PSI Exam Prep: Property Ownership Flashcards

1
Q

The earth’s surface extending downward to the center of the earth and upward to infinity, including permanently attached natural objects

A

Land

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Land, plus all things permanently attached to it naturally or artificially

A

Real estate

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Real estate, plus the interests, benefits, and rights included with real estate ownership

A

Real property

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Artificial attachments to land that include things such as fencing, buildings, and walkways

A

Improvements

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Enjoyment, disposition, possession, control, and exclusion; often referred to as “bundle of rights”

A

Ownership rights

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Everything owned that is not real property, aka chattel

A

Personal property

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Five basic tests to determine if an item is real or personal property: MARIA

A

METHOD of annexation: Attached or not

ADAPTABILITY for use: if removed, it will drastically change

RELATIONSHIP of the parties: buyer vs seller or tenant vs landlord

INTENTION in placing: if temporary or permanent

AGREEMENT of the parties: all parties agree

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Anything permanently attached to the land or to permanent structures on the land. are part of real property and are included (conveyed) with a sale of real property unless the parties negotiate differently.

A

Fixture

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

These Cultivated crops and are considered personal property, even though they’re part of the soil.

A

Emblements

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Owners don’t need to dig up the crops and take them when the land is conveyed, but those owners are entitled to the fruits of their labor and can harvest the crop when it’s ready (even if the land has transferred to a new owner).

A

Yes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

The process of converting personal property to real property.

A

Annexation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

This is anything that’s attached to leased land or structures that’s used in conducting business. Rights and responsibilities differ depending on the commercial lease agreement, but usually tenants may remove trade fixtures when the lease terminates. They must repair any damage created by removing the fixtures.

A

Trade fixture

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Real property is conveyed from one owner to another using a deed. Personal property is transferred using a

A

bill of sale or receipt.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

The geographic location of land is fixed and can’t be changed.

A

Immobility

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Improvements may deteriorate over time, but not land itself.

A

Indestructibility

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

One piece of land is never exactly like another.

A

Uniqueness

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

You can’t make more land; what we have now is what we’ll always have.

A

Scarcity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

A land’s value can be positively or negatively affected by the improvements made on it.

A

Improvements

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Some improvements are long-term, stable investments with stable returns over time.

A

Permanence of investment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

A property’s value depends in large part on its location

A

Situs/location/area preference

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

it permits a specific parcel of property to be located by a trained surveyor.

A

A legal description

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Three primary types of legal descriptions

A

metes and bounds, lot and block (also known as recorded plat), and rectangular government survey system (RGSS)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

These are the direction and distance of a line forming the property’s boundary

A

Metes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

these are physical features that define the boundaries of the property.

A

bounds

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

These descriptions are characterized by a point of beginning, which is where the description both begins and ends. It also uses monuments to mark boundaries.. The monuments are thought to have more credibility than the measurements.

A

Metes-and-bounds

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

A permanent physical marker used in a metes-and-bounds description that can be man-made or natural. It may be a tree, creek, rock, or a stake placed in the ground.

A

Monument

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

it divides land into townships and further into sections and fractions called sections.

A

The rectangular government survey system

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

it is the north-south line that runs through an initial point in the RGSS. These descriptions also use compass point directions (northwest; southeast; etc.).

A

The principal meridian

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

it is the east-west line from which measurements originate.

A

The base line

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

these lines of a survey are called township lines

A

East-west lines

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

north-south lines are called

A

range lines.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

How many named principal meridians are in the U.S.?

A

37

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

it is described by referencing the principal meridian and base line that is appropriate to the township in which the parcel is located.

A

parcel

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

it is six miles square or 36 square miles

A

township

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

it is one square mile, which is also one mile squared.

A

section

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

this legal description looks like this (and is read right to left): S ½ SE ¼ NW ¼ Section 14, Township Clarkson

A

A rectangular government survey system

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

it begin with a reference to either metes and bounds or RGSS, then divide the land into lots with numerical descriptions of each parcel. A plat with the lot descriptions is recorded in the land records. it include streets, access roads, and other important features.

A

Lot-and-block systems

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

Lot 6 of Block 3 of the East Subdivision plat as recorded in Map Book 18, Page 11 at the Recorder of Deeds

A

A lot and block legal description

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

length × width ei (6 × 4)

A

Area of rectangle

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

side × side (4 × 4)

A

Area of square

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

1/2 base length × height

A

Area of triangle

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

One square yard =

A

nine square feet

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
43
Q

Square feet ÷ nine =

A

square yards

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
44
Q

Square yards × nine =

A

square feet

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
45
Q

What does ANSI stands for?

