Property Law

Reversions in Property Law 1. Introduction Property law does not require an owner to transfer an entire estate when transferring property to someone else. An owner may transfer a limited estate while retaining a future interest in the property. That retained future interest is called a reversion. For example, suppose Read more

Remainders in Property Law 1. Introduction A remainder is one of the central concepts in the law of estates. At first glance, the idea seems simple: One person has property now, and another person has the right to receive it later. For example: “To Alice for life, then to Bob.” Read more

Future Interests in Property Law 1. Introduction Property ownership does not always have to belong entirely to one person at one time. A person can have the right to possess and use land today while another person already holds a legally recognized interest that will become possessory in the future. Read more

Life Estates Introduction: Ownership for a Lifetime Property law does not always give a person an interest in land that lasts forever. Sometimes a person is given the right to possess and use land for life. That interest is called a life estate. A life estate is a type of Read more

Fee Simple Absolute Introduction: The Broadest Form of Private Ownership When people casually say that someone “owns” a piece of land, they are often imagining what property law calls a fee simple absolute. A person who holds land in fee simple absolute generally has the most extensive form of private Read more

Freehold and Nonfreehold Estates Introduction: Two Basic Categories of Estates in Land Property law recognizes many different ways in which a person can have a legal interest in land. Someone may own land indefinitely. Someone else may have the right to possess it for life. A tenant may have the Read more

Estates in Land Introduction: What Does It Mean to Have an Estate in Land? When people say that someone “owns” a piece of land, it is tempting to imagine ownership as a single, indivisible thing. Property law takes a more sophisticated approach. A person may have a right to possess Read more

Tangible and Intangible Property Property does not always have to be something that can be physically touched. A car is property. A house is property. A piece of jewelry is property. But so are many things that have no physical form at all. A patent can be property. A copyright Read more

Real Property and Personal Property One of the most basic classifications in property law is the distinction between real property and personal property. In ordinary language, the distinction seems simple: That basic explanation is useful, but legal classification is more complicated. A house, for example, is generally real property. A Read more