Facts
- The claimant had worked for the late-defendant’s estate for 30 years, unpaid
- He believed that he would inherit the farm, following non-explicit but obvious communications from the defendant
- Upon the defendant’s death, his estate passed by statue, not to the claimant
Issue
- Could the transfer by statute be estopped by proprietary estoppel?
Decision
Reasoning
- Although no clear assurances had been made, proprietary estoppel requires only that assurances are ‘clear enough’, they need not be ‘clear and unequivocal’
- Proprietary estoppel can only operate on identified property, which may fluctuate in value
- The judge’s ruling that the farm should be inherited was restored by the House of Lords