Family Property Flashcards
Presumed Resulting Trusts
When does a resulting trust arise?
RT may arise in favour of W by direct/indirect contribution to the acquisition of the property.
Presumed Resulting Trusts
McC v McC [1986] IESC
- H transferred to Cork. Had to sell fam home. W contributed 1/3 of price so entitled but let H use to buy home in Cork. But job paid so spent 1.8k on furniture. HC held W entitled to 1/3 of the furniture.
- SC held if indirect contribution (gen family fund), in absence of an express/implied agreement to contrary, court infers a trust in favour of her on basis she relieved H of financial burden incurred buying the house
- Held the 1/3 wasn’t used to buy Cork home. Failed to prove she made indirect contribs to purchase price
Presumed Resulting Trusts
N v N [1992]
Work in fam business contribution: W managed flats the couple let out. RT arose in her favour.
Presumed Resulting Trusts
L v L [1989]
SC rejected that unpaid work in the home was a contribution: Need legislation to change this.
FHPA 1976 - The Home
What section sets out the home and what is its definition?
S.2: The property must be the ordinary place of residence of a married couple.
It is a dwelling in which a married couple ordinarily reside.
Broadened to incl. same-sex couples since the Marriage Act 2015.
Dwelling: building, structure, vehicle, vessel and any portion of land attached / usually occupied / required for amenity / convenience.
FHPA 1976 - The Home
LB v HB [1980]
State of marriage irrelevant: lack of intimate relations had no impact on applicability of Act
FHPA 1976 - The Home
SOB v MOB [1981
Act applied to couple with church annulment + H lived in Hong Kong + remarried there.
FHPA 1976 - The Home
NIB v Graham [1994]
‘Family home’ definition does not include purchaser’s equity:
- Brothers got mortgage to buy 3000 acre farm in Donegal. Defaulted before completion of sale
- They’d never taken possession it was not their ‘ordinary place of residence’. Tried to argue acquiring purchaser’s equity conferred them + wives w an interest + argued their wives hadn’t given s.3 consent
- Rejected: family home doesn’t include purchase’s equity. Must ordinarily reside to get protection.
FHPA 1976 - Consent
What section sets out consent requirements?
S.3(1) Consent: Where a spouse without prior written consent of the other spouse purports to convey any interest in the family home to anyone but other spouse, the conveyance will be void.
FHPA 1976 - Only One Consent
Kyne v Tiernan [1980]
- Consent to contract is consent to entire transaction. Here, wife consented to the contract for sale of the property but then refused to give consent for the conveyance.
- Held her first consent to the contract was valid consent. Consent to contract sufficient.
FHPA 1976 - Only One Consent
NIB v Graham [1994]
- If conveyance + mortgage are in reality part of one transaction, consent to convey is consent to mortgage
- But if seeking a 2nd mortgage for balance of purchase price: this 2nd mortgage requires a second consent
FHPA 1976 - Fully Informed and Voluntary Consent
Bank of Ireland v Smyth [1996]
- W signed consent form during meeting w bank manager and H present lasting 15 minutes
- Manager explained concept of conveyance + her consent required, but not that she could lose home if
repayments not made + didn’t suggest indep legal advice. W thought it only affected lands not her home - W argued it wasn’t fully informed consent as she didn’t understand what she was consenting to.
- SC upheld this: s.3 consent must be fully informed consent: not here, thought only lands not home
FHPA 1976 - Prior Written Consent
Bank of Ireland v Hanrahan [1987]
- H sole owner of property + wanted to mortgage it. Bank told him he needed his W’s consent. He left the title deeds at the bank. B accepted deeds as custodian. W only came the next day and H signed the papers.
- Was the consent prior? Held the mortgage came into existence after the consent and the docs were only there for safe keeping this it was prior consent. This is criticised as giving the banks too much flexibility.
FHPA 1976 - Prior Written Consent
McMahon v O’Loughlin [2005]
- Written agreement for P to buy lands off D. Disagreement, D purported to rescind. P sought SP.
- D denied there was a concluded enforceable agreement as no prior written consent of spouse.
- SP refused: contract for sale wasn’t re-executed after wife’s written consent obtained thus Act not complied with and the contract was void.
FHPA 1976 - Knowledge of Third Parties and Consent
What is the rule?
If a purchaser knew (or ought to have known if he or his agent made reasonable inquiries) that no spousal consent was given, held to have actual /constructive knowledge of no consent. Contract is then void.