Re Dennis
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Citation[1996] Ch 80
Subsequent actionnone
| Re Dennis | |
|---|---|
 Their interests became severed on the act of bankruptcy, not the order for bankruptcy | |
| Citation | [1996] Ch 80 |
| Case history | |
| Subsequent action | none |
| Case opinions | |
| Held: The interests of joint tenants are severed on the act of bankruptcy, not the order for bankruptcy | |
| Keywords | |
| Co-ownership; act of bankruptcy; whether severs joint tenancy; tenant-in-common (passing of share in property under Will not survivorship) | |
Re Dennis [1996] Ch 80 is an English land law case, concerning co-ownership of land.
Mr and Mrs Dennis were joint tenants. He failed to comply with a bankruptcy notice, an act of bankruptcy. Then his wife died. Then he was declared bankrupt. There was no secured lending affecting their house (mortgage) to which the wife had assented. The question in law was whether the act of bankruptcy terminated (severed) the joint tenancy between the couple; if so then the husband's trustees would not receive automatically the wife's share, instead her Will would be free to allocate the property as she saw fit (or if she had died intestate, the Intestacy Rules would prevail).