Weak Areas Flashcards
(90 cards)
Present possessory Estate defined
an interest that gives the hold the right to present possession
Fee Simple Absolute
Forever. largest estate recognized by law: can be sold, divided, devised, and inherited and has an indefinite or potentially infinite duration; presumed in the asbsence of express contrary intent.
What are the defeasible fees?
Fee simple esates that can be terminated upon the happening of a stated event
Fee Simple Determinable (and Possibility of Reverter)
Fee Simple Subject to Condition Subsequent (and Right of Entry)
Fee Tail
Life Estate
Fee Simple Determinable
terminates upon the happening of a stated event and automatically revert to the grantor. Created by durational language; “for so long as” “while” “during” or “until”
Can be conveyed by grantee takes subject to estate’s being terminated by the specified event
Ex: “To A and his hears for so long as”
MD DISTINCTION: Imposes 7 year SOL for exercising possibility of reverter.
Possibility of Reverter
Whenever grantor conveys a fee simple determinable, he automatically retains a possibility of reverter, a reversionary interest. Transferrable, descindible, and devisable.
Fee Simple Subject to Condition Subequent
Grantor reverses the right to terminate the estate upon the happening of stated event
“upon condition that”, “provided that”, :”but if”, and “if it happens that”
Right of Entry
Right to terminate, reserved by the grantor. Must be expressly reserved unlike possiblity of revertter
Most cts: Not transferrable inter vivos, but most states agree they are devisable, and all states agree they are descindible.
MD DISTINCTION: Grantor has 7 years from date of breach to exercise the option.
Fee Simple Subject to an Executory Interest
If fee simple estate terminated upon the happenin of a stated event, and then passes to a third party rather than reverting to the grantor or giving the grantor a right to terminate, the third party has an executory interest.
Ex: To A and his heirs for so long as liquor is not sold on the premises,; in that event, to B. B has an executory interest
Fee Tail
Inheritability is limited to lineal heirs. Created y the words to A and the heirs of his body.
Most jxs have abolished and the attempt to create one is just a fee simple
Life Estate
Measured by the life or lives of one or more persons. It may be created by operation of law or by conveyance
Marital right: Dower and curtesy were the CL interests of a spuse in the real property of the other spous; could not be defeated by conveyance or by creditors. Most states have abolishhed them in favor of a statutory right to a portion of a spouse’s estate
Conventional life estates
- For life of grantee: Usual life estate is measure y the life of the grantee. May be implied by language like “to B after the life of A”
- Life estate pur autre vie (life of another): Measured by the life other than the grantees “to A for the life of B”. Also results when the life tenant conveys his life estate to another.
Can be determinable, subect to a condition subsequent, and subject to an executory interest.
Doctrine of Waste
life tenant is entitled to any ordinary uses and profits of the land byt cannot do anything that injures the interests of a remainderman or reversioner. A future interest holder may sue for damages or to enjoin such acts, and if she spends money to perform the life ternant’s obligatioons she is entitled to reimbursement
MD DISTINCTION: If Life tenant commits waste after being enjoined, remaindermen get double damages.
Affirmative (Voluntary) Waste
Exploitation fo natural resources by a life tenant is generally limited to situations when:
- Necessary for repair or maintenance of the land
- the land is suitable only for such use; OR
- it is expressly or impliedly permitted by the grantor.
Open mines doctrine: If mining was done on the land prior ro the life estate, the life tenant can continue mining, but is limited to the mines ALREADY OPEN.
Permissive Waste
A life tenant is obligated to:
- preserve the land and structures in a reasonable state of repair
- pay interest on mortgages (not principal)
- pay ordinary taxes on the land
- pay special assessments for public improvements of short duration (improvements of long duration are apportioned byween the life tenant and future interest holder)
Occurs when a life tenant fails to do so; duty limited to the extent of the income or profits generated from the land
A life tenant is not obliged to insure the premises for the benefit of remaindermen and is not responsible for damages caused by third party tortfeasors
Ameliorative Waste
Change that benefits the property economically. This waste was actionable at CL, but now a life tenant may alter or even domolish existing buildings if:
- the market value of the future interests is not diminished; and EITHER
- the remaindermen do not object; OR
- Substantial and permanent change in neighborhood condition has deprived the property in its current form of reasonable productivity or usefulness.
Leasehold Tenant v. Worthless Property
Leasehold Tenant: remains liable for amerliorative waste even if the neighbodhood has changed and market value of the premises was increased
Worthless Property: if land is practically worthless in its present state, the life tenant may seek a partition sale, the proceeds of which are put in trust with income paid to the life tenant.
Renunciation of Life Estate
If lie tenant ho receives the estate by will or intestacy renounces his interest, the future interest following th elife estate is generally accelerated so that it becomes immediately psosessory
Future Interests
Gives holder the right or possibility of future possession fo an estate. Present, legally protected right in property
Reversionary Interests - Future Interests in Transferor
Possibilities of reverter and rights of entry
Reversions: estate left in a grantor who conveys less than she owns; arises by operaton fo la; does not have to be expressly reserved.
Aliable, devisable, and inheritable.
Holder can sue for waste and for tortious damag to the reversionary itnerest
ALL REVERSIONARY INTERESTS ARE VESTED, AND THUS, NOT SUBJECT TO THE RULE AGAINST PERPETUTIES.
Remainders
Future interest in a third person that can become possessory on the natural expiration of the preceding estate; can’t divest a prior estate, and it cannot follow a time gap after the preceeding estate.
A remainder must be expressly created in the instrument creating the preceding possessory estate
- O conveys to A for life, then to B and his heirs. B has a remainder
- O conveys to A for life then to B and his one day after A’s death; B does not have a remainder (because there is a gap)
CAN NEVER FOLLOW A FEE SIMPLE ESTATE (POTENTIALLY INFINITE DURATION)
Inefeasibly Vested Remainders
Once created in an existing and ascertained person, and not subject to a condition precendent. Remainderman has a right to immedite possession upon normal termination of the preceding estate. An indefeasibly vested remainder is a vested remainder that is not subject to divestment or dimunition
Vested Remainder Subject to Open
Created in a class of persons (“children”) that is certain to become possessory, but is subject to dimunition - by birth of additional persons who will share in the remainder as a class.
ex: O conveys to A for life, then to the children of B. A and B are lviing and B has one child, C. C has a vsted remainder subject to open.
Vested Remainder subject to total divestment
Vested remainder that is subject to a condition subsequent.
Ex: O conveys to A for life , then to B ad his heirs; but if B dies unmarried, then to and hi heirs. B has a vested remainder subject to complete divestment by C’s executory interest.
Where languae is ambiguous, the preference is for vested remainders subject to divestment rather than contingent remainders or executory interests. Policy favors early vesting of estates
Contingent Remainders
Those created in unborn or unascertained persons, or subject to a condition precedent