Report on Abolition of the Feudal System

380 Pages·2010·7.03 MB·English

by  Scottish Law Commission

SCOTTISH LAW COMMISSION
Report
on
Abolition of the
Feudal System
(SCOT LAW COM No 168)
SCOTTISH LAW COMMISSION
(Scot Law Com No 168)
Report on Abolition of the Feudal
System
Laid before Parliament by the Lord Advocate under section 3(2) of
the Law Commissions Act 1965
Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed
11 February 1999
183 EDINBURGH: The Stationery Office
£22.50
The Scottish Law Commission was set up by section 2 of the Law Commissions Act 1965 for
the purpose of promoting the reform of the law of Scotland. The Commissioners are:
The Honourable Lord Gill, Chairman
Dr E M Clive
P S Hodge, QC
Professor K G C Reid
MrNRWhitty
The Secretary of the Commission is Mr J G S Maclean. Its offices are at 140 Causewayside,
Edinburgh EH9 1PR
in
SCOTTISH LAW COMMISSION
Item 6 of our Fifth Programme of Law Reform
Abolition of the Feudal System
To: The Rt Hon the Lord Hardie, QC
Her Majesty's Advocate
We have the honour to submit our Report on Abolition of the Feudal System.
(Signed) BRIAN GILL, Chairman
E M CLIVE
P S HODGE
KENNETH G C REID
N R WHITTY
J G S MACLEAN, Secretary
23 December 1998
Contents
Paragraph Page
PART 1 - INTRODUCTION
Our remit 1.1 1
The rise and fall of the feudal system 1.7 2
Earlier recommendations for abolition 1.13 4
Our discussion paper 1.14 4
The case for abolition 1.16 5
Some essential definitions 1.20 6
The feudal system of land tenure 1.20 6
Land 1.22 6
The appointed day 1.23 7
Our main recommendations 1.24 7
Matters not covered 1.29 8
The discussion paper on real burdens 1.31 9
The draft Bill 1.32 9
Which Parliament? 1.33 9
Acknowledgments 1.34 10
PART 2 - ABOLITION
Introduction 2.1 11
The proposals in the discussion paper 2.2 11
Recommendation: complete abolition 2.5 11
Conditionality of ownership 2.6 12
No new feus 2.8 12
Limitation on length of new leases 2.9 13
Purported transfers of non-existent interests 2.10 13
Crown rights 2.14 14
The Prince and Steward of Scotland 2.28 18
Peers and holders of ancient offices 2.30 18
Barons 2.31 19
Introduction 2.31 19
Proposals in the discussion paper 2.34 20
Responses to discussion paper 2.35 20
Assessment 2.38 21
Competence of the Scottish Parliament 2.43 23
Recommendation 2.45 24
VII
CONTENTS (cont'd)
Paragraph Page
Protection for Keeper of the Registers 2.46 24
Saving for jurisdiction of Lord Lyon 2.51 26
PART 3 -FEUDUTY
Introduction 3.1 27
Cumulo feuduties and allocated feuduties 3.3 27
Apportioned feuduties and collectors 3.5 28
Feuduties already extinguished 3.7 28
Extinction of remaining feuduties 3.8 29
The scheme proposed in the discussion paper 3.9 29
Basis of compensation 3.12 30
Compensation due only where claimed 3.14 30
Time scale 3.20 32
Enforcement 3.21 32
Payment by instalments 3.23 33
Service 3.28 35
Crystallisation of liability 3.33 36
Negative prescription 3.38 37
Disputes as to liability 3.41 38
Blench duty 3.42 38
Over-feuduty 3.43 39
Receipts 3.44 39
Transitional arrangements 3.45 39
Unpaid feuduty 3.45 39
Ongoing redemptions 3.46 39
Abolition of securities 3.48 40
Ongoing allocations 3.49 40
Payments analogous to feuduties 3.51 40
Mines of gold and silver 3.56 42
PART 4 - REAL BURDENS
Real burdens and feudalism 4.1 43
The nature of real burdens 4.5 44
General characteristics 4.5 44
Neighbour burdens 4.7 44
Community burdens 4.8 44
Feudal burdens 4.9 44
Reform 4.13 45
Extinction of feudal burdens 4.16 46
Removal of burdens from the Land Register 4.21 48
vm
CONTENTS (cont'd)
Paragraph Page
Converting feudal burdens to neighbour burdens 4.26 50
The need for special provision 4.26 50
The first condition: registration of a notice 4.32 52
The second condition: building within 100 metres 4.33 52
Rights of pre-emption and redemption 4.37 53
Burdens conferring a right of use 4.38 54
Burdens for the benefit of minerals or salmon fishings 4.39 54
A discretion beyond 100 metres? 4.40 54
Effect of conversion 4.46 55
Converted neighbour burdens: division of dominant tenement 4.48 56
Maritime burdens 4.51 57
Converting feudal burdens to conservation burdens 4.52 58
