Legal Definitions - bona immobilia

Bona immobilia is a Latin legal term that refers to immovable property. In modern legal terms, this is essentially what we call real estate or real property.

It includes land and anything permanently attached to the land, such as buildings, trees, and fixtures. Unlike movable property (like furniture, vehicles, or money), immovable property cannot be easily moved from one location to another without altering or destroying it.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Example 1: A Family Home

  When a family purchases a house, they are acquiring bona immobilia. This includes not only the physical structure of the house itself but also the plot of land it sits on, the attached garage, and any permanent landscaping like mature trees or built-in patios. These elements are fixed to the earth and cannot be relocated without significant effort and damage.

  This illustrates bona immobilia because the house and the land it occupies are permanently fixed in place and constitute real estate.

• Example 2: A Commercial Office Building

  A corporation that owns a skyscraper in a city center owns bona immobilia. The building, its foundation, and the land beneath it are all immovable assets. Even internal fixtures like built-in cabinetry, HVAC systems, and elevators, which are permanently installed within the structure, would typically be considered part of this immovable property.

  This demonstrates bona immobilia as the office building and its underlying land are fixed assets that cannot be moved, representing a significant form of real property.

• Example 3: An Agricultural Farm

  A farmer who owns a large tract of land used for growing crops, along with a barn, a silo, and an irrigation system permanently installed on that land, possesses bona immobilia. The land itself is immovable, and the barn, silo, and irrigation infrastructure are all permanently affixed to the land to support the farming operations.

  This example shows bona immobilia through the land and the permanent structures built upon it for agricultural purposes, all of which are fixed and cannot be easily relocated.