Bergen v. Bergen, (2013) 346 B.C.A.C. 207 (CA)

• Judge: Newbury, Frankel and Bennett, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal (British Columbia)
• Case Date: October 16, 2013
• Jurisdiction: British Columbia
• Citations: (2013), 346 B.C.A.C. 207 (CA);2013 BCCA 492

Bergen v. Bergen (2013), 346 B.C.A.C. 207 (CA);

    592 W.A.C. 207

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2013] B.C.A.C. TBEd. NO.027

Charlotte Dora Bergen and Walter Theodore Bergen (respondents/plaintiffs) v. Robert Walter Bergen (appellant/defendant)

(CA037815)

Charlotte Dora Bergen and Walter Theodore Bergen (respondents/plaintiffs) v. Robert Walter Bergen (appellant/defendant)

(CA040587; 2013 BCCA 492)

Indexed As: Bergen v. Bergen

British Columbia Court of Appeal

Newbury, Frankel and Bennett, JJ.A.

November 18, 2013.

Summary:

The plaintiffs (the Bergens) transferred a one-third interest in joint tenancy in certain real property to their son, the defendant (Robert). At issue was the legal nature of that transfer. The Bergens had purchased the property and had paid for the house that Robert built on the property. After unhappy differences arose, the Bergens severed the joint tenancy, and sued for an order that the property be sold and the proceeds of the sale be distributed solely to them. Robert and his wife sued for a vesting order, claiming that his parents held their interest in the property in trust for him. The two actions were ultimately joined for trial. Mr. Bergen died. Mrs. Bergen continued as the successor in title to her husband's interest.

The British Columbia Supreme Court, in a decision reported at [2009] B.C.T.C. Uned. 1099, determined that Robert held his one-third interest in the property on a resulting trust in the plaintiffs' favor. The Court issued additional reasons, reported at [2012] B.C.T.C. Uned. 1026. Robert appealed.

The British Columbia Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal.

Banks and Banking - Topic 2723

Bank accounts - Joint accounts - Title - See paragraphs 7 to 19, 37 to 39.

Gifts - Topic 527

Gifts inter vivos - Presumption against gift - Resulting trust - Rebuttal of presumption - See paragraphs 41 and 42.

Gifts - Topic 554

Gifts inter vivos - Presumption of gift - Advancement - Transfers from parent or grandparent to children - See paragraphs 35 to 42.

Gifts - Topic 578

Gifts inter vivos - Transfer by donor to donee and donor jointly - Intention - See paragraphs 37 to 42.

Gifts - Topic 724

Gifts inter vivos - Transfers in joint tenancy - Transfers to joint bank accounts - See paragraphs 7 to 19, 37 to 39.

Gifts - Topic 730

Gifts inter vivos - Transfers in joint tenancy - Survivorship - See paragraphs 7 to 19.

Real Property - Topic 3881

Joint estates - Severance of joint tenancies - General - See paragraph 40.

Trusts - Topic 2044

Resulting trusts - Voluntary property transfers - Presumption of resulting trust - See paragraphs 37 to 42.

Cases Noticed:

Pecore v. Pecore, [2007] 1 S.C.R. 795; 361 N.R. 1; 224 O.A.C. 330; 2007 SCC 17, consd. [para. 4].

Frosch v. Dadd, [1960] O.R. 435 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 8].

Reid, Re (1922), 64 D.L.R. 598 (Ont. C.A.), refd to. [para. 9].

Edwards v. Bradley, [1956] O.R. 225 (C.A.), revd. [1957] S.C.R. 599, consd. [para. 10].

Russell v. Scott (1936), 55 C.L.R. 440 (Aust. H.C.), consd. [para. 14].

Niles v. Lake, [1947] S.C.R. 291, refd to. [para. 15].

Young v. Sealey, [1949] Ch. 278, refd to. [para. 16].

Saylor et al. v. Brooks, [2007] 1 S.C.R. 838; 360 N.R. 327; 224 O.A.C. 382; 2007 SCC 18, refd to. [para. 38].

Madsen Estate v. Saylor - see Saylor et al. v. Brooks.

Kerr v. Baranow (2011), 411 N.R. 200; 300 B.C.A.C. 1; 509 W.A.C. 1; 274 O.A.C. 1; 2011 SCC 10, refd to. [para. 38].

Fuller v. Fuller Estate (2010), 292 B.C.A.C. 182; 493 W.A.C. 182; 2010 BCCA 421, refd to. [para. 38].

Fuller v. Harper - see Fuller v. Fuller Estate.

Simcoff v. Simcoff (2009), 245 Man.R.(2d) 7; 466 W.A.C. 7; 2009 MBCA 80, refd to. [para. 40].

Futter et al. v. United Kingdom (Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs), [2013] UKSC 26; 445 N.R. 200, refd to. [para. 46].

Pitt v. United Kingdom (Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs) - see Futter et al. v. United Kingdom (Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs).

Authors and Works Noticed:

British Columbia, Law Reform Commission, Report on Co-Ownership of Land (1988), pp. 3 [para. 39]; 5 to 9, 33 to 44 [para. 40].

Bryant, Alan W., Lederman, Sidney N., and Fuerst, Michelle K., Sopinka, Lederman & Bryant: The Law of Evidence in Canada (3rd Ed. 2009), § 4.60 [para. 5].

Freedman, C.D., Reassessing Gratuitous Transfers by Parents to Adult Children (2006), 25 E.T.P.J. 174, pp. 176 to 179 [para. 8].

McClean, A.J., Severance of Joint Tenancies (1979), 57 Can. Bar Rev. 1, generally [para. 40].

Sopinka, John, Lederman, Sidney N., and Bryant, Alan W., The Law of Evidence in Canada (2nd Ed. 1999), pp. 116 to 117 [para. 5].

Waters, Donovan, W.M., The Law of Trusts in Canada (3rd Ed. 2005), pp. 406 to 411 [para. 8].

Waters, Donovan, W.M., The Law of Trusts in Canada (4th Ed. 2012), p. 440 [paras. 39, 42].

Welters, M.J., and McArthur, E.A., Pecore's Troubles (2010), 29 E.T.P.J. 139, generally [para. 18].

Counsel:

B.B. Olthuis, for the appellant;

J.M. Spencer and M.A. Mitchell, for the respondents.

This appeal was heard at Vancouver, British Columbia, on October 16, 2013, before Newbury, Frankel and Bennett, JJ.A., of the British Columbia Court of Appeal. In reasons written by Newbury, J.A., the Court delivered the following judgment, dated November 18, 2013.