Real Property Flashcards
Fee Simple Absolute:
Divisible, Descendible and Alienable.
Fee Tail:
Abolished and turns into a fee simple absolute.
Life Estate:
Life tenant limited by doctrine of waste.
Future interest: reversion in grantor or remainder in 3rd party.
If life estate in 2 persons, contingent remainder in fee simple upon death of first.
Fee Simple Determinable:
Requires: Clear conditional language, violation of which leads to automatic forfeiture.
Characteristics: Divisible, Descendible, Alienable –but always subject to durational condition.
Future Interest: possibility of reverter.
Fee Simple Subject to Condition Subsequent:
Requires: clear language that grantor has a right to re-enter.
Characteristics: Divisible, descendible, alienable, subject to condition. If violated, interest may terminate at grantor’s option.
Future Interest: right of entry
Fee Simple Subject to Executory Limitation
Characteristics: Divisible, Descendible, Alienable subject to condition.
Future Interest: Shifting executory interest to 3rd party
Future Interests to Grantor:
1) Possibility of reverter.
2) Right of Entry.
3) Reversion.
Future Interests to Third Party:
Shifting Executory Interest
Follows defeasible fee of some sort.
Future Interests to Third Party:
Contingent Remainder:
Unascertained person OR subject to condition precedent, or both.
If condition precedent, conditional language appears before language creating remainder.
If satisfied, becomes an indefeasibly vested remainder.
Future Interests to Third Party:
Vested Remainder:
Ascertainable person and not subject to condition precedent.
Future Interests to Third Party:
Indefeasibly Vested Remainder:
3rd person certain to acquire future interest without condition.
Future Interests to Third Party:
Vested Remainder Subject to Complete Defeasance/Total Divestment:
3rd party’s future interest could get cut short by satisfaction of a condition subsequent.
Doctrine of Waste (Very Athletic Purple Aliens)
Voluntary or Affirmative waste
Permissive Waste
Ameliorative waste
Voluntary or Affirmative waste
Overt conduct causing a decrease in value or consumption/exploitation of natural resource.
Exceptions: PURGE
1) Prior Use (if exploitation previously occurred, but limited to open mines doctrine);
2) Reasonable repairs;
3) Grant; or
4) Exploitation (land only suitable for this purpose).
Permissive Waste:
Life Tenant must pay all ordinary taxes and mortgage interest payments, and protect land from disrepair by conducting reasonable maintenance.
Ameliorative waste:
Acts that may enhance property’s value not allowed unless future interest holders know + give consent.
Rule Against Perpetuities
Voids future interest if any possibility that given interest may vest > 21 yrs after death of measuring life.
Rule Against Perpetuities:
Analysis
(1) Last person mentioned by proper name.
(2) Next subsequent party not mentioned by proper name takes.
(3) The rest is struck.
Rule Against Perpetuities:
Reform
Wait and See/Second Look: Majority of jurisdictions determine RAP at the end of the measuring life.
Uniform Statutory RAP: provides for 90 year vesting period instead of life + 21 yrs.
Joint Tenancy:
How is it Created?
TTIP – time; title; interest (equal); and possession of the whole.
Grantor must clearly express survivorship rights. Characteristics: not devisable or descendable; alienable but destroys Joint Tenancy.
Joint Tenancy:
How is it Severed?
SPAM – Sale, Partition (voluntary agreement; partition in kind; forced sale), Mortgage (if title theory).
Tenancy by the Entirety
Marital interest between H & W with right of survivorship.
Creation: only H&W who take as one. Presumption when couple takes.
Characteristics: creditors can’t touch and no unilateral conveyance to 3rd party.
Tenancy in Common
Characteristics: each co-tenant owns individual part with right to possess the whole.
Descendible, divisible & alienable. No survivorship rights.
Rights of Co-Tenants Part 1
Possession: each has right to possess whole; no ouster. Rent from Co-T: none, absent ouster.
Rent from 3rd Parties: lease of premises must account to co-T for fair share of income.
Adverse Possession: co-T can’t adversely possess unless valid ouster.
Carrying Costs: each co-T must pay for portion of taxes & mortgage.
Rights of Co-Tenants Part 2
Repairs: contribution from other co-T if co-Ts advised of reasonable & necessary repairs.
Improvements: no contribution from co-Ts. But at partition, improver responsible for increase or decrease in value.
Waste: no waste and liability if co-T commits. Partition: any co-T can seek it.
Landlord/Tenant:
Tenancy for Years/ Term of Years/Estate for Years:
Lease of fixed, determined period.
Termination: no notice required.
Term > 1yr must be in writing (SoF).
Periodic Tenancy
Successive or continuous intervals.
Termination: notice required; must be at least equal to length of period with end at natural lease period.
Express or Implied
Implied Periodic Tenancy
1) no duration specified but payment required at specific intervals;
2) oral agreement of terms of years with payment at specific intervals; or
3) if Landlord elects to holdover Tenant who wrongfully stays.
Tenancy at Will
No fixed period of duration.
Termination: at any time.
Tenancy at Sufferance
T wrongfully holds over expiration of lease.
Tenant Duties:
Duty To 3rd Parties
Must keep premises in good repair.
Liability for injuries sustained by invitees, even if L promised to repair.
Tenant Duties:
Duty to Repair
Must maintain premises and make ordinary repairs. No waste.
Fixtures: pass with ownership of land unless: private agreement OR T can remove without causing substantial harm to premises.
Loss: CL – T liable for any loss, incl force of nature. Mod – if loss w/o fault of T, T may terminate lease.
Tenant Duties:
Duty to Pay Rent
CL: duty independent of L’s obligations.
Mod: duty dependent on L’s covenants under lease.
Tenant Duties:
Breach of Duty to Pay Rent when Tenant in Possession of Property
Commercial Ts: may be held for new yr-to-yr lease if original was > 1 yr.
Residential Ts: held to new month-to-month lease, regardless of original term.
Rent = new rent if L advised T before term of old lease OR old rent if L advised T after term.
Tenant Duties:
If Tenant Fails to Pay Rent when out of Possession
SIR:
1) Surrender (L treats as ending of leasehold, but if
> 1yr left, writing may be required);
2) Ignore (hold T responsible for rent unpaid);
3) Re-Let (hold T liable for deficiency but L must diligently try to re-let).
Landlord Duties:
Duty to Deliver Possession
MAJ (English Rule): put T in physical possession. If former T on premises, L is liable for damages.
MIN (American Rule): put T in legal possession. If former T on premises, that is T’s issue.
Landlord Duties:
Implied Covenant of Quiet Enjoyment
Breached by Total/Partial Actual or Constructive Eviction
Total Eviction: L excludes T from entire premises; or actual or continual refusal to repair material damages that prevent habitability (terminates T’s obligation to pay rent);
Partial Eviction: 3rd party retakes and physically excludes T from portion of leased premises (rent proportionately reduced).
Constructive Eviction
SING:
1) Substantial Interference (chronic problem fundamentally incompatible with quiet enjoyment);
2) Notice (T notifies L, who fails to respond);
3) Get out (T must vacate within reasonable time)