Re Draper's Conveyance

Re Draper’s Conveyance [1969] 1 Ch 486 is an English land law case, concerning co-ownership of land.

Facts

A husband and wife, joint tenants, divorced and she issued a summons under the Married Woman’s Property Act 1882 section 17 for the house to be sold and proceeds split between them. She swore an affidavit saying she wanted proceeds to be ‘distributed equally; alternatively, that [the husband] pay me one half the value ...’. An order for possession and sale was made, but the husband could remain in possession until his death. He died before divorce proceedings were finished. The children of the husband wanted there to be severance so they could claim the father’s share, and not have her entitled to the whole. The question was whether a severance of the joint tenancy was effective.

Judgment

Plowman J held there was severance in equity with the affidavit supporting the summons on 11 February 1966. He noted counsel’s argument that the court has no power under MWPA 1882 to sever the beneficial joint tenancy. That was irrelevant because the affidavit severed, not the court. That was the true construction of LPA 1925 section 36.

See also

• English trusts law
• English land law
• English property law

References