Ch3 - Property Ownership Flashcards
Real Property
The land or anything permanently affixed to it.
Personal Property
Movable objects that do not fit into the definition of real property. Conveyed by bill of sale.
Fixture
Personal property that has been affixed to and becomes part of the real property.
Severance
A fixture that is permitted to be and is detached from the land or the building would revert to personal property through severance.
Immobile
Physical Characteristic of land - The geographic location of a parcel of land is fixed - can never be changed.
Indestructible
Physical Characteristic of land - the long term nature of improvements plus permanence of the land tends to create stability in land development
Unique/non-homogenous
Physical Characteristic of land - All parcels differ geographically and each parcel has its own location
Scarcity
Economic Characteristic of land - Supply in a given location or of a specific quality can be limited. Even though there is a substantial amount of unused land.
Improvements
Economic Characteristic of land - placement of an improvement on a parcel of land affects value and use of neighboring parcels of land.
Permanence of Investment
Economic Characteristic of land - Improvements represent a large fixed investment; some such as drainage and sewerage cannot be dismantled or removed economically.
Area Preference/Situs
Economic Characteristic of land - Refers to people’s choices and desires for a given area
Metes & Bounds
Type of Legal Property Descriptions - Requires 2 permanent reference markers. Measured from specific POB and proceeds around the boundaries. Must return to the POB so the land described is fully closed
Rectangular (Government) Survey
Type of Legal Property Descriptions - Based on measurements from base lines & principal meridians. Designed to set up chalkboard pattern of identical squares over specific area.
Base Lines
Base lines run east and west (Rectangular Survey)
Principal meridians
Principal meridians run north and south (Rectangular Survey)
Ranges
Parallel vertical lines six miles apart that divide land into strips east and west of the principal meridian
Tiers
Parallel horizontal lines six miles apart that divide land into strips north and south of the baseline
Township
A township is 6 miles square (36 square miles) and contains 36 sections
Section
A section is a square mile and contains 640 acres (one acre = 43,560 sqft). Numbered from NE corner rows of 6 run East to West, West to East (Snake Pattern)
Determine # of acres in a legal description
Multiply all denominators and divide the result into 640 acres. NW 1/4 of the SW 1/4 = 4x4= 16. 640/16=40 acres
Subdivision Plats
Map of subdivison divided into numbered blocks and lots. Each parcel has a lot, block, subdivision name, city, and state.
True/False - A Street address is a reliable legal description?
FALSE - A street address is an informal reference too unreliable for a legal description because you cannot walk the boundaries.
True/False - In order for a claim to have any value, it must be accompanied by a verifiable and legal property description?
TRUE
Mineral Rights
May be owned by the owner of the surface rights, or by separate third party owners of subsurface rights such as natural gas or oil companies, as well as the developer or homebuilder.
Air Rights
The right to occupy, use, or control the space above a property, such as a homeowner purchasing the air rights above a neighboring home to protect his view.
Water Rights
Ownership of water and land adjacent to it is determined by state law, which is based on either the doctrines of the riparian and littoral rights, or on the doctrine of prior appropriation.
True/False - Owners of water rights generally have the right to use water so long as they do not pollute or interrupt the flow?
TRUE
Reparian Rights
Rights granted to owners along a non-navigable river or stream
Littoral Rights
Rights granted to owners along an ocean or large lake
Prior appropriation
The right to use water is controlled by the state rather than by the adjacent landowner. Person must first show beneficial use for the water such as crop irrigation to secure water rights.
Lien
A charge against property that provides security for a debt or obligation of the property owner. Affects title.
True/False - If the debt (Lien) is not repaid, the lien holder has the right to have it paid out of the debtor’s property, generally from the proceeds of a court of foreclosure sale
TRUE
Specific Lien
Relates to specific real or personal property.
Possible specific liens - Real estate taxes, mortgages, and mechanics’ liens.
General Lien
Judgement, or court decree, applies to all of the debtors property both real and personal as well as all assets.
True/False - Real estate property taxes and special assessments usually take priority over all other liens, regardless of date of recording
TRUE
True/False - In some states, mechanics’ liens may be given priority over previously recorded liens?
TRUE - Mechanics’ liens revert to the date the work was started, not to when the lien was recorded.
Deed Restriction (or Restrictive Covenant)
A private limitation on the use of property. Can be enforced by court injunction.