LAND LAW REVISION NOTES AND PAST Q/AS

Estates and Interests in Land Estates Before 1925 estates were divided into: 1. Estates of freehold – period of time that is fixed, but uncertain, e.g. for life. 2. Estates less than freehold (leasehold estates) – period of time that is fixed and certain, e.g. 99 years. There were three estates of freehold (real property – dispossession = land recoverable):A 1. Fee Simple – now the only legal estate, “fee simple absolute in possession”. The Fee Simple lasted as long as the estate owner had heirs to inherit the land. If estate owner makes a will disposing of the land, the fee simple will continue in the hands of the new owner named in the will. If the original owner dies without leaving a will, the land will pass in accordance with rules specified in s45 Administration of Estates Act 1925. 2. Fee Tail or Entail– now only an equitable interest in land The entail could be inherited but only by direct descendants of the original owner, e.g. children, grandchildren, etc. Since 1 January 1997 it has not been possible to create new entails. 3. Life estate– now only an equitable interest in land The Life estate lasted for the life of the estate owner or of some other person. There were two types of leasehold (personal property – dispossession = damages):