In Liden v Burton ([2016] EWCA Civ 275) B and L co-habited in B’s home for twelve years until they broke up in 2013. B’s home was mortgaged and he was concerned that he would not be able to keep up with the mortgage payments. He asked L to contribute and she made monthly payments to him of GBP 500. She asked him to explain how this was made up and he agreed that GBP 200 of this was ‘towards the house.’ The sum of these payments ‘towards the house’ came to GBP 28,500. L made the payments because of her reliance on the relationship (that he would look after her forever) and because of the later assurance that the payment was ‘towards the house’ which she reasonably understood to mean that she was to have an interest in the house. At first instance, the judge found that the elements of proprietary estoppel were present. B held the house on trust under the terms of which the first GBP 32,500 (GBP 28,000 plus interest) of the equity was held on trust for L. The English Court of Appeal (Hamblen LJ giving the main judgment) upheld the first instance decision.
The assurances about the the long-term nature of the relationship and that the house would be their joint home were confirmed by the assurance that the payments were ‘towards the house’ ([28] – [30]). There was clear reliance and the GBP 200 payments were detriment. ‘The combination of reliance and detriment leads to and justifies the conclusion of unconscionability’ ([32]). The judge had a discretion as to how to satisfy the equity and it could not be said that the trust securing the repayment of the contributions with interest was more than the minimum required to do justice.
Michael Lower