The need for special provision 4.52 58
Conservation bodies and conservation burdens 4.55 59
Assignation 4.57 60
Holder ceasing to be a conservation body 4.58 60
Standard securities 4.59 60
Variation or discharge by the Lands Tribunal 4.60 61
One choice 4.62 61
Notices 4.64 62
Oath or affirmation 4.65 62
Service 4.66 63
Separate notices and combined notices 4.67 63
Invalidity 4.69 63
Refusal of registration 4.70 64
Challenges 4.73 65
Restriction or discharge 4.77 66
Common facilities 4.78 66
Maintenance 4.79 67
Use 4.84 68
Interest to enforce 4.86 69
Miscellaneous 4.87 69
Neighbouring land as implied dominant tenement 4.87 69
Real burdens as contractual terms 4.88 70
Irritancy 4.89 70
Pecuniary real burdens 4.90 71
Transitional provisions 4.91 71
Superiors' obligations 4.92 71
General abolition 4.92 71
Obligation to deliver title deeds 4.97 73
Sheltered housing 4.98 73
IX
CONTENTS (cont'd)
Paragraph Page
PART 5 - COMPENSATION
Introduction 5.1 75
Treatment in discussion paper 5.2 75
Results of consultation on discussion paper 5.7 76
Supplementary consultation 5.8 76
General approach 5.9 76
Compensation for loss of right to feuduty 5.13 77
Compensation for loss of development value real burden 5.14 77
The nature of the problem 5.14 77
Need for compensation 5.20 79
Criteria to be satisfied 5.21 79
Timing of claim for compensation 5.25 81
Need for notice 5.26 82
Effect of notice 5.34 83
Right to claim compensation 5.35 83
Time limits 5.37 84
Amount of compensation 5.41 85
No double claim 5.47 87
The role of the Lands Tribunal 5.48 88
Clearing the registers 5.54 90
Burden of proof 5.57 90
No compensation for loss of right to enforce other restrictions 5.58 91
No compensation for loss of right to exact fees for waivers 5.60 91
No compensation for loss of bare superiority 5.61 91
No compensation for change in nature of baronies 5.62 92
Human rights 5.65 92
PART 6 - OTHER RIGHTS HELD BY SUPERIORS
Introduction 6.1 94
Minerals 6.4 94
Salmon fishings 6.7 95
Mixed estate 6.10 95
Pecuniary real burdens 6.13 96
Reversions 6.16 97
Servitudes 6.17 97
Fishing and game rights 6.22 99
Express grant 6.23 99
Express reservation: exclusive rights 6.25 100
Express reservation: non-exclusive rights 6.30 102
Conclusion 6.35 103
Church seats 6.36 104
CONTENTS (cont'd)
Paragraph Page
PART 7 - TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP
Infeftment and transfer 7.1 105
The new system of land transfer 7.6 107
Salmon fishings and other incorporeal separate tenements 7.14 109
Udal and other allodial land 7.19 111
Miscellaneous issues 7.24 112
Form of disposition 7.24 112
Deduction of title 7.26 113
Notarial instruments 7.27 113
Warrants of registration 7.34 115
Grants by the Crown 7.37 115
Proper liferents and other real rights 7.38 116
PART 8 - NON-STANDARD TENURES
Burgage tenure 8.1 118
Booking tenure 8.3 118
Kindly tenants of Lochmaben 8.4 119
History 8.5 119
Nature 8.6 120
From kindly tenancy to ownership 8.9 120
Rental rights 8.10 121
Tenancies at will 8.12 122
PART 9 - AMENDMENTS, REPEALS AND CONVEYANCING
REFORMS
Introduction 9.1 123
Eliminating feudal terminology 9.2 123
Obviously feudal terms 9.2 123
"Estate or interest in land" 9.3 123
A general translation provision 9.6 125
Power to make further amendments 9.7 125
Entails 9.8 126
Consequences of abolition of teinds, stipends and standard charges 9.18 128
Crown writs 9.19 129
Service of heirs 9.21 129
Thirlage 9.23 131
Partnerships and feudal property 9.24 131
Other conveyancing amendments and repeals 9.29 135
Notarial instruments and warrants of registration 9.29 135
Time limit for registering conveyance on compulsory purchase 9.30 135
XI
CONTENTS (cont'd)
Paragraph Page
Heritable securities 9.31 135
Other obsolete material 9.32 136
Descriptions in standard securities 9.33 136
Limitation on length of new leases 9.40 139
PART 10 - LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS 141
Appendix A
Draft Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Bill 159
Appendix B
List of those who submitted written comments on Discussion Paper
No 93 368
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