Экзамен зачет учебный год 2023 / Dixon, Modern Land Law
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Table of Statutes
Landlord and Tenant
Act 1927 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.7.3 s 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.6.2.1.1
Landlord and Tenant
Act 1954 . . . . . . . . . 6.5.2, 6.9.1 Landlord and Tenant Act 1985—
s 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.1, 6.2.1 s 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.8.3 s 38 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.8.2 s 39(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.8.2
Landlord and Tenant (Covenants) Act 1995 . . 2.7.2.2, 2.8.1, 3.6.1,
3.8, 6.3.6, 6.4.2, 6.5.2, 6.5.9, 6.5.10, 6.5.15, 6.6, 6.6.1, 6.6.2, 6.6.2.1, 6.6.2.2, 8.3, 8.6.2
s 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.6.1 s 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.6.1, 6.6.2 s 3(1)(a). . . . . . . . . . . . 3.8, 6.6.1 s 3(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.6.1 s 3(5) . . . . . . . . . 6.6.4, 8.3, 8.5.2 s 3(6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.3 s 3(6)(a). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.6.2.2 s 3(6)(b) . . . . . . . 6.5.10, 6.6.2.2, 6.6.3
s 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.5.11, 6.6.3 s 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.6.1, 6.6.2.1 s 6. . . . . . . . . . 6.6.1, 6.6.3. 6.6.4 s 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.6.1 s 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.6.2.1 s 11(2), (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.6.1 s 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.6.1, 6.6.2.1 s 16(1), (3), (b). . . . . . . . 6.6.2.1, 6.6.2.1.1
ss 17, 18 . . 6.4.2, 6.5.2, 6.6.2.1.2 ss 19, 20 . . . . . . . . . . 6.4.2, 6.5.2 s 20(6) . . . . . . . . . . 2.7.2.2, 3.6.1 s 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.6.2.1.1 s 24(4) . . . . . . . . . . 6.6.1, 6.6.2.2 s 28(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.6.1
Law of Property Act 1922—
s 145. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.2.4, 6.5.2 Sched 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.2.4 Sched 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.5.2 Law of Property Act 1925 . . . 1.1, 1.3,
1.5, 1.5.1, 1.6, 2.3, 2.11.2, 3.1, 3.2.1, 3.3, 3.4, 4.4, 4.4.2, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9.2, 4.9.8, 4.9.9, 4.10.6, 5.2, 5.3, 7.2.4, 10.1.5, 10.2, 10.3, 10.8.1, 10.10.2
s 1 . . . . . . 1.2.1.3, 1.2.1.4, 1.3.3, 1.3.4, 1.3.4.1, 1.3.4.2, 1.3.6, 2.3, 2.4.1, 2.4.2, 3.2.3, 3.3, 3.4, 3.6.1, 6.1, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, 8.1.3
s 1(3) . . . . 1.2.1.1, 1.2.1.3, 1.3.3 s 1(6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.4.2 s 2. . . . 2.4.2, 2.10.1, 2.10.2, 3.7, 5.2.1, 5.3.10, 9.4
s 2(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.7 s 2(1)(ii) . . . . . 2.10.2, 4.7, 4.9.8 s 2(1)(iii) . . . . . . . . . . . 10.10.2.1 s 27 . . . . . . . . . . 2.4.2, 4.7, 4.9.8 s 30 . . . . . . . . . . 4.7, 4.9.1, 4.9.2 s 34 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.4.2, 4.7 s 34(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.4.2 s 35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.7 s 36 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.4.2, 4.7 s 36(2) . . . . . . . . . . 4.4.2, 4.11.1 s 40. . . . . 1.3.4.2, 6.3.4, 7.5, 9.4, 10.8.3
s 44(5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.6.2 s 52 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.5.5 s 52(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.3.2 s 52(2)(d) . . . . . . . 1.3.4.1, 6.3.2 s 53 . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3.4.2, 1.3.5 s 53(1) . . . . . 4.5, 4.10.1, 4.10.4, 4.10.6, 9.8
s 53(1)(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3.6 s 53(1)(c) . . . . . . . 10.8.1, 10.8.5 s 53(2) . . . 1.3.4.2, 1.3.6, 4.10.1, 4.10.6, 9.8
s 54(2) . . . . . . . . . . 1.3.4.1, 6.3.2 s 56 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.4.5 s 62. . . . . . . 2.7.3.3, 6.3.6, 7.4.1, 7.4.3, 7.6.1.4, 7.9.4, 7.9.5, 7.9.6, 8.6.2
s 63 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.11.2 s 77 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.5.2 s 78. . . . . . . . . 8.5.3, 8.6.1, 8.6.2
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Table of Statutes
s 79. . . . . . . . 6.5.15, 8.5.4, 8.7.4 s 79(1) . . . . . . . . . . . 8.5.4, 8.7.4 s 79(2) . . . . . . 8.5.4, 8.6.1, 8.7.4 s 84. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.6.2, 8.7.6 s 84(1), (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.7.6 s 85(1) . . . . . 10.4, 10.4.2, 10.10 s 85(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.4 s 86 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.5 s 87. . . . . . . 10.4.2, 10.5.2, 10.6, 10.10
