Definition of "Penalty"

Amount to be paid by a person or business for violating a statute or legal court order. It may also be assessed for violating the provisions of a contract. Examples of penalties are a charge made by the Internal Revenue Service for underpaying corporate income taxes, penalty assessed by a municipality for failing to pay property taxes, penalty due to prepaying a mortgage, amount arising from breaking a real estate contract, and fee due from prematurely terminating a lease.

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

Land located next to water that has and will continue to experience water damage. The land generally is not suitable to build a structure on. In some cases, federal or local government may ...

The definition of in rem in real estate is a legal case against a property rather than a person. The legal application of in rem in real estate is most often seen when a homeowner defaults ...

Local governmental ordinance breaking down the country into districts that are restricted on how private property is to be constructed and used. It applies to the land and buildings. The ...

in masonry, the stones or bricks that are laid cross ways on a wall providing support to the horizontal stretcher bricks. The ends of the header bricks are visible in the wall. A beam ...

Founded in1934 and located in Chicago, IL with a 1993 membership of 8,300, the IAAO seeks to ameliorate assessment standards as well as to perform ongoing property assessment research. The ...

The definition of an open-end mortgage underlines the fact that the mortgage or trust deed can be increased by the mortgagee (borrower). The mortgagee may secure additional money from the ...

Real estate broker specializing in the listing and selling of commercial property. This property can include apartments, businesses, hotels, industrial, retail or wholesale uses. ...

Subordinate neighborhoods that are tied to an urban area economically. For example, office buildings in a city are the workplace for residents in surrounding communities. ...

Branch of economics that is concerned with the study of factors that explain, and policies that promote, regional economic growth and development. Regional economic factors affect ...

Popular Real Estate Questions