Real property

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)
real property
    n 1: property consisting of houses and land [syn: {real
         property}, {real estate}, {realty}, {immovable}]
    
from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Real \Re"al\ (r[=e]"al), a. [LL. realis, fr. L. res, rei, a
   thing: cf. F. r['e]el. Cf. {Rebus}.]
   1. Actually being or existing; not fictitious or imaginary;
      as, a description of real life.
      [1913 Webster]

            Whereat I waked, and found
            Before mine eyes all real, as the dream
            Had lively shadowed.                  --Milton.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. True; genuine; not artificial, counterfeit, or factitious;
      often opposed to {ostensible}; as, the real reason; real
      Madeira wine; real ginger.
      [1913 Webster]

            Whose perfection far excelled
            Hers in all real dignity.             --Milton.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. Relating to things, not to persons. [Obs.]
      [1913 Webster]

            Many are perfect in men's humors that are not
            greatly capable of the real part of business.
                                                  --Bacon.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. (Alg.) Having an assignable arithmetical or numerical
      value or meaning; not imaginary.
      [1913 Webster]

   5. (Law) Pertaining to things fixed, permanent, or immovable,
      as to lands and tenements; as, real property, in
      distinction from personal or movable property.
      [1913 Webster]

   {Chattels real} (Law), such chattels as are annexed to, or
      savor of, the realty, as terms for years of land. See
      {Chattel}.

   {Real action} (Law), an action for the recovery of real
      property.

   {Real assets} (Law), lands or real estate in the hands of the
      heir, chargeable with the debts of the ancestor.

   {Real composition} (Eccl. Law), an agreement made between the
      owner of lands and the parson or vicar, with consent of
      the ordinary, that such lands shall be discharged from
      payment of tithes, in consequence of other land or
      recompense given to the parson in lieu and satisfaction
      thereof. --Blackstone.

   {Real estate} or {Real property}, lands, tenements, and
      hereditaments; freehold interests in landed property;
      property in houses and land. --Kent. --Burrill.

   {Real presence} (R. C. Ch.), the actual presence of the body
      and blood of Christ in the eucharist, or the conversion of
      the substance of the bread and wine into the real body and
      blood of Christ; transubstantiation. In other churches
      there is a belief in a form of real presence, not however
      in the sense of transubstantiation.

   {Real servitude}, called also {Predial servitude} (Civil
      Law), a burden imposed upon one estate in favor of another
      estate of another proprietor. --Erskine. --Bouvier.
      [1913 Webster]

   Syn: Actual; true; genuine; authentic.

   Usage: {Real}, {Actual}. Real represents a thing to be a
          substantive existence; as, a real, not imaginary,
          occurrence. Actual refers to it as acted or performed;
          and, hence, when we wish to prove a thing real, we
          often say, "It actually exists," "It has actually been
          done." Thus its reality is shown by its actuality.
          Actual, from this reference to being acted, has
          recently received a new signification, namely,
          present; as, the actual posture of affairs; since what
          is now in action, or going on, has, of course, a
          present existence. An actual fact; a real sentiment.
          [1913 Webster]

                For he that but conceives a crime in thought,
                Contracts the danger of an actual fault.
                                                  --Dryden.
          [1913 Webster]

                Our simple ideas are all real; all agree to the
                reality of things.                --Locke.
          [1913 Webster]
    
from Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)
REAL PROPERTY, That which consists of land, and of all rights and profits 
arising from and annexed to land, of a permanent, immovable nature. In order 
to make one's interest in land, real estate, it must be an interest not less 
than for the party's life, because a term of years, even for a thousand 
years, perpetually renewable, is a mere personal estate. 3 Russ. R. 376. It 
is usually comprised under the words lands, tenements, and hereditaments. 
Real property is corporeal, or incorporeal. 
     2. Corporeal consists wholly of substantial, permanent objects, which 
may all be comprehended under the general denomination of land. There are 
some chattels which are so annexed to the inheritance, that they are deemed 
a part of it, and are called heir looms. (q.v.) Money agreed or directed to 
be laid out in land is considered as real estate. Newl. on Contr. chap. 3; 
Fonb. Eq. B. 1, c. 6, Sec. 9; 3 Wheat. Rep. 577. 
     3. Incorporeal property, consists of certain inheritable rights, which 
are not, strictly speaking, of a corporeal nature, or land, although they 
are by their own nature or by use, annexed to corporeal inheritances, and 
are rights issuing out of them, or which concern them. These distinctions 
agree with the civil law. Just. Inst. 2, 2; Poth. Traite de la Communaute, 
part 1, c. 2, art. 1. The incorporeal hereditaments which subsist by the 
laws of the several states are fewer than those recognized by the English 
law. In the United States, there are fortunately no advowsons, tithes, nor 
dignities, as inheritances. 
     4. The most common incorporeal hereditaments, are, 1. Commons. 2. Ways. 
3. Offices. 4. Franchises. 5. Rents. For authorities of what is real or 
personal property, see 8 Com. Dig. 564; 1 Vern. Rep. by Raithby, 4, n.; 2 
Kent, Com. 277; 3 Id. 331; 4 Watts' R. 341; Bac. Ab. Executors, H 3; 1 Mass. 
Dig. 394; 5 Mass. R. 419, and the references under the article Personal 
property, (q.v.) and Property. (q.v.) 
     5. The principal distinctions between real and personal property, are 
the following: 1. Real property is of a permanent and immovable nature, and 
the owner has an estate therein at least for life. 2. It descends from the 
ancestor to the heir instead of becoming the property of an executor or 
administrator on the death of the owner, as in case of personalty. 3. In 
case of alienation, it must in general be made by deed, 5 B. & C. 221, and 
in presenti by the common law; whereas leases for years may commence in 
futuro, and personal chattels may be transferred by parol or delivery. 4. 
Real estate when devised, is subject to the widow's dower personal estate 
can be given away by will discharged of any claim of the widow. 
     6. These are some interests arising out of, or connected with real 
property, which in some respects partake of the qualities of personally; as, 
for example, heir looms, title deeds, which, though in themselves movable, 
yet relating to land descend from ancestor to heir, or from a vendor to a 
purchaser. 4 Bin. 106. 
     7. It is a maxim in equity, that things to be done will be considered 
as done, and vice versa. According to this doctrine money or goods will be 
considered as real property, and land will be treated as personal property. 
Money directed by a will to be laid out in land is, in equity, considered as 
land, and will pass by the words "lands, tenements, and hereditaments 
whatsoever and wheresoever." 3 Bro. C. C. 99; 1 Tho. Co. Litt. 219, n. T. 
    
from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
55 Moby Thesaurus words for "real property":
      acres, alluvion, alluvium, arable land, chattels real, clay, clod,
      crust, demesne, dirt, domain, dry land, dust, earth, freehold,
      glebe, grassland, ground, grounds, honor, land, landed property,
      landholdings, lands, lithosphere, lot, lots, manor, marginal land,
      marl, messuage, mold, parcel, plat, plot, praedium, property,
      quadrat, real estate, realty, region, regolith, sod, soil,
      subaerial deposit, subsoil, tenements, terra, terra firma, terrain,
      territory, the country, toft, topsoil, woodland

    

[email protected]