Resulting Trust Presumption

 

The decision Schouten Estate v Swagerman- Schouten  2014 BCSC 2320 confirmed the case law that the law relating to resulting trust presumption law also apply to real property (land).

 

There had been some issue in law at one time due to the provisions of the Land Title Act.

 

3) in gratuitous transfer situations, the actual intention of the transferor is the governing consideration (Pecore at paras. 43-44; Kerr v. Baranow, 2011 SCC 10 at para. 18; Bergen at para. 38). In the case of an interest in land as joint tenants, it does not follow as a matter of law that an immediate irrevocable gift was given: the transferee must still rebut the presumption of resulting trust by bringing evidence of intention (Bergen at para. 22).

[4]             It appears settled now in British Columbia that the equitable presumptions established in Pecore apply to real property transfers (Fuller at paras. 41-45; Chung v. La, 2011 BCSC 1547, at paras. 45-46, 55 [Chung]; Aujla v. Kaila, 2010 BCSC 1739 at paras. 31-37 [Aujla]; Modonese v. Delac Estate, 2011 BCSC 82 at paras. 141-142; Suen v. Suen, 2013 BCCA 313 at paras. 35-38). Thus, the presumption of title in s. 23(2) of the Land Title Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 250 as conclusive proof of title may be displaced by equitable presumptions that take into account the equitable interests between the parties in certain circumstances (Chung at para. 47; Aujla at para. 32). This is so even though title to the property in question may have been settled before 2007 when Pecore was decided (Kuo v. Kuo, 2014 BCSC 519 at paras. 225-227).