Property Flashcards
Fee Simple Absolute
largest estate recognized; can be sold, divided, devised, or inherited and has potentially infinite duration; presumed contrary intent
Fee Simple Determinable
terminates upon happening of stated event and automatically reverts to grantor [for so long as, while, during, until]; can be conveyed but takes subject to condition; grantor has possibility of reverter
Fee Simple Subject to Condition Subsequent
grantor reserves right to terminate estate upon happening of stated event [provided that, but if, upon condition that]; grantor retains right of entry
Fee Simple Subject to Executory Interest
terminates upon happening of stated event and then passes to third party
***If purpose of condition is to penalize marriage or encourage divorce, will be struck down; if purpose to give support until marriage, valid
Fee Tail
inheritability is limited to lineal heirs [heirs of body]; most jurisdictions have abolished and creates fee simple
Life Estate
measured by life of person [life of grantee or pur autre vie – life of another]; grantor holds a reversion
Waste
life tenant entitled to ordinary uses and profits of land but cannot do anything that injures interests of remaindermen/reversioner
AFFIRMATIVE Waste
exploitation of natural resources by life tenant limited to situations when (1) necessary for repair or maintenance of land; (2) land suitable only for such use; (3) expressly or impliedly permitted by grantor;
PERMISSIVE Waste
obligated to (1) preserve land and structures in reasonable state of repair, (2) pay interest on mortgages, (2) pay ordinary taxes on land, (4) pay special assessments for public improvements of short duration – life tenant fails to do so;
AMELIORATIVE Waste
change that benefits property economically but can demolish existing buildings if (1) market value of future interests is not diminished, and either (2) remaindermen do not object OR (3) substantial and permanent change in neighborhood conditions deprived property in its current form reasonable productivity/usefulness
Remainder
future interest in third person that can become possessory on natural expiration of preceding estate; must be expressly created
Indefeasibly Vested
created in existing and ascertained person and not subject to condition precedent – right to immediate possession upon normal termination
Subject to Open
created in class of persons that is certain to become possessory but subject to diminution
Total Divestment
subject to condition subsequent
Contingent Remainder
created in unborn or unascertained persons, or subject to condition precedent
Executory Interests
future interests in third parties that either divest a transferee’s preceding freehold estate (shifting interests) or follow gap in possession or cut short grantor’s estate (springing)
Destructibility
contingent remainder destroyed if it failed to vest before or upon termination of preceding freehold estate
Rule in Shelley’s Case
if same instrument created life estate in A and gave remainder only to A’s heirs, remainder not recognized, and A took life estate and remainder
Doctrine of Worthier Title
remainder in grantor’s heirs invalid and becomes reversion in grantor [rule of construction]
Rule Against Perpetuities
no interest in property is valid unless it must vest, if at all, no later than 21 years after some life in being at the creation of interest [applies to: contingent remainders, executory interests, vested subject to open, options to purchase, rights of first refusal, and powers of appointment] LOOK FOR – executory interest following defeasible fee, age contingency beyond age 21 in open class, unborn widow or widower, administrative contingency
Rule Against Restraints on Alienation
(1) disabling restrains, under which attempted transfers are ineffective; (2) forfeiture restraints, under which an attempted transfer forfeits interest; (3) promissory restraints, under which an attempted transfer breaches a covenant disabling restraint on any legal interest is VOID; all absolute restraints on fee simples are void
Joint Tenancy
right of survivorship need 4-fold unities = time, title, interest, and possession must take identical interests at the same time, by the same instrument, with the same right to possession [joint tenancy may be severed – inter vivos conveyance; execution of mortgage in title theory state; contract to convey; testamentary disposition has no effect]
Tenancy by Entirety
marital estate akin to joint tenancy – only death, divorce, mutual agreement, or execution by joint creditor of both husband and wife can sever tenancy by entirety
Tenancy in Common
no right of survivorship; presumed
Co-Tenant Rights and Duties
each co-tenant has right to possess all portions of property but no right to exclusive possession of any part [ouster – another co-tenant claims right to exclusive possession]; co-tenant in possession has right to retain profits from her own use of property; need to share net rents from third parties and net profits gained from exploitation of land; may not encumber interests of other co-tenants; any co-tenant has right to judicial partition, either in kind (physical division of land) or by sale and division of proceeds; co-tenant who pays more than her pro rata share of necessary repairs is entitled to contribution from other co-tenants provided notified others of repairs; no right of contribution for cost of improvements unless partition
Leasehold
estate in land, under which tenant has present possessory interest in the leased premises and the landlord has a future interest (reversion)
