rights. (“theft could be given in the form of proprietary rights. (“theft of information”)of information”)

Defining Property - StatutesDefining Property - Statutes

Land Titles Act Land Titles Act ““property” means land designated as a property” means land designated as a

property under subsection 141 (2) or (4)property under subsection 141 (2) or (4) Mortgages Act; Trespass to Property ActMortgages Act; Trespass to Property Act

(property not defined)(property not defined) Conveyancing and Law of Property ActConveyancing and Law of Property Act

“ “property” includes real and personal property” includes real and personal property, a debt, a thing in action, and any property, a debt, a thing in action, and any other right or interest.other right or interest.

Family Law ActFamily Law Act ““property” means any interest, present or property” means any interest, present or

future, vested or contingent, in real or personal future, vested or contingent, in real or personal propertyproperty

Defining Property - Defining Property - CommentariesCommentaries

Blackstone 1760 Blackstone 1760 Property is the ‘sole and despotic dominion which one Property is the ‘sole and despotic dominion which one

man claims and exercises over the external things of the man claims and exercises over the external things of the world, in total exclusion of the right of any other world, in total exclusion of the right of any other individual in the universe.’individual in the universe.’

Classifications: Real (corporeal, incorporeal); Personal Classifications: Real (corporeal, incorporeal); Personal (tangible, intangible)(tangible, intangible)

Hohfeld and Honoré (following Bentham)Hohfeld and Honoré (following Bentham) Person to personPerson to person Socially constructed bundles of rightsSocially constructed bundles of rights Property rights indistinct from other rights (Gray)Property rights indistinct from other rights (Gray) Both “owner” and “object” have become abstract and Both “owner” and “object” have become abstract and

diffusediffuse

Civil Law: Codes, Doctrine, Civil Law: Codes, Doctrine, casescases

947. Ownership is the right to use, enjoy and dispose of property fully and freely, subject to the limits and conditions for doing so determined by law.

Ownership may be in various modes and dismemberments.

947. La propriété est le droit d’user, de jouir et de disposer librement et complètement d’un bien, sous réserve des limites et des conditions d’exercice fixées par la loi.

Elle est susceptible de modalités et de démembrements.

911. A person, alone or with others, may hold a right of ownership or other real right in a property, or have possession of the property.

A person may also hold or administer the property of others or be trustee of property appropriated to a particular purpose.

911. On peut, a l’égard d’un bien, etre tiulaire, seul ou avec d’autres, d’un droit de propriété ou d’un autre droit réel, ou encore être possesseur du bien.

On peut aussi être détenteur ou administrateur du bien d’autrui, ou être fiduciaire d’un bien affecté à une fin particulière.

899. Property, whether corporeal or incorporeal, is divided into immovables and movables.

899. Les biens, tant corporels qu’incorporels, se divisent en immeubles et en meubles.

Where are the owners in the Where are the owners in the Common Law?Common Law?

The feudal pyramidThe feudal pyramid The king as absolute lordThe king as absolute lord ““Seisin” = right to enjoy returns of the landSeisin” = right to enjoy returns of the land Different kinds of “tenures”Different kinds of “tenures”

Decline of feudalismDecline of feudalism Tenures converted into “free and common Tenures converted into “free and common

socage”socage” Land granted to tenant Land granted to tenant and his heirsand his heirs The “estate” as the object of inheritanceThe “estate” as the object of inheritance Different slices of time possibleDifferent slices of time possible

fee simple, fee tail, life estate, conditional estatesfee simple, fee tail, life estate, conditional estates

5 Dimensions of Property in 5 Dimensions of Property in LandLand

3 dimensions2 dimensions

Life EstateFee Simple Estate

Legal Interest

Equitable Interest

Time – 4th dimension

3 dimensions

Equity – a second layer of estates and interests – the 5th dimension

Leasehold Estate

Umm… The owners?Umm… The owners?

The importance of possessionThe importance of possession Multiple persons entitled to landMultiple persons entitled to land Disputes solved by “seisin”Disputes solved by “seisin” Presumption that possession was legitimatePresumption that possession was legitimate

The role of writs and remediesThe role of writs and remedies Writ of rightWrit of right Writ of entryWrit of entry Assize of novel disseissin, mort d’ancestorAssize of novel disseissin, mort d’ancestor Writ of ejectment (leaseholdWrit of ejectment (leasehold→freehold→freehold); now part of ); now part of

trespasstrespass Larceny a crime against possessionLarceny a crime against possession

““Ownership” understood variously in terms of Ownership” understood variously in terms of protection, limitation and titleprotection, limitation and title

Civil Law PropertyCivil Law Property

Attempts to organize these Attempts to organize these impulses…impulses…

according to kinds of objects & rightsaccording to kinds of objects & rights according who « owns »according who « owns » according to whose rightsaccording to whose rights according to time, spaceaccording to time, space

976. Neighbours shall suffer the normal neighbourhood annoyances that are not beyond the limit of tolerance they owe each other, according to the nature or location of their land or local custom.

976. Les voisins doivent accepter les inconvénients normaux du voisinage qui n’excèdent pas les limites de la tolérance qu’ils doivent, suivant la nature ou la situation de leurs fonds, ou suivant les usages locaux.

