Chattels: Cutting the Gordian knot

Hannah Southon explores a judgment concerning a rarely used power of the court to direct the division of jointly-owned chattels ‘The case serves to underline the fact that if it is important to a donor who desires to dispose of assets by gifting them outright, rather than settling them on trust.’What relief is available from …
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Butler & anr v Butler & anr [2016] EWHC 1793 (Ch)

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | November 2016 #164

The parties were siblings who jointly owned 502 items of 17th century Chinese porcelain gifted to them by their father between 1987 and 1993 (the Butler Family Collection (the BFC)).

In 2012 the defendants and their father formed a partnership to own and merchandise another 208 such items (formerly owned by their father).

After their father’s death disagreement arose as to what should become of the BFC. The claimants sought to have it distributed. The defendants wished to keep it in tact and made available for scholarly study and exhibition and to exploit certain items comm...