Ralph v Ralph [2021] WTLR 1443

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Winter 2021 #185

The claimant was the son of the defendant. The parties were the registered owners of a residential property. The property was purchased through a mortgage which was obtained using the claimant’s earnings. The defendant paid the balance of the purchase price meaning that the claimant made no contribution. The TR1 was signed by the transferors but not the claimant and defendant as transferees, but nevertheless contained a manuscript cross in Box 11 recording that ‘the transferees are to hold the property on trust for themselves as tenants in common in equal shares’. The claimant claimed a ...

Dukeries Healthcare Ltd v Bay Trust International Ltd & ors [2021] WTLR 809

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Autumn 2021 #184

The claims concerned various tax avoidance schemes that had been established as ‘Remuneration Trusts’ for the claimants by Baxendale Walker LLP. The claimants were a successful businessman, Mr Levack, and various businesses of which he was a director and/or shareholder. In each case, one of the claimants was the ‘founder’ of the relevant trust. The defendants were various corporate entities having had a role in the trusts, together with HMRC.

The claimants maintained that the Remuneration Trusts had been entered into on the basis that they would offer various tax benefits, and wou...

Ralph v Ralph WTLR(w) 2021-04

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Web Only

A house was purchased in the joint names of the defendant and his son, the claimant. At least part of the reason for the claimant’s inclusion was that it allowed the defendant to benefit from a mortgage needed to finance the purchase. The TR1 bore an ‘X’ in Box 11 which appeared next to the words ‘the transferees are to hold the property on trust for themselves as tenants in common in equal shares’. The claimant sought a declaration that the property was held as described by Box 11 and an order for sale. The defendant maintained in a number of witness statements that the ticking of Box 1...

Rectification of common mistake: Welcome pragmatism

The Court of Appeal has reversed a controversial line of case law on the rectification of contracts where both parties are mistaken about a contract’s legal effect, as Oliver Saunders finds out ‘The Court of Appeal conducted a review of the historic case law on rectification beginning with the traditional equitable jurisdiction to correct mistakes …
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Price v Saundry & anr [2019] WTLR 683

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Summer 2019 #175

The First Defendant sought to rectify two declarations of trust entered into by the Claimant and the deceased husband of the First Defendant (“Mr Saundry”) in 2006 and 2009. The trusts arose out of a residential property business operated by Mr Saundry and the deceased husband of the Claimant (“Mr Price”).

Both of the declarations of trust related to a large number of properties, which were legally held in Mr Saundry’s sole name, but according to the declarations of trust were beneficially owned as tenants in common in equal shares by Mr Saundry and the Claimant.

The 2006 d...

Day & anr v Day [2013] EWCA Civ 280

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | June 2013 #130

The appellants appealed from a first instance decision by Mr Recorder Chapman QC on 15 May 2012, which refused their application for an order for rectification of a conveyance that was executed on behalf of their mother (Mrs Day) by her solicitor (Mr Froud) who was acting as her attorney. The conveyance was dated 6 June 1985. The conveyance had transferred Mrs Day’s home from her sole name into the names or her and her son (the respondent) as beneficial joint tenants. The purpose of the transaction was to enable borrowing to be secured against the property by the respondent. Mrs Day died...

Lawie v Lawie & ors [2012] EWHC 2940 (Ch)

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | January/February 2013 #126

The claimant (SL) sought rectification of a deed of trust that he and his late wife (PL) had executed in 2006.

SL and PL determined, on the advice of Mr Tollins (a financial advisor at the Norwich & Peterborough Building Society (the building society)) that they wanted £100,000 (just under half of their net assets at the time) to be held in a Legal & General portfolio bond, which was to be held on a flexible trust for the benefit of their children and grandchildren. They expressed an intention to be able to alter the class of discretionary objects and the percentage entitl...

Wills v Gibbs & ors [2007] EWHC 3361 (Ch)

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | June 2012 #120

The testator (T) died on 11 January 2005 leaving his share of the farming business they carried on together to the third defendant (PW) together with land. PW wished to exercise the opportunity to vary T’s will by deed of variation so as to pass this inheritance to his son, the claimant (RW) and so avoid the possibility of the disposition being a lifetime transfer taking effect as a potentially exempt transfer (PET) giving rise to an Inheritance Tax (IHT) liability should PW die within seven years of the gift. PW was concerned that opportunity to make such a deed might be swept awa...