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

Something that has been built and physically exists at a specified location, such as a building, garage, etc. Something consisting of related parts, such as the organization and terms of ...

In a broader sense, Full Disclosure means presenting all information (significant or not, classified or not) related to a certain matter. In Real Estate, the term “Full ...

When you hear someone in real estate saying there will be a boring test, they don't mean a dull exam is coming up. What is a soil boring test? Let's find out the meaning of a boring test! ...

The individual who receives an interest in a life estate after the original life tenant's interest expires. This normally occurs after the death of the life tenant. For example, Mrs. ...

Legal order for a person to present at a deposition or trial documents in his possession, such as related to a real estate transaction. ...

Unit of measure for the change in interest rates for loans. One basis point equates to 1 percent of 1 percent, that is, 0.01 percent. Therefore, one hundred basis points equals 1 percent. ...

Landlord's right to receive the value of the tenant's property to pay for unpaid rents or for damages to the leased premises. ...

Current cost to replace property with an identical property after allowing for the depreciated value of the property. ...

A partition or wall that provides no support to the structure in which it is located. For example, a nonbearing partition or wall does not support any floors above it. A partition which ...

Popular Real Estate Questions