In Wong Yuk Tung v Wong Po Ling ([2016] HKEC 2143) a husband and wife were legal joint tenants of the family home. The husband’s business ran into difficulties. He and his wife transferred title to the wife and two of their daughters as tenants in common in equal shares. The husband alleged that the arrangement was entered into to put the home out of reach of his creditors and that the daughters held on trust for him. The daughters disputed this. Recorder Lisa KY Wong SC held that since the question was whether or not there was an express agreement between the father and his daughters, this was a common intention constructive trust rather than a resulting trust case. She referred to Re Superyield Holdings Ltd and Liu Wai Keung v Liu Wai Man. She found that there was evidence of an express agreement that accorded with the father’s case. The daughters held the property (and the properties later bought using the proceeds of sale) on trust for the father.
Michael Lower
