Legal Definitions - chattel personal

Chattel personal refers to an item of movable personal property. Unlike real property, which includes land and things permanently attached to it (like buildings), a chattel personal can be moved from one place to another without being damaged or altering its fundamental nature. It encompasses a wide range of tangible possessions that are not fixed to land.

Here are some examples illustrating this concept:

• Imagine a person selling their house. While the house itself and the land it sits on are considered real property, the seller's antique dining room table and chairs are examples of chattel personal. They can be easily picked up and moved to the seller's new residence without affecting the house itself. They are tangible, movable possessions owned by the individual.

• Consider a small business that owns a fleet of delivery vans. These vans are essential for their operations but are not permanently attached to any land or building. They are movable assets that the business owns. Therefore, each delivery van is a chattel personal, distinct from the warehouse building (real property) where they might be parked.

• A collector owns a valuable first edition comic book collection. This collection, stored in special archival boxes, is a prime example of chattel personal. The comic books are tangible items that can be moved, bought, sold, or inherited independently of any real estate. Their value lies in the items themselves, not in their attachment to land.