A

American National Standards Institute

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
46
Q

what does the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) do?

A

sets standards for measuring structures.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
47
Q

these can only be included if attached to the main property via stairways or hallways.

A

Finished spaces

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
48
Q

Example
The living room of Trixie’s house is 15 feet by 13 feet. The dining room is 12 feet by 13 feet. How many square feet is this entire area?

A

(15 × 13) + (12 × 13) = 195 + 156 = 351 square feet

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
49
Q

Jonathan’s 3,200 square foot home sold for $425,000. The price per square foot is

A

$425,000 ÷ 3,200, or $132.81.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
50
Q

What does GLA means?

A

Ground Living Areas

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
51
Q

GLA may include stairways and closet and finished attic or basement square footage if ceiling height is at least

A

seven feet.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
52
Q

Covered, enclosed exterior areas are included only if they’re heated using

A

the same heat system

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
53
Q

Additional finished buildings are usually included only if they’re attached to the main house by

A

a hallway or stairway.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
54
Q

these include corridors, meeting rooms, lobbies, restrooms, and a proportionate share of any common areas and a typically excludes common areas, elevator shafts, stairways, and HVAC and other system equipment areas.

A

rentable areas

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
55
Q

One acre =

A

43,560 square feet (memorize this one)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
56
Q

Square feet ÷ 43,560

A

acres

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
57
Q

Acres × 43,560

A

square feet

58
Q

One mile =

A

5,280 linear feet

59
Q

Linear feet ÷ 5,280 =

A

miles

60
Q

Miles × 5,280 =

A

linear feet (memorize this for your exam)

61
Q

One hectare =

A

approximately 2.47 acres

62
Q

Front foot (frontage) =

A

length of the property along a street, highway, or waterway

63
Q

Perimeter =

A

length and width of all sides added together

64
Q

One square mile =

A

640 acres

65
Q

Example

A parcel of land is three-quarters of a mile by 2,800 feet. The price is $2,500 per acre. How much is the land worth?

A

5,280 × .75 (3/4 of a mile) = 3,960 feet
3,960 x 2,800 feet, or 11,088,000 square feet
11,088,000 ÷ 43,560 (square feet in an acre) = 254.55 acres
$2,500 × 254.55 = $636,375

66
Q

Example

A land parcel is 7,500 s.f. It’s 75 feet deep. What is the frontage?

A

7,500 ÷ 75 = 100. The property is 75 feet deep by 100 feet long (frontage).

67
Q

Example

Trinity owns a land parcel that is a half-mile square. How many acres is it?

A

Each side of the parcel is 2,640 linear feet (5,280 feet in a mile).
2,640 × 2,640 = 6,969,600 square feet
6,969,600 ÷ 43,560 (square feet in an acre) = 160 acres

68
Q

Air lot heights are established by

A

the city or other governing authority that has jurisdiction.

69
Q

is a horizontal point of reference from which surveyors measure the depth and height of various land elevations.

A

A datum

70
Q

is a point where the exact elevation is known and marked with a brass or aluminum plate. Surveyors can use this as a starting point to measure other elevations.

A

A benchmark

71
Q

The three categories of water rights include

A

riparian rights, littoral rights, and the doctrine of prior appropriation.

72
Q

it address water that moves through a property, such a river or stream. these rights are classified into one of two categories based on the type of water: navigable or non-navigable.

A

Riparian rights

73
Q

address static water, such as a pond, lake, or ocean. Owners have the right to use and enjoy the static water but not divert or contain it.

A

Littoral rights

74
Q

it says that the first party to physically take water from a source and put it to beneficial household, agricultural, or industrial use will continue to have a claim to the water.

A

Prior appropriation

75
Q

Process by which water carries rock, sand, and soil and causes land build-up

A

Accretion

76
Q

New deposits of land that are the result of accretion

A

Alluvion

77
Q

Gradual loss of land due to a natural force

A

Erosion

78
Q

A sudden loss of land by a swift, large-scale change in water flow

A

Avulsion

79
Q

When water gradually recedes and uncovers new land

A

Reliction

80
Q

it is a claim against a property by a party that is not the owner.

A

Encumbrances

81
Q

affect real and personal property and include judgment liens, federal and state tax liens, and decedent’s debts.