s 87(1) . . . . . . . . . 10.1.2, 10.1.3 s 88 . . . . . . . . 10.10.2.1, 10.10.5 s 91. . . . . . . . . 10.9.8, 10.10.2.2, 10.10.3.1, 10.10.3.3
s 91(2) . . . . . . . 10.10.5.1, 10.11 s 98. . . . . . . . . . . 10.9.8, 10.10.3 s 99 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.9.8 s 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.10.4
Law of Property Act 1925 (Contd.)
s 101(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.8.1 s 101(1)(i) . . . . . . . . . . . 10.10.2 s 103 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.10.2 s 104 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.10.2.2 ss 105, 113 . . . . . . . . . 10.10.2.1 s 136 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.6.1 s 141 . . . . . . . . . . . 6.5.11, 6.5.14 s 141(1) . . . . 6.5.3, 6.5.9, 6.5.10, 6.5.11, 6.5.14, 6.5.15
s 142. . . . . . 6.5.10, 6.5.14, 6.6.1 s 142(1) . . . 6.5.10, 6.5.14, 6.6.4 s 146 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.7.5.4 s 146(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.7.5.4 s 149(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.2.4 s 146(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.7.5.4 s 149(6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.2.4 s 153. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.9.6, 8.7.2 s 193(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.10.5 s 196(4). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.11.1 s 198 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.6.2 s 198(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.6, 3.6.2 s 199. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.6.3, 3.6.4 s 205 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.2 s 205(1)(ix) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1 s 205(1)(xxvii). . . . . . . . . . 6.2.5
Law of Property Act 1969—
s 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3 s 24(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.6 s 25(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.6.2
Law of Property
(Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989 . . 1.3.4.1, 6.3.2, 6.3.4, 9.4, 10.8.3, 10.8.6
s 1 . . . . . . 1.1, 1.3.4.1, 6.3.2, 8.1 s 2 . . . . 1.3.4.2, 1.3.5, 3.6.1, 3.8, 4.11.2, 6.3.4, 7.5, 9.3.3, 9.5, 9.5.1, 9.8, 10.8.1, 10.8.2, 10.8.3, 10.8.4, 10.8.5
s 2(5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.8 s 2(5)(a). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3.4.2 s 2(5)(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3.4.2 s 2(5)(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3.4.2, 1.3.6
s 2(8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3.4.2 s 40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.3.4
Leasehold Property (Repairs)
Act 1938 . . . . . . . . 6.7.3,6.7.5.4, 6.7.5.7
s 1(5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.7.5.7 Leasehold Reform Act 1967—
s 5(5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.7.2.2 Leasehold Reform, Housing and
Urban Development Act 1993— s 97(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.7.2.2
Limitation Act 1980 . . . . . . . . . 2.7.2.6, 10.10.3.3, 11.1 11.2.3.1
s 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.10.1 s 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.2.1 s 17 . . . . . . . . . 11.2.3.1, 11.2.3.2 s 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.7.2 s 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.10.1 ss 29, 30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.2.2 Sched 1 . . . . . . . . 11.1.1, 11.2.1
Local Land Charges
Act 1975 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.7.2.4 Matrimonial Causes
Act 1973 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.10.9 Matrimonial Homes
Act 1983 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.6.1
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Table of Statutes
Matrimonial Proceedings and Property Act 1970—
s 37. . . . . . . . . . . . 4.10.5, 4.10.9 Prescription Act 1832 . . . 7.4.2, 7.10.1,
7.10.2, 7.11, 7.11.3
s 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.10.2, 7.11.3 s 3 . . . . . 7.10.2, 7.10.3.4, 7.11.3 Protection From Eviction Act 1977— s 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.7.5.1 Rent Act 1977 . . . . . 6.2.1, 6.2.5, 6.9.1,
10.10.3.3
Rights of Light Act 1959 . . . . . . 7.11.3 Road Traffic Act 1930—
s 14(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.10.5 Settled Land Act 1925 . . . . . . . . 1.5.2, 2.7.2.2, 2.7.4, 2.8.1, 2.10.2, 3.2.5,
