Legal Definitions - corporeal property

Corporeal property refers to assets that have a physical form and can be touched, seen, or otherwise perceived by the senses. These are tangible items, meaning they exist physically, whether they are fixed to land (like buildings) or are movable possessions (like vehicles or furniture).

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Imagine a homeowner who owns a house and the land it is built upon. Both the house itself—with its walls, roof, and foundation—and the plot of land beneath it are considered corporeal property. You can physically walk through the house, touch its walls, and stand on the land. This tangible, physical existence makes them corporeal assets.

• Consider a small business owner who operates a bakery. The ovens, mixers, display cases, and even the ingredients stored in the pantry (like flour sacks and sugar bags) are all examples of the bakery's corporeal property. Each of these items is a physical object that can be touched, moved, and used in the daily operations of the business.

• Think about a person who owns a collection of antique books. Each individual book in the collection, with its pages, cover, and binding, is a piece of corporeal property. They are physical objects that can be held, displayed, and stored, distinguishing them from intangible rights or ideas.