Legal Definitions - detraction

Detraction refers to the legal act of moving personal property from one state to another state, specifically after that property has been legally transferred to a new owner through a will or the laws of inheritance.

In simpler terms, once someone inherits an item like a car, jewelry, or furniture, and the legal ownership has officially passed to them, if they then move that item across state lines, that action is called detraction.

Here are a few examples to illustrate this concept:

• Example 1: Inherited Vehicle

  Sarah lives in Colorado. Her grandmother, who lived in Arizona, passes away and leaves Sarah her classic convertible in her will. After the probate process is complete and the car's title is legally transferred into Sarah's name, she drives the convertible from Arizona back to her home in Colorado. This act of moving the car from Arizona to Colorado, after she legally inherited it, is an instance of detraction.

• Example 2: Family Heirlooms

  David's uncle, a resident of Massachusetts, bequeaths a collection of antique watches and a valuable painting to David in his will. Once the estate administration is finalized and David officially owns these items, he arranges for them to be professionally shipped from Massachusetts to his apartment in New York. The transportation of these inherited heirlooms across state lines constitutes detraction.

• Example 3: Inherited Business Equipment

  Maria inherits specialized photography equipment from her father, who operated his studio in Georgia. Maria lives and works as a photographer in North Carolina. After the legal transfer of ownership of the equipment to Maria through her father's will, she arranges for the equipment to be moved from Georgia to her studio in North Carolina to use in her own business. This interstate movement of the inherited equipment is an example of detraction.