3.6.1, 3.7, 5.2, 5.3, 5.3.3, 5.5, 9.3.7 Pt II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3.2 s 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3 s 1(7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3 s 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3 s 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3.2, 5.3.3 s 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3.3 s 13. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3.8, 5.3.10 s 18. . . . . . . . 5.3.8, 5.3.9, 5.3.10 s 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3.2 s 24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3.11 s 30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3.2 ss 38, 41, 51 . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3.4 ss 53, 58 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3.4 ss 64–67 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3.4 s 71 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3.4 s 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3.5 s 101(2), (4), (5). . . . . . . . . 5.3.5 ss 104, 106 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3.7 s 107. . . . . . . . 5.3.2, 5.3.4, 5.3.6 s 110 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3.9
Statute of Westminster
1275 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.11.1
Town and Country Planning
Act 1990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.5.3 Trustee Act 1925. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Trusts of Land and Appointment of
Trustees Act 1996 . . . . . . 1.3.6, 3.2.5, 3.8, 4.4, 4.4.2, 4.6, 4.7, 4.9.1, 4.9.2, 4.9.3, 4.9.4, 4.9.5, 4.9.9, 4.9.10, 4.9.11, 4.9.12, 4.10.7, 5.2, 5.2.1, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 9.8
Pt I. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.7 s 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.2 s 2 . . . . 1.5.2, 2.10.2, 4.9.13, 5.2 s 3 . . . . . . . . 2.7.2.2, 4.7, 4.9.10, 4.9.13, 5.2.1
s 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.4.2, 5.2 s 5 . . . . . . . . . . 4.4.2, 4.9.13, 5.2 s 6 . . . . . . . . . . 4.7, 4.11.4, 5.2.1 s 6(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.2.1 s 7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.9.12, 5.2.1 s 8 . . . . . . 4.7, 4.9.7, 4.9.6, 5.2.1 s 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.7, 5.2.1 s 10 . . . . . . . . . . 4.7, 4.9.5, 5.2.1 s 11 . . . . . . . 4.9.2, 4.9.5, 4.9.11, 4.9.13, 4.11.4, 5.2.1, 6.9.3
s 12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2.2, 5.2.1 s 12(1)(a), (2). . . . . . . . . . . 5.2.1 s 12(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.8, 5.2.1 s 13 . . . . . . 4.2.2, 4.9.11, 4.9.12, 5.2.1
s 13(7). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.9.11 s 14 . . . . 2.10.2, 2.10.3, 3.7, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9.1, 4.9.2, 4.9.3, 4.9.4, 4.9.5, 4.9.6, 4.9.7, 4.9.9, 4.9.10, 5.2.1, 5.5, 10.10.3.3
s 15. . . . 4.9.1, 4.9.3, 4.9.4, 5.2.1 s 15(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.9.3 s 16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.9.6, 5.2.1 Sched 1 . . . . . . . . 1.2.1.3, 4.9.13 Sched 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.8
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TABLES OF STATUATORY INSTRUMENTS AND
EUROPEAN LEGISLATION
Statutory instruments
Land Registration Act (Transitional Provisions) (No 2) Order 2003 (SI 2003/2431) . . . . . . . 2.7.2.5, 2.7.3.6
Sched 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.7.2.5 Land Registration Rules 2003
(SI 2003/1417) . . . 1.7, 2.1, 2.3, 2.5.1, 2.7.2.1
r 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.7.2.2 r 57 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.7.4 r 57(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.7.2.1 rr 73, 74 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.6.1 r 80 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.8.2 r 81(1)(c)(ii) . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.8.2 r 84 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.8.1
r 84(3), (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.8.1 r 86(2) . . . . . . . . . . . 2.8.1, 2.8.7 r 126 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.11.1 r 258 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.6.1.5 Sched 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.9
European legislation
European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
Art 8 . . . . . . . 4.9.3, 10.10.3.3 European Convention on the
Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, Protocol No 1—
Art 1 . . . . 4.9.3, 10.10.3.3, 11.1.2, 11.5
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TABLE OF ACRONYMS |
Terms |
|
AGA |
Authorised Guarantee Agreement |
Legislation |
|
AJA |
Administration of Justice Act |
CCA |
Consumer Credit Act |
FLA |
