creation of legal & equitable interests in land
DESCRIPTION
An introduction to the means of creation of legal & equitable interests in land, focusing on the law in Queensland for old system title. It also provides an overview of old system conveyancing.TRANSCRIPT
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Creating proprietary interests in land
Creation & Enforcement of Proprietary Interests
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Foundation concepts
Old system title = common law,
not statute
Interests in land can be legal or
equitable
Torrens title now applies in Qld semester
2
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OLD SYSTEM TITLELand held under the common law system, pre-Torrens
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Land held at common law is old system land or general law
landOld system land – one set of rules
Torrens title land – rules prescribed by statute
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How tenure works: old system
Crown grants unallocated land: s14 Land Act
Grantee takes lot in fee simple under deed of grant
Title created upon delivery of deed of grant
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How tenure works: Torrens
Crown grants unallocated land: s14 Land Act
Grantee takes lot in fee simple under deed of grant
Deed of grant registered: s47 Land Title Act
Indefeasible title created on registration (s47 LTA)
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Two systems
Document based
Private
Old syste
m Registration based
Public
Torrens
system
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Sole focus here is…
Document based
Private
Old syste
m
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Questions about land title
1. How was it created?
2. Is it legal or equitable?
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As a general rule, writing is required to create/acquire an
interest in land
writing signed
May bring action
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Creating legal interest in old system land
legal
grant
writing
signed
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Property Law Act 1974 (Qld)
• s8: lands lie in grant• s10: assurances of land to be in
writing• s11: Instruments required to be
in writing• s12: creation of interests in land
by parol• s59: contracts of sale etc of land
to be in writing
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OLD SYSTEM CONVEYANCE
Example of the process of creating an interest in land
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Conveyance/kənˈveɪəns/noun
(Legal)the legal process of transferring property from one owner to another
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Conveyancing process
Find property Make offer Offer accepted
Written contract formed
Pay depositInvestigate title
‘Settlement’:• pay balance
purchase price• Legal title passes
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Abstract of the title of John David Williams to part of Lot 34 of the Stonelands Estate in the Municipality of Dundas Parish of Field of Mars and County of Cumberland.
16th December 1920 By conveyance of this date made between Adelaide Victoria Johnson of Dundas spinster of the one part and Stella Joan Hamilton wife of Frederick George Hamilton of Petersham Master Builder of the other part
Reciting seisin of vendor in fee simple free from encumbrancesAnd reciting agreement for sale to purchaser for £900
It was witnessed that in consideration of £900 paid etc the receipt etc the said Adelaide Victoria Johnson as beneficial owner Did thereby convey unto the said Stella Joan Hamilton in fee simple
All that piece or parcel of land containing by admeasurement four acres more or less situated lying and being in the Municipality of Dundas Parish of Field of Mars County of Cumberland and State of New South Wales being part of Lot 34 of the Stonelands Estate and being also part of Robert Browne’s one hundred acre grant Commencing at a point on the northern side of Browne Street being the south-eastern corner of Lot 33 and bounded thence on the south by the said Browne Street …
Ad
apte
d f
rom
Ency
clopaedia
of
Form
s &
Pre
cedents
, Le
xis
nexis
, fo
rm 4
0.1
Investigating old system title: chain of title
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12th May 1911 Conveyance Charles Baker to Adelaide Victoria Johnson Regd No 500 Book 950
27th November 1912 Mortgage Adelaide Victoria Johnson to Bank of New South Wales Regd No 350 Book 1000
17th June 1915 Statutory Discharge endorsed on last mentioned mortgage Regd No 375 Book 1050
16th December 1920 Conveyance Adelaide Victoria Johnson to Stella Joan Hamilton Regd No 878 Book 1212
16th December 1920 Mortgage Stella Joan Hamilton to Adelaide Victoria Johnson Regd No 879 Book 1212 with Memorandum of Renewal (Regd No 234 Book 1326) endorsed
Adapted from Encyclopaedia of Forms & Precedents, Lexisnexis, form 40.1
Investigating old system title: abstract of title
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DEED DATED _________ PARTIES:1. vendor2. purchaserRECITALS:A. The vendor is seised of the land described in the schedule for an estate in fee simple in possession free from encumbrances.B. The vendor has agreed to sell the land described in the schedule to the purchaser for the sum of $_______.THIS DEED WITNESSES:In consideration of the sum of $_______ paid by the purchaser to the vendor (the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged), the vendor as beneficial owner hereby conveys to the purchaser in fee simple the land described in the schedule to hold unto and to the use of the purchaser in fee simple.deriving title under, the vendor and purchaser respectively.IN WITNESS WHEREOF this document has been duly executed.SCHEDULE[description of land]SIGNED SEALED AND DELIVERED)by the vendor in the presence of:)
[Signature of witness]
Adapted from Encyclopaedia of Forms & Precedents, Lexisnexis, form 40.1
Deed of conveyance: passing old system title
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‘Old System’ Mortgage
Money to
borrower
Legal
title to
lender
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CREATION OF THE EQUITABLE ESTATE
Interests in land can be legal or equitable
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Equitable estate: more than one interest-holder in the same estate
equitable estate
Legal estate
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Creating equitable interest in old system land: still requires writing
equitable
grant
writing
signed
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Property Law Act 1974 (Qld)
• s8: lands lie in grant• s10: assurances of land to be in
writing• s11: Instruments required to be
in writing• s12: creation of interests in land
by parol• s59: contracts of sale etc of land
to be in writing
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Trustee holds legal title
(estate in fee simple)
Beneficiaries hold
equitable title (estate
in fee simple)
The trust
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BUT: Equity may also find an equitable interest where a legal one is out of reach
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Something might be missing from an effective legal grant
• Or only agreement to grant?
• Walsh v Lonsdale
Grant
• Part performance?
• S6(d) PLA
Writing
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Or equity may intervene
Mere equity
Resulting trust
Constructive trust
…and so on
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Equitable proprietary interest
Mere equity
Personal equity
Attaches to land
Does not attach to land
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EXAMPLESEquitable and legal interests
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Old system conveyance
Enter contract
Vendor: legal estate in fee
simple
Purchaser: equitable
estate in fee simple
Settlement
Vendor: conveyance of estate in fee simple
Purchaser: legal
&beneficial estates merge
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Old system mortgage
Bank lends $; takes legal estate
in fee simple
Borrower left with equitable interest:
able to redeem
Borrower repays, bank reconveys
estate in fee simple
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Agreement to grant
Agreement to lease [satisfies
writing requirements]
Tenant takes possession, pays rent
Landlord seeks to evict
Tenant argues equitable lease
Agt to lease will be enforced as
if a legal interest
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Part performance
No writingacts done by party seeking
to enforce
acts relied upon unequivocally, in own nature
referable to agt
Agt concludedTerms of agt provable by
oral evidence
Capable of specific
performance
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Think about the interest created...
Type of interest?
Part performance?Writing?Grant?
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Consider… whose interest will prevail?
land
interest
interest
interest
interest
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Review
Old system title Old system conveyance
Creation legal interest
Creation equitable interest