News & Publications - Property Litigation

Bindra v Chopra

In late June 2009 the House of Lords dismissed a petition for leave to appeal leaving the Court of Appeal's unanimous judgment in Bindra v Chopra intact.

That judgment upheld the High Court Chancery Division decision in favour of our client Angela Bindra.
The case confirmed that the courts will endeavour to interpret a document in a way that gives effect to the parties' intentions and to the whole document where possible. In our case this meant treating what appeared to be an outright tenancy in common as a joint life interest, so that the intention of the parties , a brother and sister, that the survivor would be entitled to the house should one die before it was sold, could be given effect.

The case was brought by the sister against the widow of her late brother.