Legal Definitions - seise

The term seise refers to the legal act of establishing someone as the owner of real property, granting them the most complete form of ownership, known as fee simple. When someone is "seised" of property, it means they hold full legal title and the right to possess, use, and transfer that property.

• Example 1: Inheriting a Family Estate
  Upon the successful completion of the probate process, a daughter became seised of her late father's sprawling vineyard and the accompanying farmhouse. This means she legally acquired full ownership of the entire property, giving her the right to manage the vineyard, live in the farmhouse, or decide to sell it.

• Example 2: Purchasing Commercial Real Estate
  After months of negotiations and the finalization of all legal documents, a real estate development company was formally seised of a large tract of undeveloped land on the city's outskirts. This legal status confirmed their complete ownership, allowing them to proceed with their plans to construct a new shopping complex.

• Example 3: Receiving a Land Grant
  When a state government officially transferred ownership of a historic lighthouse and its surrounding coastal land to a preservation society, the society became seised of the property. This granted the preservation society the full legal authority to maintain the lighthouse, protect the land, and open it to the public as a historical site.