A

General liens

82
Q

affect the specific real property/properties to which they’re attached by agreement or law and include mortgage liens, real property tax liens, mechanic’s liens, special assessment liens, vendor and vendee liens, and HOA liens.

A

Specific liens

83
Q

is one a vendor of goods or services places on the property and creates a cloud on the property’s title.

A

A mechanic’s lien

84
Q

is when the courts place an encumbrance on the property of a defendant in a lawsuit for monetary damages (also known as a judgment).

A

An attachment lien

85
Q

The typical priority of liens is

A

property tax lien, mechanic’s liens (if work began before the mortgage lien was recorded), first mortgage lien, and all other liens by date of recording.

86
Q

super lien status

A

liens take priority over all other types.

87
Q

is a non-possessory right acquired by one party to use another party’s land for a special use. These are often acquired through a written agreement. Because it affects the use of a property, they have the potential to diminish the property’s value.

A

An easement

88
Q

it suffers the easement

A

the servient estate

89
Q

it enjoys the easement.

A

the dominant estate

90
Q

What should you consult when there is an encroachement?

A

the Survey

91
Q

it is when the dominant estate owner takes action that shows a clear intent to stop using the easement.

A

Easement abandonment

92
Q

How many acres are in a parcel described as, “The S 1/2 NW 1/4 Section 3, Township 4N, Range 2W of the 6th PM”?

A

This legal description defines half of a quarter section. A quarter section is 160 acres. Half of that is 80 acres. Alternatively, multiply the two fractions’ denominators (2 × 4) and divide into 640 (640 ÷ 8 = 80).

93
Q

Which of the following would be a description used for real property?

A

In-ground

94
Q

these are granted for the lifetime of the grantee. When the life estate holder dies, remaining interest is either returned to the original owner (reversion) or is granted to a third party (the remainderman).

A

Ordinary life estates

95
Q

At the end of a life estate, the reversionary owner or remainderman hold a

A

Fee simple

96
Q

these are artificial attachments to land that include items such as fencing, buildings, and walkways.

A

Improvements

97
Q

What does the lot and block system use to develop a property’s legal description?

A

Plat references

98
Q

In which form of co-ownership is a person’s ownership inheritable?

A

Tenancy in common

99
Q

Attached to a specific parcel of land, transfers (“runs”) with the land, and gives the “dominant tenement” rights to use adjoining property/servient tenement

A

Easement appurtenant

100
Q

Granted to a specific individual or business rather than attached to the property itself

A

Easement in gross

101
Q

the dominant estate owner must take some action that shows a clear intent to stop using the easement.

A

abandonment easement

102
Q

this occurs when the owner of either the servient or dominant estate purchases the other property. A property owner can’t have an easement over his or her own land.

A

Easement termination by merge

103
Q

an easement allows someone to travel to and from the land.

A

Easement by necessity

104
Q

This easement isn’t legal, and is created through the continued, uninterrupted, obvious, exclusive, and adverse use of someone’s property without permission.

A

Easement by prescription

105
Q

itprovides a pass-through to other property but doesn’t allow usage of the land.

A

Right-of-way

106
Q

is temporary permission for one person, at the discretion of the property owner, to do something on another’s land without actually possessing any interest or ownership in the land. it is not assignable or inheritable.

A

A license

107
Q

If this provision is included, the mortgagee agrees not to evict tenants who are current on their rent if the mortgagee has to foreclose on the property.

A

non-disturbance clause

108
Q

it is an interest in real property where the owner’s possession of the property isn’t of fixed duration, as it would be in a lease (leasehold estate)

A

A freehold estate

109
Q

it is a type of freehold estate that conveys the most rights available. Property held as a fee simple can be sold and is inheritable.

A

Fee simple estates

110
Q

it is a type of freehold estate in which ownership is subject to either the occurrence or non-occurrence of a particular event.

A

Fee simple defeasible

111
Q

the current property owner conveys ownership to a new owner as long as some event does or doesn’t occur. For example, Morris gives a plot of land to a local parks district as long as the district only uses it for youth soccer fields. He gives the possibility of reverter to his son Joe, someone else named by Joe, or Joe’s heirs if the parks district changes the property’s use. If the use changes, the estate automatically ends and the property reverts to whoever holds the possibility of reverter.

A

a fee simple determinable estate

112
Q

he current property owner conveys ownership to a new owner on a specific condition. For example, Trinity conveys her home to her son, Gabriel, on the condition that the property remains residential. If Gabriel converts the property to some other use, the estate doesn’t automatically revert to the original owner; however, Trinity (or her other heirs or successors) has the right to re-acquire full ownership. But she’ll have to go to court to do so.