Patrimonial Rights

Extra-patrimonial Rights

[Aubry v. Vice-Versa]

Real Rights

Personal Rights

Ownership

947

Special Modes

Co-ownership [1010]

Superficies [1011]

Dismemberments

[1119]

Usufruct [1120]

Servitude [1177]

Emphyteusis [1195]

Innominate Real Rights?

Civil Law PropertyCivil Law Property

Supposedly absolute, BUT perhaps Supposedly absolute, BUT perhaps not quite so … not quite so …

976. Neighbours shall suffer the normal neighbourhood annoyances that are not beyond the limit of tolerance they owe each other, according to the nature or location of their land or local custom.

976. Les voisins doivent accepter les inconvénients normaux du voisinage qui n’excèdent pas les limites de la tolérance qu’ils doivent, suivant la nature ou la situation de leurs fonds, ou suivant les usages locaux.

Civil Law Property : Civil Law Property : *Absolute?**Absolute?*

Limits on each form of real rightLimits on each form of real right Limits on certain objectsLimits on certain objects PossessionPossession And historical contingencies:And historical contingencies:

The Crown (and common law) in QuebecThe Crown (and common law) in Quebec Aboriginal « interests »: rights and title in Aboriginal « interests »: rights and title in

QuebecQuebec The modern, global contextThe modern, global context

Example 1 – Who “owns” Example 1 – Who “owns” the baseball? the baseball? Popov v. Popov v.

HayashiHayashi

““SSignificant but incomplete steps to achieve possessionignificant but incomplete steps to achieve possession … … interrupted by the unlawful acts of othersinterrupted by the unlawful acts of others [give rise to] [give rise to] a a pre-possessory interestpre-possessory interest … … a qualified right to possession a qualified right to possession..

Example 2 – Conditional Example 2 – Conditional Estates: ruling from the graveEstates: ruling from the grave

Defeasible feeDefeasible fee An estate terminated before its natural end by An estate terminated before its natural end by

the fulfillment of a conditionthe fulfillment of a condition ““To A provided he never marries a Roman To A provided he never marries a Roman

Catholic”Catholic” Condition removed if invalidCondition removed if invalid

Determinable feeDeterminable fee An estate limited from the outset by conditioning An estate limited from the outset by conditioning

eventevent ““To A for the time that she lives in Toronto”To A for the time that she lives in Toronto” Invalid condition voids whole grantInvalid condition voids whole grant

Example 3 – Quasi-public Example 3 – Quasi-public spacespace

Harrison v. CarswellHarrison v. Carswell (1975) (1975) Picketing (statutory labour right) on shopping centre Picketing (statutory labour right) on shopping centre

sidewalksidewalk Dixson (majority)Dixson (majority)

private property central in Canadian lawprivate property central in Canadian law right to exclude can only be curtailed by explicit right to exclude can only be curtailed by explicit

legislationlegislation Laskin (minority)Laskin (minority)

historical purpose of trespass relates to privacyhistorical purpose of trespass relates to privacy interests of owners v members of public can be reconciled interests of owners v members of public can be reconciled

by limiting right to exclude to misbehaviourby limiting right to exclude to misbehaviour calls up civil law abuse of rightscalls up civil law abuse of rights

Statutory amendmentsStatutory amendments Charter rightsCharter rights

CCC v. CanadaCCC v. Canada R v. LaytonR v. Layton

Example 4 – Barriere Lake: Example 4 – Barriere Lake: unceded Algonquin territoryunceded Algonquin territory

Aboriginal rightsAboriginal rights Doctrine of continuityDoctrine of continuity Three categories of colonyThree categories of colony

conquestconquest cessioncession settlementsettlement

Pre-existing rights?Pre-existing rights? ““Some tribes are so low in the scale of civilization…” Some tribes are so low in the scale of civilization…”

Re Southern RhodesiaRe Southern Rhodesia (1919) (1919) Must not “render [Must not “render [aboriginalaboriginal] title conceptually in terms ] title conceptually in terms

which are appropriate only to systems which have grown which are appropriate only to systems which have grown up under English lawup under English law” ” Amodu TijaniAmodu Tijani (1921) (1921)

Which category for Canada?Which category for Canada?

Aboriginal rights in QuebecAboriginal rights in Quebec R v. AdamsR v. Adams; ; R v. CotéR v. Coté (1996) (1996)

Regardless of recognition by French regime, s.35 protects activities Regardless of recognition by French regime, s.35 protects activities “central to the distinctive culture of aboriginal societies“central to the distinctive culture of aboriginal societies prior to prior to contact”contact”

Legislative infringement possible if justifiedLegislative infringement possible if justified Difficult to establish commercial rightsDifficult to establish commercial rights

Aboriginal title for “semi-nomadic” peoples?Aboriginal title for “semi-nomadic” peoples? Exclusive possession (Exclusive possession (DelgamuukwDelgamuukw)) Sui generisSui generis, reconciliation of two perspectives, reconciliation of two perspectives Regular, not occasional useRegular, not occasional use

Comprehensive claim agreements since 1975Comprehensive claim agreements since 1975 James Bay and Northern Quebec, Nunavik completedJames Bay and Northern Quebec, Nunavik completed Mi’maq, Innu in progress Mi’maq, Innu in progress