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REAL PROPERTY DRT6568 PROFESSOR MATTHEW P. HARRING DRT6568 Real Property Matthew P. Harrington INTRODUCTION TO PROPERTY................................................................................................................................. 6 What do we mean property?...........................

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REAL PROPERTY DRT6568 BY PROFESSOR MATTHEW P. HARRING

DRT6568 – Real Property

Matthew P. Harrington

INTRODUCTION TO PROPERTY................................................................................................................................. 6 What do we mean by property?.....................................................................................................................................7 The case for private property..........................................................................................................................................8 The right to exclude.........................................................................................................................................................9 Action in Trespass.......................................................................................................................................................9 Harrison v Carswell [1976] 2 SCR 200.......................................................................................................9 The Queen v The Committee for The Commonwealth of Canada [1991] 1 SCR 139.............................10 State v Shack 58 NJ 297 (1971)...............................................................................................................11 New property................................................................................................................................................................12 Midler v Ford Motor Company 849 F.2d 460 (9th Cir. 1988)....................................................................12 Yearworth v North Bristol NHS Trust (UK)...............................................................................................12 Part I: How is property acquired?........................................................................................................................... 13 Chapter I: First possession: discovery, capture, and creation.......................................................................................15 The rule of first possession.......................................................................................................................................15 Acquisition by discovery.......................................................................................................................................16 Johnson v M’Intosh (1823) 21 US (8 Wheat) 543...................................................................................16 Acquisition by capture..........................................................................................................................................17 Pierson v Post (1805) 3 Cains 175 (C.A. N.Y.)...........................................................................................17 Ghen v Rich (1881) 8 F. 159 (D. Mass).....................................................................................................18 Acquisition by creation.........................................................................................................................................19 Victoria Park Racing Ltd. v Taylor (1937) H.C.A. 45.................................................................................19 International News Service v Associated Press (1918) 248 U.S. 215......................................................20 Cheney Brothers v Doris Silk Corp. (1929) 35 F.2d 279 (2d Cir.).............................................................20 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. v Grokster, Ltd. (2005)...................................................................21 Chapter II - subsequent possession: finds, adverse possession, and gif......................................................................22 The law of finds.........................................................................................................................................................22 Finders and First Possession.................................................................................................................................22 Armory v Delamirie (1722), 1 Strange 5050, 93 Eng. Rep. 664 (K.B.).....................................................22 Bridges v Hawkesworth (1851), 21 L.J. Q.B. 75.......................................................................................23 South Staffordshire Water Co. v Sharman (1896) [1896] 2 Q.B. 44........................................................24 Hannah v Peel (1945) [1945] 1 K.B. 509..................................................................................................25 Lost OR Mislaid?...................................................................................................................................................26 McAvoy v Medina (1866) 93 Mass. (11 Allen) 548 (1866)......................................................................26 Moffat v Kazana (1969) [1969] 2 Q.B. 152..............................................................................................28 Parker v British Airways Board (1982) [1982] 1 Q.B. 1004......................................................................28 The “true” owner..................................................................................................................................................29 Adverse possession...................................................................................................................................................30 Possessory Title in Land........................................................................................................................................30 Asher v Whitlock (1865) [L.R.] 1 Q.B. 1...................................................................................................30 Perry v Clissold (1907) [1907] A.C. 73 (P.C.)............................................................................................31 The theory and elements of adverse possession.................................................................................................32 Ontario Real Property Limitations Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. L.15, ss. 4,5,15...................................................32 Pflug and Pflug v Collins (1952) [1952] OR 519, [1952] 3 DLR 681, aff’d [1953] 1 DLR 841...................32 The Quality of Possession................................................................................................................................33 Re St. Clair Beach Estates Ltd. V McDonald et al. (1975) 5 O.R. (2d) 482...............................................33 Inconsistent Use...............................................................................................................................................34

