Here you will find summarised property law notes for the entire Monash University topic (Both Property A and Property B).
The summary notes are an excellent exam help, with steps to work out whether a particular issue is found in a problem question, and relevant precedent and case citations for that HD answer. They are short enough for use in an exam, but detailed enough that you will never miss a point.
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The following is a more accessible plain text extract of the PDF sample above, taken from our Property Law Notes. Due to the challenges of extracting text from PDFs, it will have odd formatting:
Characteristics of Property:
The right to use or enjoy
It is not necessary that ‘the dominion of the owner be absolute or fixed’ Wily v Saint George Partnership Banking Ltd
The right to alienate
Not always an essential characteristic but is generally correct Mason J in R v Toohey
The right to exclude
This is a private right exercisable against the general public
Title: ownership rights over property as recognised by a legal system
Ownership: the right recognised by the law, in respect to a piece of property to exercise with respect to that property all such rights as by law are capable of being exercised.
The Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Section 20 provides that a person: “must not be deprived of his or her property other than in accordance with the law”
Classification of property
Real (Land) immovable
Incorporeal (intangible rights). Describes lesser rights over land
Easement
Corporeal (tangible rights). Possessory right.
Land (an estate in land)
Personal (Goods) movable
Chattels real (leases)
Chattels personal
Tangible: Chose in possession eg. books and furniture
Intangible: Chose in action eg. shares, damages
What type of land is involved?
Torrents System Land
Registered interest under the Transfer of Land Act 1958
Registering your interest will cure any defect that you had in your interest
General Law Land
Section 44 Property Law Act: Must show chain of title dating back the last 30 years
Ownership must be transferred via deed.
Doctrine of Tenure
The Crown owns all land absolutely
Operated pre-Mabo to obstruct recognition of Native Title
Is the interest legal or equitable?
Legal
Through Torrens System registration
Equitable (not enforceable against purchaser of a legal interest who gives value and takes without notice of the equitable interest) Tulk v Moxhay
Restrictive covenant
Beneficiary under Trust: Separates the legal holder and equitable holder of the land
Methods:
Person seeking to establish a trust retain the legal/equitable interest in the property, but declares that it is held on trust for the beneficiary
Holder of legal interest may transfer the interest to a 3rd party (the trustee) with a direction that the interest is to be held on trust for the beneficiary.
Express trust:
A conveys land to T on trust for B
It requires writing to create it – section 53 (1) PLA
May be created inter vivos or by will
Person may declare him or herself the trustee of property:
A owns Land. A declares himself as trustee of land for B
Created via will:
A devises land to T on trust for B1 for life, remainder to B2
Remedies (trusts which are imposed by a court exercising equitable jurisdiction)
Constructive trust: one party is placed at a special disadvantage to another and the latter party take unfair advantage of the opportunity
Resulting Trust: title holder of property is a purchaser who has not provided all the funds. In certain circumstances the title holder is deemed to hold the property on trust for the party providing the money
Exception: if you parents have chipped in
Presumption can be rebutted
Nature of Title
Title by possession
Adverse possession
If the land is under Torrens system and someone has stayed on your land without consent for more than 15 years, your title is extinguished. The person who stays there was a type of title for those 15 years, not good against owner but others eg. trespassers.
Nature of interest
Possessory
Lease
Fee simple
Fee state
Non-possessory (Right of use and enjoyment)
Restrictive covenant
A ‘negative agreement’ by which a person (third party) refrains from doing something.
It is an equitable right.
Did the party know about the RC? Did it ‘go to his conscience? Tulk Moxhay
What was the price paid for the land? Was it a lower price to reflect the RC? Tulk v Moxhay
Easement
Profit a prendre
Enables a person to take part of the soil or produce of land that someone else owns. It is a right to take from the land, as in the mining of minerals.
Security interest: eg. mortgages
Property in a spectacle
There is no property right in a spectacle Victoria Park Racing v Taylor
The law cannot erect fences the Plaintiff is unwilling to provide
Property rights are not unfettered
Mere fact information is obtained as a result of trespass does not make it confidential ABC v Lenah Game Meats
Property rights are not unfettered. Even if you have ownership it doesn’t mean you can be free from all interferences Victoria Park Racing
Property in the human body
Estates
Subjects of the Crown do not ‘own’ land in an absolute sense (Doctrine of Tenure) but hold it ‘of the Crown’ (Doctrine of Estates).
Freehold estates provide the closest interest to ‘ownership’ (as opposed to leasehold estates). They are on uncertain duration.
Freehold
Fee simple
Equivalent of full ownership Gumana v NT
Indefinite duration
Methods of alienation:
Inter vivos disposition is a grant during the life of the grantor
Testamentary disposition is a grant by will
The crown will assume absolute ownership of that parcel if no one is entitled to it when you die
Life estate and fee simple
Two types:
Life estate for the life of the grantee
A life estate for the life of a person other than the grantee (life estate pur auture vie)
If life estate was given to B for the life of A, B’s interest is terminated when A dies
What if B dies before A? Doctrine of occupancy: if heirs were specifically mentioned in the grant then it would go to...
Buy the full version of these notes or essay plans and more in our Property Law Notes.
Here you will find summarised property law notes for the entire Monash University topic (Both Property A and Property B).
The summary notes are an excellent exam help, with steps to work out whether a particular issue is found in a problem question, and relevant precedent and case citations for that HD answer. They are short enough for use in an exam, but detailed enough that you will never miss a point.
...
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