Legal Definitions - devisee

A devisee is an individual or entity named in a deceased person's will to receive a specific gift of real property. Real property refers to land and anything permanently attached to it, such as buildings, houses, or other structures. Essentially, if a will directs that a particular piece of real estate should be transferred to someone, that recipient is known as a devisee.

• Example 1: Inheriting a Family Home

  When Mrs. Rodriguez passed away, her will explicitly stated that her beloved vacation cottage by the lake should be given to her granddaughter, Elena. In this situation, Elena is the devisee because she is receiving a specific piece of real property (the cottage and the land it sits on) as directed by her grandmother's will.

• Example 2: Receiving a Commercial Building

  Mr. Davies, a retired investor, owned a small apartment complex. In his will, he specified that this entire complex should be transferred to his nephew, Michael, who had always shown an interest in real estate management. Michael is the devisee of the apartment complex, as he is inheriting this commercial real estate through his uncle's will.

• Example 3: Bequeathing Undeveloped Land

  A farmer, Ms. Chen, owned a large plot of undeveloped agricultural land that she wished to preserve. Her will stipulated that this specific parcel of land should be given to the local land conservation trust. The land conservation trust, as the recipient of the real property (the agricultural land) through Ms. Chen's will, functions as the devisee in this context.