LW2LND: Land Law

Module code: LW2LND

Module provider: School of Law

Credits: 20

Level: Level 2 (Intermediate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Ms Christina Walton-Pocock, email: christina.walton-pocock@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 29 August 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

The module helps students to understand how rights in and over property (land, in particular) are created, transferred, and disposed of within the frame of the law in England and Wales. Coverage includes the taxonomy of modern land law, land registration, the co-ownership of land, leases, mortgages, and how courts enforce legal and equitable obligations in relation to land.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. demonstrate an understanding of legal and equitable property rights, and of the nature, scope, creation and enforceability of such rights;
2. demonstrate an ability to critically evaluate selected overarching and key concepts pertaining to land and property law more generally;
3. identify and apply the relevant laws and/or scholarship applicable to hypothetical disputes concerning the law of property and land in England and Wales, and the common law world more generally (as covered by the module), and;
4. apply the relevant law and scholarship, as applicable, to various fact patterns, using appropriate doctrinal and/or theoretical technique and understanding, such as so to be able to reach clear and well supported conclusions when addressing problem questions, essays and other modes of assessment

Module content

Completion of the module will provide students with a substantive understanding of the nature, scope, creation, and the enforceability of rights as these relate to land – legally and equitably. The module will help students explore the historical, social, and philosophical context in which the modern law is developed and operates, focusing specifically on the law in England and Wales, along with insights from other common law systems, as relevant.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Overall, the Land Law module will comprise the following pattern of teaching, assessment, and preparation:

• Teaching: 22 hours of lectures, 10 hours of workshops, 5 hours of tutorials, and 13 hours of blended learning activities (a mixture of guest lectures, question and answer sessions, and example exam question and case reviews). There will be a number of re-cap and revision lectures pertaining to the themes covered during the semester, and a general revision lecture and mock exam ahead of the end of module assessment.

The topics covered may include:

1. the historical and conceptual foundations of modern property law, focusing on land especially; 

1. the creation and transfer of legal rights and interests in and over land, focusing on both freehold, leasehold, and other interests; 

1. the acquisition, disposition, and the resolution of disputes – and thus remedies – in relation to registered land, and how the law addresses the continuing problem of unregistered estates and interests in land; 

1. the land registration system in England and Wales; 

1. the role and importance of mortgages; 

1. the role and importance of overriding interests and overreaching in land law; 

1. the legal and/or equitable effect of land obligations – such as easements, covenants, and other interests that encumber one’s ownership of land; 

1. the nature and effect of legal sole and co- ownership in land; 

1. legal and equitable property rights – for buyer and seller, owner, and occupant – and the significance and application of the Law of Property Act 1925, Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989; Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996, and the Land Registration Act 2002, and the case law associated with these statutes, and; 

1. the importance and application of relevant of proposed reforms to legislation and policy, as they concern land (e.g. the work and publications of the Law Commission).   

Study hours

At least 37 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Students will have the opportunity to undertake a formative assessment (in class) before their summative assessment. In addition, formative practice exam questions will be shared at the beginning of the second half of Semester 1 to assist with revision and the development of exam technique.

Reassessment

Additional costs