Family Law Act |
FSMA |
Financial Services and Markets Act |
LA |
Limitation Act |
LCA |
Land Charges Act |
LPA |
Law of Property Act |
LP(MP)A |
Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act |
LRA |
Land Registration Act |
LRR |
Land Registration Rules |
LT(C)A |
Landlord and Tenants (Covenants) Act |
SLA |
Settled Land Act |
TOLATA |
Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act |
Journals |
|
CLJ |
Cambridge Law Journal |
Conv |
The Conveyancer and Property Lawyer |
CLP |
Current Legal Problems |
LQR |
Law Quarterly Review |
LS |
Legal Studies |
MLR |
Modern Law Review |
SLR |
Student Law Review |
SLRYB |
Student Law Review Yearbook |
xlv
CHAPTER 1
AN INTRODUCTION TO MODERN LAND LAW
Land law is a subject steeped in history. It has its first origins in the feudal reforms imposed on England by William the Conqueror after 1066 and many of the most fundamental concepts and principles of land law spring from the economic and social changes that began then. However, while these concepts and the feudal origins of land law should not, and cannot, be ignored, we must remember that we are about to examine a system of law that is alive and well in the twenty-first century. It would be easy to embark on an historical survey of land law, but not necessarily entirely profitable. Of course, the concepts and principles that were codified and refined in the years leading up to 1 January 1926 – the effective date of the first wave of great legislative reforms1 – were themselves the products of decades of development, and every student of the subject must come to grips with the unfamiliar terminology and substance of the common law. Yet, the purpose of this book is to present land law as it is today without obscuring the concepts and principles it is built upon. Indeed, as we move speedily forward in our electronic age, there is no doubt that the system of land law that came into effect on 1 January 1926 is itself creaking with the strain of absorbing all that has happened to society since then. It too has had to grow and develop in response to these changes. Consequently, although the substance of modern land law remains governed by the structure established by the Law of Property Act 1925, over 80 years of social and economic changes, far-reaching judicial pronouncements and further legislation have all played a part in moulding the substantive law to the needs of the modern age. In this respect, the most significant legislative change in recent times is the Land Registration Act 2002 (hereafter, LRA 2002). This came into force on 13 October 20032 and replaced entirely the Land Registration Act 1925. It heralded a new era for the law of real property, and its full effect has not yet been felt.
The LRA 2002 was the product of years of consideration and consultation by the Law Commission in conjunction with Her Majesty’s Land Registry.
1In particular, the Law of Property Act 1925, the LRA 1925 (now the LRA 2002), the Trustee Act 1925, the Administration of Estates Act 1925 and the Land Charges Act 1925 (now the Land Charges Act 1972).
2An unusual date for such momentous legislation. It was chosen so as to give enough time for the reforms to become ‘live’ before another piece of amending legislation – the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 – was brought into force. In the event, the entry into force of the Commonhold Act was delayed.
1
Modern Land Law
The reforms, the development of which are chronicled in detail in Law Commission Report No 271, Land Registration for the 21st Century: A Conveyancing Revolution, are designed to provide a new and genuinely modern mechanism for the regulation of land of registered title. Many of the changes made by the 2002 Act are controversial – at least for some commentators – not least the prospective introduction of a system of electronic conveyancing.3 This system – paperless, swift and hopefully efficient – will do much more than revolutionise the way in which land is sold or transferred. It marks the end of much ancient law (and lore) and is the clean break with the feudal past that has been too long coming. Indeed, it is not too grand to say that the consequences of the reforms of the system of land registration already achieved by the LRA 2002, together with the gradual introduction of electronic conveyancing, will revolutionise land law in England and Wales. There is little that will be untouched and the first years of the twenty-first century will witness as radical a change to the way we use and enjoy this precious resource called ‘land’ as did those lawyers who first grappled with the 1925 legislation. For a property lawyer, these are interesting times.
