In Lee Yee Yan Eva v Lee Tak Gate Richard ([2018] HKCFI 1137) a flat was bought in the joint names of a sister and brother (E and R). E provided the entire purchase price. R refused to comply with E’s request to transfer the legal title into her sole name.
Peter Ng J. saw this as a classic purchase price resulting trust. He referred to Lord Browne-Wilkinson’s statement of the law:
‘Under existing law a resulting trust arises in two sets of circumstances: (A) where A … pays (wholly or in part) for the purchase of property which is vested … in the joint names of A and B, there is a presumption that A did not intend to make a gift to B: the … property is held on trust for A (if he is the sole provider of the money) … It is important to stress that this is only a presumption, which presumption is easily rebutted either by the counter-presumption of advancement or by direct evidence of A’s intention to make an outright transfer.’ (Westdeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale v Islington London Borough Council [1996] AC 669, 708A-B).
It all depended on E’s subjective intention ([38]) and, as to this, the evidence supported E’s case; there was no suggestion that she intended R to be an equitable co-owner.
Peter Ng J. also pointed out that there was no authority for the idea of a presumption of advancement between siblings ([27]).
R was ordered to convey the property to E.
Michael Lower