Estate in Fee Tail

This lesson will introduce students to the estate in fee tail, one of the traditional estate in land recognized by Anglo-American Law. While the fee tail has been abolished in most American jurisdictions, it continues to be recognized in modified form in a few states. Understanding the fee tail will give you a better understanding of the system of estates in land as a whole.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the lesson, the student will be able to:

1. State the characteristics of the traditional fee tail.
2. Describe the characteristics of the fee tail in those states which continue to recognize fee tail today.
3. Explain modern statutory treatment of attempts to create a fee tail in states which no longer recognize that estate.