1.1 The nature and scope of the law of real property
The ‘law of real property’ (or land law) is, obviously, concerned with land, rights in or over land and the processes whereby those rights and interests are created and transferred. One starting point might be to consider the meaning of ‘land’ itself or, more properly, the legal definition of ‘land’ as found in the Law of Property Act (LPA) 1925. According to section 205(1)(ix) of the LPA 1925:
Land includes land of any tenure, and mines and minerals … buildings or parts of buildings and other corporeal hereditaments; also a manor, an advowson, and a rent and other incorporeal hereditaments, and an easement, right, privilege, or benefit in, over, or derived from land;
Clearly, this is complicated and the statutory definition assumes that the reader already has a working knowledge of the basic concepts of land law, such as ‘incorporeal hereditaments’ or ‘easements’. In essence, what this statutory definition seeks to convey and what is at the heart of land law, is the idea that ‘land’ includes not only tangible, physical property like fields, factories, houses, shops and soil, but also intangible rights in the land, such as the right to walk across a neighbour’s driveway (an example of an ‘easement’),
3Although the LRA 2002 itself is in force, the provisions concerning electronic conveyancing, particularly section 93, are not yet operative. At the time of writing, no firm date has been set for the introduction of full e-conveyancing, although pilot projects have been completed and limited use of electronic registration has been made in connection with mortgages.
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Chapter 1: An Introduction to Modern Land Law
the creation of a charge on land to secure a debt (a ‘mortgage’), the right to control the use to which a neighbour may put his land (a ‘restrictive covenant’) or the right to take something from another’s land, such as fish (being a ‘profit’ and an example of an ‘incorporeal hereditament’). As a matter of legal definition, ‘land’ is both the physical asset and the rights that the owner or others may enjoy in or over it. Consequently, ‘land law’ is the study of the creation, transfer, operation and termination of these rights and the manner in which they affect the use and enjoyment of the physical asset.
It is also important to appreciate why land law is fundamentally different from other legal disciplines, such as contract law or the law of tort. As we shall see, very many transactions concerning land or intangible rights in land take place through the medium of a contract. Thus, land is sold through a contract and a mortgage is also a contract of debt between lender and landowner. Similarly, the right to enjoy the exclusive possession of another’s land for a defined period of time (a ‘lease’) may be given by a contract between the owner of the land (technically, the owner of an ‘estate’ in the land and in this context the ‘landlord’) and the person who is to enjoy the right (in this context the ‘tenant’). Obviously, the conclusion of such a contract would bind the parties to it as a matter of simple contract law and, pending the introduction of electronic, paperless conveyancing, the contract might require one of the parties to ‘complete’ the transaction by executing a deed that formally ‘grants’ the right to the other.4 In such cases, the contract is said to ‘merge with the grant’, and the contract ceases to have any separate existence. Indeed, in everyday conveyancing practice, the parties to such a transaction may choose to proceed directly by grant (i.e. by deed) without first formally concluding a separate contract. Clearly, however, whether the parties are bound by a ‘mere’ contract, or by the more formal ‘deed of grant’, they may enforce the contract or deed against each other: in the former case, by an action for damages or specific performance, and in the latter by relying on the covenants (i.e. promises) contained in the deed. In fact, when it becomes possible – or even compulsory – to create property rights electronically without a paper deed or a written contract, it will remain true that the parties to the ‘electronic bargain’ will be bound to each other. Yet the thing that is so special about ‘real property rights’, whether created by contract, by grant, by e-conveyancing or by some other method,5 is that they are capable of affecting other people, not simply the parties that originally created the right. To put it another way, ‘land law rights’ are capable of attaching to the land
4A deed is a formal written document, executed, signed and delivered as such, by the grantor of the right and witnessed as such by a third person; see section 1 Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989. It is no longer necessary to fix a red seal to a deed.
5For example, by long use (prescription) or through proprietary estoppel.
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