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29: Personal Property and Fixtures

  • Page ID
    11172
    • Anonymous
    • LibreTexts

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    Learning Objectives

    After reading this chapter, you should understand the following:

    • The difference between personal property and other types of property
    • How rights in personal property are acquired and maintained
    • How some kinds of personal property can become real property, and how to determine who has rights in fixtures that are part of real property

    In this chapter, we examine the general nature of property rights and the law relating to personal property—with special emphasis on acquisition and fixtures. We discuss intellectual property, a kind of personal property that is increasingly profitable. We focus on real property, including its nature and regulation, its acquisition by purchase (and some other methods), and its acquisition by lease (landlord and tenant law).

    • 29.1: The General Nature of Property Rights
      This page explores the concept of property, detailing its definitions and classifications, including real (immovable) and personal (movable) property. It explains the legal relationships linked to property rights and the evolving nature of property concepts. The text highlights differences in laws for real and personal property, including transfer methods and inheritance.
    • 29.2: Personal Property
      This page discusses legal methods for acquiring personal property, including possession, finding, gifts, accession, and confusion. It details the requirements for gifts, such as delivery and intent, along with concepts of gifts causa mortis and gifts to minors. The implications of accession and confusion are explored, covering ownership rights.
    • 29.3: Fixtures
      This page explains the difference between personal property and fixtures, which turn into real property when attached to land or buildings. It discusses three judicial tests—annexation, adaptation, and intention—used to identify fixtures. The text notes potential conflicts in property transactions and landlord-tenant scenarios concerning what is included or removed at lease end, with examples of tenant's fixtures that can be taken without harm to the property.
    • 29.4: Case
      In Bishop v. Ellsworth, Dwayne Bishop contended that three boys who discovered $12,590 in his salvage yard had no claim to it as they were trespassing. The court agreed that trespassers do not gain rights over found money on private property. It reversed the trial court's dismissal of Bishop's complaint, allowing the case to continue.
    • 29.5: Summary and Exercises
      This page outlines property law, emphasizing the relationships between individuals and ownership of personal and real property, with distinctions among tangible, intangible, private, and public properties. It explains how personal property can be acquired and describes the conditions for a valid gift. Additionally, it notes that fixtures change from personal to real property when attached to land and highlights the significance of contracts and clear legal rights in property transactions.


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