1 Table of Contents TOPIC #5 – THE DOCTRINE OF ESTATES ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 1. FREEHOLD ESTATES ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 1) Fee Simple ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 3 2. Fee Tail (Abolished in AB) ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 3 3. Life Estate ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 2. THE LIFE ESTATE: GENERALLY ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 a) General ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 4 b) Creation (Re Walker, Re Taylor, Martini).................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 (ii) some problems of construction (Re Walker; Re Taylor; Martini Estate) ..................................................................................................................................... 5 3. GENERAL RIGHTS OF USE AND ENJOYMENT (POWERS ESTATE)............................................................................................................................................................................... 7 General powers of use and enjoyment of life estate owner: ...................................................................................................................................................................... 7 (a) The settlement concept: the life tenant-remainder person relationship ..................................................................................................................................... 7 (b) Income v. capital beneficiary (Fruit and Tree) ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 8 (c) Possession and the equitable life estate ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8 (d) Liability for waste ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 8 (e) The balancing of other rights and obligations (insurance, taxes, repairs, heating, Trusts) ................................................................................................ 9 (f) General powers of alienation ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 10 (h) Mortgages ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 11 (j) Settled estates legislation ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 11 (j) Valuation ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 11 4. LIFE ESTATE BY OPERATION OF LAW ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 11 (a) common law dower (for widow) and curtesy (for widower) ......................................................................................................................................................... 11 (c) Alberta's dower regime refer to example doc ................................................................................................................................................................................. 12 5. ESTATE IN PERSONALTY ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 16 6. ABORIGINAL TITLE ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 16 Nature of Aboriginal title ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 17 Rules of recognition ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 17 Loss or alteration ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Rights short of title ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 21 Legislative rights ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 21 TOPIC #6 THE ORIGINS AND NATURE OF EQUITABLE INTERESTS ....................................................................................................................... 23 1. THE POSITION IN EARLY EQUITY (BUTT) .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 23 (a) the development of equity ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 23 2. THE CONCEPT OF A 'USE' A WAY OF HOLDING LAND ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 24 3. THE STATUTE OF USES (1535) —HENRY THE EIGHTH LEGISLATED THIS—CLOSED TAX LOOPHOLE. .......................................................................................................... 25 (a) The rationale of state action ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 25 (b) The focal provision............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 25 (c) The basic operation of the Statute ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 25 Some Incidental Effects of the Statute of Uses ............................................................................................................................................................................................