property
severance
The act of removing something that is attached to real property, turning it into personal property. Cutting timber, harvesting crops, or unbolting a fixture are examples. Severance is the opposite of annexation, where personal property becomes real property by being attached. In co-ownership, severance also describes breaking a joint tenancy, for example when one owner sells their interest, which converts that share into a tenancy in common.
- Exam tip
- Annexation attaches (personal becomes real); severance detaches (real becomes personal). Also remember that a joint tenant selling their share severs the joint tenancy for that share.
- Example
- When an owner cuts down a standing tree and stacks the logs for sale, the logs have been severed and are now personal property.
Related terms & state variants
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Last verified: 2026-10-23