Real Property Flashcards
Fee simple absolute
Absolute ownership of potentially infinite duration (e.g., “To A” or “to A and his heirs”)
Freely alienable and no accompanying future interest
Fee simple determinable
Limited by specific durational language (e.g., “so long as,” “while,” “during,” “until”)
Automatically terminates upon happening of stated event and reverts to grantor (possibility of reverter)
Fee simple subject to condition subsequent
Limited by specific conditional language (e.g., “upon condition that,” “provided that,” “but if,” “if it happens that”)
Grantor reserves the right to terminate estate early upon happening of stated event (right of re-entry)
Fee simple subject to executory interest
Present fee simple that is limited by specific durational or conditional language
Automatically terminates upon happening of stated event and title passes to third party (executory interest)
E.g., “To A, but if X event occurs, to B.”
Life estate
Present possessory estate fully transferrable during measuring life
Rights/duties
- Right to possess
- Right to collect rents/profits, lease/sell/mortgage (must pay taxes on income or rental value of land)
- Duty not to commit waste
Affirmative waste
Occurs when overt conduct causes a decrease in property value
Permissive waste
Occurs when a tenant permits the premises to deteriorate through neglect or failure to preserve/protect and causes a decrease in property value
Ameliorative waste
Occurs when a change in use of the property increases its value
Reversion
Held by grantor who transfers a LE without conveying remaining FI to third party
Possibility of reverter
Automatically reverts back to grantor upon occurrence of stated event when FSD conveyed
Right to reentry
Held by granter after FSSCS granted
Remainder
FI that becomes possessory upon expiration of prior estate of known fixed duration created in the same conveyance in which the remainder is created
Vested – not subject to condition precedent and has ascertainable grantee
- Vested subject to open (class gifts) – group of unspecified persons whose number, identity, and share of interest is determined in future; subject to RAP
a. Rule of convenience – closes class when any class member is entitled to immediate possession - Vested subject to complete divestment – occurrence of condition subsequent will divest the remainder
Contingent – created in unascertainable grantee or is subject to express condition precedent to grantee’s taking; subject to RAP
Executory interests
FI in third party (not remainder) that cuts prior estate short upon occurrence of specified condition; transferrable and subject to RAP
- Shifting – shifts from one grantee to another
- Springing – divests grantor
Rule Against Perpetuities
Specific FIs are valid only if they must vest or fail by the end of a life in being plus 21 years
If there is ANY possibility that it will not be known whether the interest will vest or fail within the applicable period, then RAP has not been satisfied
Measuring life
If not specified, it is the life directly related to the FI that is subject to RAP
Tenancy in common (default)
- Two or more grantees with unity of possession
- No right of survivorship
- Each co-tenant holds undivided interest with unrestricted rights to possess whole
- Interest freely devisable/transferable
Joint tenancy
- Requires express language creating JT
- Two or more tenants own the property with ROS
- Interest is alienable (but not devisable/descendible)
- Four unities
1. Equal rights to possess the whole
2. With identical equal interests
3. Created at same time
4. By the same title - Severance – converts to TIC (but only with respect to the severed share)
Tenancy by entirety
- JT between married persons with ROS; fifth unity of marriage
- Neither party can alienate or encumber the property without consent of other
Partition
Partition in kind – physical division of property
Partition by sale – sale of property; less-preferred method; only when physical division is not fair/feasible
Tenancy for years
- Any fixed period of time
- Created by express agreement
- Term longer than one year must in writing to satisfy SoF
- Automatically terminates at end of term (no notice required)
- May be terminated before end of term (e.g., breach of lease covenant)
Periodic tenancy
- Repetitive, ongoing estate by set periods of time with no predetermined termination date
- Automatically renews at end of each period unless valid termination notice
- SoF does not apply
- Created by express agreement, implication, or operation of law (holdover tenant)
- Termination notice –must be given before last period begins; late notice is effective for next period; generally effective as of last day of period