Property Law

This lesson is the fourth of several addressing the various issues relating to the concurrent ownership of property. It is designed to introduce Property students to the rights and obligations co-tenants have when dealing with property held by a concurrent estate. The lesson addresses each respective tenant’s possessory rights, obligations for costs and expenses relating to the subject property, potential for ousting another co-tenant, and liabilities in the event of having ousted another co-tenant.

This lesson is designed to introduce the novice to the essential concepts of the common law Rule Against Perpetuities. It is presumed the reader has a basic understanding of estates and future interests. This Lesson is designed, also, to help the student develop an analytical approach to solve problems arising under the rule.

Professors Brown and Grohman offer tips for mastering this complicated doctrine and explain the real-world reasons why students and attorneys need to understand the rule against perpetuities.

This lesson's overall plan is to introduce students to the basic principles involved with two common modifications to the common law Rule Against Perpetuities: Wait-and-See and Cy Pres. The exercise assumes the student is familiar with Possessory Estates, Future Interests, and the common law Rule Against Perpetuities; it is suggested students work through those exercises first.

This lesson is an introduction to the Uniform Statutory Rule Against Perpetuities. As such, it addresses the basic concepts a first year Property student is likely to encounter when analyzing this statute.

This lesson introduces the student to the doctrine and processes involved in interpreting state and federal statutes. Statutes are a critical part of every substantive area of the law, so this is important background for every student, legal professional, lawyer and judge.

This lesson is the third of several addressing the various relationships resulting in the concurrent ownership of property. It is designed to introduce Property students to this tenancy form. The lesson progresses from addressing the traditional elements required to create a tenancy by the entirety, the resulting right of survivorship and the events severing the tenancy. Also, it deals with the status of the tenancy by the entirety under modern statutes.

This lesson is the second of several addressing the various relationships resulting in the concurrent ownership of property. It is designed to introduce Property students to this tenancy form. The interactive tutorial progresses from addressing the traditional requirements to create a tenancy in common, the lack of right of survivorship and the status of the tenancy in common under modern statutes.

This lesson explores the myriad ways in which easements may be terminated. It begins by focusing on express termination, the most effective way to terminate an easement when the holder of the benefit of the easement agrees to terminate it. The bulk of the interactive tutorial deals with the more complicated problem of termination without the express consent of the benefitted party.

This is the first of two lessons on title insurance. Title insurance is a critical component of modern real estate transactions. Anyone buying, selling or owning any interest in real estate, or any lawyer advising or representing such person, needs to know about title insurance.

This is the second lesson on title insurance. This lesson is designed to build on what you learned in the first lesson, Title Insurance Basics. Title insurance is a critical component of modern real estate transactions.

This lesson provides a review of the doctrine of prior appropriation, the water law system that dominates in the western part of the United States.

This lesson provides a review of the five major doctrines that states have employed to decide who has what rights in ground water.

Riparianism is the system of water law used in most eastern states in the United States to govern property rights in water. This lesson provides a review of the basic concepts of the doctrine of riparianism for students in Water Law or Property classes. It covers both common law riparianism and regulated riparianism.

This lesson provides a review of federal reserved rights for students who have covered that doctrine in a Water Law, Natural Resources Law, or Advanced Property course.

While most of the states in the country choose between the water law doctrines of prior appropriation and riparian rights, California applies both. This approach to state water law is called, appropriately, the California system.