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DRT6568 – Real Property

Matthew P. Harrington

Masidon Investments v Ham (1984) 45 O.R. (2d) 563 (C.A.)..................................................................34 Intention and Mistake......................................................................................................................................35 Keefer v Arillota (1976) 13 OR (2d) 680 (CA)...........................................................................................35 Mannillo v Gorski (1969) 255 A.2d 258 (N.J.)..........................................................................................37 Adverse possession of chattels.............................................................................................................................38 O’Keefe v Snyder (1980) 416 A.2d 862 (N.J.)..........................................................................................38 Gif.............................................................................................................................................................................39 Delivery.................................................................................................................................................................39 Gruen v Gruen (1986) 496 N.E. 2d 869 (N.Y.)..........................................................................................39 Intention...............................................................................................................................................................40 Thomas v Times Book Co., Ltd. (1996) [1996] 1 WLR 911 (Ch. D)..........................................................41 Conditional Gif.....................................................................................................................................................41 Lindh v Surman (1999) 742 A.2d 643 (Penna.)........................................................................................41 Part II: Estates in Land............................................................................................................................................ 43 Chapter III: tenure and estates......................................................................................................................................44 The Doctrine of Tenure.............................................................................................................................................44 Incidents of tenure...............................................................................................................................................45 Seisin.....................................................................................................................................................................45 The Doctrine of Estates.............................................................................................................................................46 Terminology..........................................................................................................................................................47 Absolute estates...................................................................................................................................................48 Fee Simple Absolute (FSA)...............................................................................................................................48 Fee Tail (FT)......................................................................................................................................................48 Fee Tail Male (FTM)..........................................................................................................................................48 Defeasible estates.................................................................................................................................................48 Fee Simple Determinable (FSD).......................................................................................................................49 Fee Simple Subject to Condition Subsequent (FSSCS).....................................................................................49 Fee Simple Subject to Condition Precedent.....................................................................................................50 Wood v County Commissioners 759 O2d 1250.......................................................................................50 Ocean City v Taber 367 A2d 1233 (Md 1977)..........................................................................................51 Conditions repugnant to the grant..............................................................................................................52 Effect of the occurrence of the determining event or the breaking of the condition (afer voiding the condition) – applicable for repugnant clauses............................................................................................53 Essex County Roman Catholic School Board v Antaya 17 OR (2d) 307, 80 D.L.R. (d) 405 (H.C.J.)..........53 In re Tuck’s Settlement Trusts (1978) [1978] Ch. 49 (C.A.)......................................................................54 Life Estates................................................................................................................................................................55 Re Cutter (1916) 37 O.L.R. 42, 31 D.L.R. 382 (H.C.).................................................................................56 Obligations of the life tenant................................................................................................................................56 Re Waters (1978) 21 O.R. (2d) 124, 89 D.L.R. (3d) 742 (H.C.J.)...............................................................57 Baker v Weedon (1972) 262 So.2d (Miss.)..............................................................................................58 Waste........................................................................................................................................................................59 Remedy.................................................................................................................................................................59 Mels v Pabst Brewing Company (1899) 104 Wis. 7.................................................................................59 Woodrick v Wood (1994) 1994 Ohio App. Lexis 2258.............................................................................60 The Rule in Shelly’s case...........................................................................................................................................61 Exercises........................................................................................................................................................................61 Chapter IV: Future interests..........................................................................................................................................62 What is interest.........................................................................................................................................................63 Creating future interests...........................................................................................................................................64 Future interests created in the Grantor...............................................................................................................64

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DRT6568 – Real Property

Matthew P. Harrington

Reversion..........................................................................................................................................................64 Possibility of reverter.......................................................................................................................................64 Right of re-entry...............................................................................................................................................64 Future interests in the Grantee............................................................................................................................65 Vested Remainders...........................................................................................................................................65 Contingent Remainders....................................................................................................................................65 Executory Limitations...........................................................................................................................................66 Shifing Executory Limitation...........................................................................................................................66 Springing Executory Limitation........................................................................................................................66 Contingent remainders v executory interests.............................................................................................66 Rules furthering marketability: destroying contingent future interests...................................................................67 Common Law Remainder Rules............................................................................................................................67 Rule 1: No remainder afer a fee simple..........................................................................................................68 Rule 2: No springing freeholds.........................................................................................................................68 Rule 3: An interest must vest before the end of the preceding estate – timely vested..................................68 Rule 4: No shifing freeholds............................................................................................................................69 Equitable Estates..................................................................................................................................................69 Conveyance to use...........................................................................................................................................69 The Statute of Uses..........................................................................................................................................70 Rule Against Perpetuities......................................................................................................................................70 An interest must vest.......................................................................................................................................70 If at all...............................................................................................................................................................71 A life in being plus 21 years..............................................................................................................................71 Exercices........................................................................................................................................................................74 No wait and see................................................................................................................................................75 Re McKellar (1972) [1972] 3 O.R. 16; 27 D.L.R. 289 (H.J.C.)....................................................................75 Canadian Long Island Petroleums Ltd. V Irving Ltd. (1975) [1975[ 2 S.C.R. 715.....................................76 Perpetuities Reform Movement...........................................................................................................................77 Lucas v Hamm (1961) 56 Cal.2d 583.......................................................................................................77 Chapter V: Co-Ownership and Marital Interests...........................................................................................................78 Tenancy in common..................................................................................................................................................79 Joint Tenancy.............................................................................................................................................................79 Creation................................................................................................................................................................79 Unities..............................................................................................................................................................79 Riddle v Harmon, 162 Cal. Rptr. 530 (Cal. C.A.).......................................................................................80 Rights of Creditors in Joint Tenancies...................................................................................................................80 Harms v. Sprague (1984) 473 N.E. 2d 930 (III.)........................................................................................81 Right of survivorship..............................................................................................................