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Finding a Real Estate Lawyer

At some point, nearly everyone needs the services of a lawyer. A transaction involving the sale or purchase of real estate may well be one of those instances.

Procedures in Condemnation Cases

Condemnation is the action of a governmental entity when it takes private property for a public use. When a state takes private land to build, expand, or develop a public highway, that private property is condemned through a judicial process that ultimately transfers the title of the land from the private owner to the state in exchange for the payment of funds that reflect the reasonable value of the land taken.

Trees and Fallen Fruit

Generally speaking, the location of the trunk of a tree determines who owns the tree. While the law is somewhat unclear, it appears that the property owner who owns a fruit or nut tree also owns any fruits or nuts that grow from the tree. Furthermore, it appears that the property owner who owns a fruit or nut tree also has the right to collect fruits or nuts that fall on neighboring property.

Community Property

The origins of the concept of community property are ancient. Briefly said, the phrase "community property" refers to a form of property ownership that exists between a husband and a wife in which each party has a one-half interest in all property acquired by the labor of either party during the course of the parties' marriage. Perhaps the most widely recognized form of community property is the amount of wages earned by one party during the course of a marriage. Several states, mostly clustered in the southwestern United States, continue to recognize the concept of community property.

Fee Tail Estates

The fact scenario set forth above describes the creation of what is known as a "fee tail" estate. A fee tail estate is one that is restricted by the grantor to lineal descendants, as opposed to collateral heirs.