<--Back to Wiki Home

Define Defeasible Fee in Real Estate

Defeasible Fee: 

A defeasible fee is a special kind of ownership for a house or land that can be taken away if the owner doesn't follow certain rules. It's like having a membership in a club that you can only keep if you follow the club's guidelines.

Example: 

For example, let's say Emily gets a piece of land with a rule that says she can't build any tall buildings on it. If Emily builds a tall building anyway, she could lose her ownership of the land because she didn't follow the rule.

"Wit & Whimsy with the Dumb Ox: Unlocking Knowledge with Rhyme:"

In the land of homes and properties, where rules can sometimes be,
A unique thing called defeasible fee exists for all to see.
It's a type of ownership, with conditions, oh so clear,
If you break the rules, my friend, your ownership might disappear.

Imagine Emily, who owns some land, with guidelines she must heed,
No tall buildings, says the rule, or her ownership will recede.
But if she breaks the rule one day, and builds a tower high,
Her ownership could be at risk, and swiftly say goodbye.

So, defeasible fee, a peculiar thing, with conditions to maintain,
Teaches owners to follow rules, or their loss could be their gain.
In this land of homes and properties, where ownership's the prize,
Defeasible fees remind us all, to follow rules, and be wise.