A

a fee simple subject to condition subsequent estate

113
Q

it is an estate in which the holder has a possessory interest in a property but no ownership.

A

A leasehold estate

114
Q

it is a lease that ends on a specific date and must be renewed by mutual agreement between the landlord and tenant.

A

An estate for years

115
Q

it is a lease that automatically renews at the end of its term (such as a month-to-month lease).

A

A periodic estate (aka estate from period to period)

116
Q

it is a lease without an established ending that can be terminated by either party.

A

An estate at will

117
Q

it is one in which a tenant (referred to as a holdover tenant) didn’t leave when the lease expired.

A

An estate at sufferance

118
Q

Can ownership in severalty be inherited?

A

Yes, according to the will and instructions

119
Q

it is a form of co-ownership in which each co-owner is entitled to possession of the whole. An owner’s ownership is inheritable and, upon the owner’s death, doesn’t necessarily pass to the other owners.

A

Tenancy in common

120
Q

is a form of co-ownership in which equal ownership requires unity of time, title, interest, and possession.
includes the right of survivorship, which means that the surviving co-owner(s) will own the property of the person who dies.

A

Joint tenancy

121
Q

Can common tenancy be inherited?

A

Yes

122
Q

Can Joint tenancy be inherited?

A

No, the interested will go to the survivor members

123
Q

Timeshares, condominiums, and cooperatives are primary examples of

A

common-interest ownership.

124
Q

Can timeshares be inherited?

A

Yes, they can be sold also

125
Q

it is a type of freehold estate in which ownership is limited to someone’s lifetime. The future owner is determined based on the life estate’s terms.

A

A life estate

126
Q

it is s based on the life of the estate holder/life tenant. For example, Christine gives her son this type of life estate in a property, and the estate lasts until her son’s death.

A

An ordinary life estate

127
Q

is based on the life of someone other than the holder of the life estate/life tenant. For example, Jarrod grants his ex-wife, Margo, this type of life estate in a house where Jarrod’s mother Rose and Margo, who cares for Rose, both reside. The life estate stipulates that Margo’s interest in the property will cease when Jarrod’s mother dies.

A

Pur Autre Vie (“for another’s life.)

128
Q

Any act by the estate holder that significantly reduces the value of the property at the end of the life estate is called

A

an act of waste

129
Q

When a life estate ends, ownership of and interest in the property is determined in one of two ways.

A

Remainder: Ownership will pass to a remainderman instead of the party who established the life estate.

Reversion: Ownership will revert to the life estate originator (or the originator’s successors and heirs).

130
Q

When a life estate ends, the remainderman or reversion holder holds the estate in

A

fee simple.

131
Q

The bundle of rights includes:

A

Possession: This means that the titleholder may possess (be on) the property.
Control: The owner controls the use of the property.
Exclusion: The owner may decide who may or may not access the property.
Enjoyment: The owner may use the property in any legal matter.
Disposition: The owner has the right to sell or convey the property.

132
Q

Property ownership gives the title holder a bundle of rights. What’s significant about the concept of a bundle of rights?

A

It describes the ability to separate one right from the others while leaving the rest of the bundle intact.

133
Q

our client Frank is interested in selling a 54,450-square-foot lot. A comparable property in the vicinity sold for $3,500 per acre. What would be reasonable list price for Frank’s property?

A

One acre = 43,560 square feet. Figure his lot acreage first (54,450 ÷ 43,560 = 1.25 acres). Since the two lots are comparable, calculate the price of the comp ($3,500 x 1.25 = $4,375), which is a good list price for Frank’s lot

134
Q

In this description, what does “Beginning at the corner of State Route 61 and Hallowell Road” represent?

A

Bounds are physical features that define the boundaries of the property. Combined with directions and distances (metes), these form the basis of a metes and bounds legal description.

135
Q

Without this easement—usually involving access to a road—the owner requiring the right of passage would be landlocked.

A

This describes an easement by necessity. One way to remember this type of easement is by thinking of the importance of getting access to a road.

136
Q

43,560 square feet is

A

one acre

137
Q

A section is

A

one square mile, or 640 acres.

138
Q

A hectare is a

A

100-acre measurement.

139
Q

What forms the boundaries of a township?

A

Township lines and range lines

140
Q

What is an encumbrance?

A

A defect on a title that can be monetary or physical