In Silver Hope Ltd v Chan Kwai Wah Alice ([2013] 1 HKLRD 823, CFI) W had entered into a contract to purchase the property in 1996. The contract amounted to a breach of the New Grant covenants concerning the property. W paid the entire purchase price and entered into possession. The contract was stamped but not registered. In 2012, P obtained a charging order in respect of the property and later an order for sale. W now sought to be joined as a defendant to the proceedings and to stay the execution of the order. To succeed, W needed to show that there was an arguable case that he had an equitable interest in the property. W was met by two arguments. First, that the contract was unlawful and so void (because it was formed in breach of covenant). Second, that the charging order (which had been duly registered) had priority over the unregistered contract.
W succeeded in being joined as a party. He was not relying on the contract but on the equity that arouse out of his having paid the entire purchase price and gone into possession (presumably this is on the basis of the doctrine of part performance). Hence, it could be argued that W would not need to plead the unlawful contract (see Tinsley v Milligan).
As for registration, after Financial and Investment Services for Asia Ltd v Baik Wha International Trading Co Ltd, it is clear that the court can look at the substance of the competing interests (and then consider the impact of registration or a failure to register). This could be seen as a contest between two equitable interests (Hong Kong Civil Procedure 2012 50/9A/17). Thus, it is arguable that W’s equitable interest has priority over the charging order notwithstanding the failure to register it.
