Real Property Flashcards
Fee Simple Absolute
Potentially lasts forever
No direct restraints on transfer of ownership
- except valid first right of refusal
Fee Tail
Common Law- no longer modern presumption
Was device to lock property into grantee’s family “to A and his bodily heirs”
Life Estate
Never measured by time, only by life
Grantee’s life is measuring life
Life Estate Pur Autre Vie
Life estate measured by life of another
Modern rule; if life tenant dies before the measure life dies, life estate passes to estate o deceased life tenant and continues in place until the measureing life dies
Life estate restraints on alientation
Modern rule allows a provision that terminates the life estate if the life tenant attempts to convey away the life estate
Law of Waste
life tenant maintains the estate
maintain is both the maximum and minimum of what tenatn can do to land. maintain means tenant can continue normal use of land, whatever it may be
Voluntary waste
any affirmative action beyond maintenance that causes harm to premises
Permissive waste- Failure to maintain
Life tenant has obligation to make normal repairs but not replacement.
Repair obligation limited to amount of rents and profits received from land, or reasonable rental value if tenant is using the land
Life tenant must pay all taxes, same limitation as above. If they don’t pay could eliminate the future interest
Life tenant must pay interest on mortgage debt but not principal, subject to same limitation as above
ameliorative waste
alters property substantially but increases value of land-
if changed conditions have made property relatively worthless, life tenant can alter property with incurring liability to holder of future interest
Seisin
holder of seisin is the taxpayer
Reversion to grantor
reversion arises whenever grantor coveys less than full durational estate the grantor had
Possibility of reverter to grantor
when grantor conveys a fee simple determinable- could always revert back to grantor. Magic Words: so long as while during until
Right of Re-entry in grantor
Fee simple on condition subsequent title doesn't go back to grantor automatically, grantor must do something to take it back Magic words: provided-however but if on condition that
Vested Remainder in Grantee
Remainder is vested if nothing stands in way of it becoming possessory on th enatural expiration of preceding estate. Grantor keeps nothing.
Contingent Remainder in Grantee
when there is a condition that “b must survive a” or something like that. something must happen before b can possess property. Grantor keeps reversion.
Vested Remainder subject to Open
where remainder interest is conveyed to a group of unnamed persons whose members are not yet fully known, class remains open to allow for future persons, but closes on grantors or measuring life’s death
Executory interests
cuts short the estate that comes before it
But if, then to…
Rule against Perpetuities
no interest will be valid unless it must vest, if it is going to vest at all, withing 21 years after the death of some life in being who was alive at the moment the conveyance was made.
If conveyance violates RAP, just ignore everything that violates rule
Perpetuities Savings Clause
Basically walks the line of 21 years to save grant form violating RAP
Joint Tenancy
Must be present at time of creation:
Unity of time- must take at same time
Unity of Title- must take by same instrument
Unity of Interest- same amount and same kind of interest
Unity of Possession- identical rights of possession
Conveyance must specifically intend joint tennancy
Joint tenancy partition
Voluntary- Lines drawn and party seeking aprition is no longer a joint tenant and just owns their portion outright.
Joint tenancy Severance
Involuntary- occurs when any of four unities is dusturbed- like if someone sells their interest, but cannot be severed by will
Tenancy in Common
only unity of possession required- each co-tenant is entitled to possession of the whole of property.
Default presumption of tenancy.
Can always force partition, and no right of survivorship.
Tenancy by Entirety
yes right of survivorship no right of partition, not severable by unilateral act of one of co tenants Can only be terminated by: Death mutual agreement in writing divorce execution by joint creditor
co-tenant accountability
co tenant does not have to account to another co tenant for his share of the profits, with four exceptions
Ouster
agreement to share
lease of property by co tenant to third party
depletion of natural resources
Tenancy for years
specified time- definite begining and end
anything over one year must be in writing
periodic Tenancy
repeating- estate rolls on and on until one party gives proper notice
also includes holdover tenants
to terminate, 2 criteria:
1: enough time, equal to length of period of tenancy (generally month to month)
2. effective date, must be at end of tenancy, can’t terminate in 6 weeks it is month to month
Tenancy at will
either party can terminate at any time