Tenancy for Years
continues for fixed period of time; writing is required if more than 1 year; automatically ends at its termination date; landlord reserves right of entry allowing him to terminate lease if tenant breaches lease covenants (failure to pay rent); may also terminate if T surrenders and L accepts
Periodic Tenancy
continues for successive periods until terminated by proper notice of either party; can be created by (1) express agreement, (2) implication, or (3) operation of law); automatically renewed until proper notice of termination is given
Tenancy at Will
terminable at will of either L or T; must be created by express agreement that lease can be terminated at any time; periodic rent payments will be treated as periodic tenancy; reasonable time to quit required to terminate
Tenancy at Sufferance
T wrongfully remains in possession after expiration of lawful tenancy; lasts only until L takes steps to evict T – no notice required
Hold Over Doctrine
if T continues in possession after right has ended, L may (1) evict him or (2) bind him to new periodic tenancy [commercial tenants =
new year-to-year tenancy if original lease term was for one year or more, or periodic term based on frequency of rent payments if original term less than 1 year; residential tenants = new month-to-month tenancy and if L notifies T before lease expires of increased rent, T is held to acquiesces to those terms] [exceptions: (1) T remains in possession only for a few hrs; (2) delay not T’s fault; (3) seasonal lease]
T’s Duty to Repair
T cannot damage leased premises; rules governing waste [T liable for all ordinary repairs, excluding wear and tear]; if destroyed WITHOUT FAULT or either L or T, no waste involved – neither party has duty to restore premises but T has duty to continue paying rent; if RESIDENTIAL T covenants to repair, L usually remains obligated to repair under implied warranty of habitability; if NONRESIDENTIAL T’s covenant to repair is enforceable, and L may be awarded damages for breach based on property’s condition when lease terminates compared with its condition when lease commenced
T’s Illegal Purpose
L may terminate lease or obtain damages and injunctive relief
T’s Duty to Pay Rent
if lease terminates before time originally agreed upon, T must pay proportionate amount of agreed rent; L permitted to retain security deposit
L Remedies
if T on premises and fails to pay rent, L may bring suit for rent due or may evict T under state’s unlawful detainer statute; if T unjustifiably abandons property,
L has duty to mitigate damages by seeking to relet premises; if surrender not found, T liable for difference between promised rent and fair rental value of property; if surrender found, T is free from rent liability
L’s Duty to Deliver
L put T in actual possession of premises at beginning of leasehold term [breach if doesn’t evict hold-over tenant by beginning]
Quiet Enjoyment
neither L nor paramount title holder will interfere with T’s quiet enjoyment and possession of premises
ACTUAL EVICTION
L, paramount title holder, or hold-over T excludes T from entire leased premises (terminated obligation to pay rent);
PARTIAL EVICTION
T is physically excluded from only part of leased premises – by L relieves T of obligation to pay rent for entire premises, by third person is apportionment of rent;
CONSTRUCTIVE EVICTION
(1) L breached duty to T, (2) breach substantially and materially deprived T of use and enjoyment of premises, (3) T gave landlord notice and reasonable time to repair, (4) after such reasonable time, T vacated premises [may terminate lease & seek dmgs]
Implied Warranty of Habitability
residential leases – nonwaivable – in breach, T may (1) terminate lease, (2) make repairs and offset cost against future rent, (3) abate rent to an amount equal to fair rental value in view of defects, (4) remain in possession, pay full rent, and sue for damages
Retaliatory Eviction
L may not terminate lease or penalize T in retaliation for T’s exercise of her legal rights, including reporting housing codes
Discrimination (Property)
protected by Civil Rights Act of 1866 – bars racial/ethnic discrimination and Fair Housing Act, bars discrimination based on ethnicity, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, and disability
Assignments
complete transfer of entire remaining term; assignee and L and in privity of estate and each is liable to other for covenants that run with land; original T also liable on original contractual obligation to pay rent – privity of K; if L assigns, he is liable on all covenants he made in the lease
Sublease
T retains part of remaining term; sublessee not personally liable to L for rent or for performance of any covenants in main less unless expressly assumes covenants
L’s Tort Liability
(1) latent defect – at time lease is entered into, L knows or should know of dangerous condition that T could not discover by reasonable inspection, L must disclose it; (2) common areas – reasonable care; (3) public use – may be liable to injuries of public if at time of lease he (a) knows or should know of dangerous condition, (b) has reason to believe T may admit public before repairing condition, and (c) fails to repair condition; (4) furnished short- term residence – liable for injuries resulting from ANY defect whether or not he knew of it; (5) negligent repairs by L; (6) L contracts to repair Modern Trend: general duty of reasonable care
Fixture
chattel that has been so affixed to land that it has ceased being personal property and has become part of realty – passes with ownership of land