Unincorporated Associations - Dissolution of Unincorporated Association - Distribution of Surplus Assets

4 important questions on Unincorporated Associations - Dissolution of Unincorporated Association - Distribution of Surplus Assets

Three Consequences of The Surplus Assets upon Dissolution

  1. The assets may be returned to the people who provided them in the first place;
  2. The assets may be transferred to the Crown on the ground that nobody owns them -- that is, they become bona vacantia; or
  3. The assets may be transferred to the members at the time of the dissolution.


***Which consequence applies will depend on how the assets were held in the first place.

Transferor has divested rights to the property

Where the effect of the dissolution of the association is to terminate the express trust, the property transferred will not be held on resulting trust for the transferor of the property if they have divested themselves of their rights to their property.

Cunnack v Edwards [1896]

A friendly society had been formed to raise funds to provide annuities for widows of members of the society who had died. There was a surplus that was claimed by the personal representatives of the last members.

Held: The society was moribund and so had been terminated. The next of kin of the members could not claim the surplus assets by means of a resulting trusts because they had parted outright with their subscriptions when they had paid them in return for contractual benefits, namely that his widow would be provided for once the member died.
  • Higher grades + faster learning
  • Never study anything twice
  • 100% sure, 100% understanding
Discover Study Smart

Property to be Treated as Bona Vacantia

The only situation in which the property could be treated as bona vacantia is where the last member of the association and his family cannot be identified.

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

  • A unique study and practice tool
  • Never study anything twice again
  • Get the grades you hope for
  • 100% sure, 100% understanding
Remember faster, study better. Scientifically proven.
Trustpilot Logo