Definition of "Alienation"

The definition of alienation in real estate stands for the legal action that is done voluntarily by an owner to dispose of their property. It also encompasses a property’s right to be sold or given to someone else. Most of the properties can be alienated but there are some that are under the influence of restraint of alienation.

The status or authority of a property to be alienated is specified in a contract in something that is called an alienation clause. Through an alienation clause, it can be stipulated whether or not a property can be sold or transferred to another owner. The alienation clause is the situation in which alienation as a concept is implemented through law. The term “alienation” has a long history but it is commonly used today in real estate contracts, mortgages, insurance policies, law, and wills.

The History of Alienation

In the old age of the feudal system in England, a system that was the beginning of modern-day alienation was known as subinfeudation. As the act of alienation today, subinfeudation required the license of the overlord, in other words, the blessing of the owner, for the property to be transferred and alienated to another.

And like nowadays, there are some items, objects or … let’s call them assets that can not be alienated. These assets are known as inalienable. Some examples of these are body parts, people, or aboriginal titles. Tickets or licenses also can not be given to someone else but they can be alienated in the sense that they are discarded, surrendered, or just disposed of.

Not to be confused with that 90’s movie/TV series “ Alien Nation”.

An alien is something foreign that does not belong to that place or person. So, in the real estate world, alienation is the voluntary and purposeful act of transferring an asset to a different party, making it no longer belonging to that person or place. Once an alienation is done, the titles of possession are transferred from one person to another.

Real Estate tips:

Don't let knowledge become a foreign concept to you! Search through our Glossary Terms and get up to speed with all these complex terms!

And once you're ready to play: find an agent and start putting that knowledge to work!

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

Generic name given for any association of property owners sharing an interest in commonly owned property. Community associations may be developed in condominium, cooperative, or housing ...

The land-to-building ratio is a means to calculate in percentage how much a structure occupies the total land parcel on which it is located. It is the total building area as a percentage of ...

Individual who gives false statements under oath, which is a criminal act punishable by imprisonment and fine. An example is signing a tax return that fraudently understates rental income, ...

Loan such as a mortgage that the borrower has consistently made payments on when due over many years. The borrower has proven his creditor worthiness. ...

Owned by one individual or sole ownership. ...

Affordability is a term used to describe the ability of a person or entity to pay in relation to the income earned by them. Affordability is the comparison of a person's income against ...

The word’s etymology reflects several diverse or seemingly unrelated topics under the same umbrella. As part of everyday discourse, you’ll find the term “omnibus” ...

To understand the definition of the term demised premises, one must understand what demise means. Because demised premises is a widespread use for the term demise. The demised premises ...

Amount the taxpayer gets back when he or she files the tax return at the end of the reporting year because taxes were overpaid for that year. The tax overpayment equals the tax payments ...

Popular Real Estate Questions