Property Law
(The Hague University of Applied Sciences)
2020-21
Table of Contents
Lecture 1 – Introduction to Property Law..................................................................................4
Civil Law and Common Law Traditions...................................................................................4
Property Law vs. Intellectual Property Law...........................................................................5
Nature of Property Rights......................................................................................................5
Principle of Numerus Clauses and Transparency...................................................................5
[3] Ground Rules of Property Law..........................................................................................6
International and European Initiatives to Unify and Harmonize Property Law.....................6
Lecture 2 – Possession and Ownership......................................................................................7
Civil Law Approach.................................................................................................................7
France.................................................................................................................................8
Germany.............................................................................................................................9
Common Law Approach.......................................................................................................10
Types of Interference.......................................................................................................10
Fundamental Difference Between Civil Law and Common Law Systems............................11
Lecture 3 – Property Rights Over Movables and Immovables.................................................12
Civil Law Jurisdictions [France and Germany]......................................................................12
The Right of Ownership........................................................................................................12
It is the most extensive entitlement a person can have with regard to an object.
Ownership is from which all other property rights originate. The numerus clausus of
property rights may differ per jurisdictions Some jurisdictions may or may not
recognize property rights of other jurisdictions..............................................................12
France...............................................................................................................................12
Germany...........................................................................................................................12
Limitations to Right of Ownership...................................................................................13
Co-ownership...................................................................................................................13
Limited Property Rights........................................................................................................14
Real Servitude...................................................................................................................14
Personal Servitude...........................................................................................................15
, Right of Superficies...........................................................................................................16
Lecture 4 – Tangible Property Rights in Common Law............................................................17
Strict Distinction Between Land and Goods in England.......................................................17
Land......................................................................................................................................17
Numerus Clauses [England]..............................................................................................17
Concept of Estates............................................................................................................17
Possession as a Basis of the Protection Against Dispossession.......................................17
Possession by Several Persons.........................................................................................18
Leases...............................................................................................................................18
Easements........................................................................................................................19
Profits A Prendere............................................................................................................19
Goods...................................................................................................................................19
Lecture 5 – Creation of Property Rights...................................................................................21
Derivative and Original Acquisition of Property..................................................................21
Accession of Movables to Land........................................................................................21
Commingling.....................................................................................................................23
Specificatio.......................................................................................................................23
Acquisitive Prescription....................................................................................................24
Lecture 6 – Transfer of Property Rights...................................................................................27
Prerequisites.........................................................................................................................27
Voluntary and Involuntary Transfer.....................................................................................27
Transfer of Money................................................................................................................27
Common Law....................................................................................................................27
Civil Law............................................................................................................................27
Transfer – Traditional v. Consensual....................................................................................28
France...............................................................................................................................28
England.............................................................................................................................28
German Law.....................................................................................................................29
Exceptions to Consensual System....................................................................................29
Types of Traditio...................................................................................................................30
Transfer of Land...................................................................................................................30
Germany...........................................................................................................................30
England.............................................................................................................................32
France...............................................................................................................................34
Transfer for Security Purposes.............................................................................................35
, Common Law....................................................................................................................35
France...............................................................................................................................35
Germany...........................................................................................................................36
Lecture 7 – Destruction of Property Rights..............................................................................37
Destruction of the Object.....................................................................................................37
France...............................................................................................................................37
Germany...........................................................................................................................37
Destruction of Property Right..............................................................................................37
France...............................................................................................................................37
Germany...........................................................................................................................38
Abandonment.......................................................................................................................39
France...............................................................................................................................39
Germany...........................................................................................................................40
Merger of Rights...................................................................................................................40
Termination of Rights...........................................................................................................40
Extinctive Prescription..........................................................................................................41
France...............................................................................................................................41
Germany...........................................................................................................................41
Specific Instances of Destruction of Limited Property Rights..............................................41
Common Law........................................................................................................................41
Destruction of the Object.................................................................................................41
Destruction of Property Rights.........................................................................................42
Cases.........................................................................................................................................43
, Lecture 1 – Introduction to Property Law
Property law is the law that deals with entitlements [rights to objects] to property. It
concerns rights that a person has against a considerable group of other persons
regarding an object.
Objects are:
1. Tangible (corporeal) objects
a. Movable goods
b. Immovables land
2. Intangible (incorporeal) objects
a. Intellectual property rights
Civil Law and Common Law Traditions
France
Based on French Civil Code (1804) and part of patrimonial law the overall
collection of assets and debts a person has.
– Initial focus on land
– Historical development from feudal regime to French Civil Code (Cciv)
Art. 544 CCIV “Ownership is the right to enjoy and dispose of objects in the most
complete manner, provide they are not used in a way prohibited by
status/regulations”
Art. 543 CCIV “… an object may have a right of ownership, mere right of
enjoyment or only a right of servitude”
Germany
Based on German Civil Code 1900 and based on Roman Law. Content is similar to
French Law Right of Ownership (restricted to corporeal objects)
Numerus clausus – limited number of property rights people cannot create any
other property rights than those already provided by the legal system.
England and Wales
No Civil Code but instead a mixture of statutory and case law. A distinction is made
between real property [land] and personal property [things].
– Real property feudal basis with case law and statutory intervention
– Personal property little statutory intervention
– Numerus clausus
There is no ownership, instead the focus is on possession same concept as Civil
Law systems, different terminology.
(The Hague University of Applied Sciences)
2020-21
Table of Contents
Lecture 1 – Introduction to Property Law..................................................................................4
Civil Law and Common Law Traditions...................................................................................4
Property Law vs. Intellectual Property Law...........................................................................5
Nature of Property Rights......................................................................................................5
Principle of Numerus Clauses and Transparency...................................................................5
[3] Ground Rules of Property Law..........................................................................................6
International and European Initiatives to Unify and Harmonize Property Law.....................6
Lecture 2 – Possession and Ownership......................................................................................7
Civil Law Approach.................................................................................................................7
France.................................................................................................................................8
Germany.............................................................................................................................9
Common Law Approach.......................................................................................................10
Types of Interference.......................................................................................................10
Fundamental Difference Between Civil Law and Common Law Systems............................11
Lecture 3 – Property Rights Over Movables and Immovables.................................................12
Civil Law Jurisdictions [France and Germany]......................................................................12
The Right of Ownership........................................................................................................12
It is the most extensive entitlement a person can have with regard to an object.
Ownership is from which all other property rights originate. The numerus clausus of
property rights may differ per jurisdictions Some jurisdictions may or may not
recognize property rights of other jurisdictions..............................................................12
France...............................................................................................................................12
Germany...........................................................................................................................12
Limitations to Right of Ownership...................................................................................13
Co-ownership...................................................................................................................13
Limited Property Rights........................................................................................................14
Real Servitude...................................................................................................................14
Personal Servitude...........................................................................................................15
, Right of Superficies...........................................................................................................16
Lecture 4 – Tangible Property Rights in Common Law............................................................17
Strict Distinction Between Land and Goods in England.......................................................17
Land......................................................................................................................................17
Numerus Clauses [England]..............................................................................................17
Concept of Estates............................................................................................................17
Possession as a Basis of the Protection Against Dispossession.......................................17
Possession by Several Persons.........................................................................................18
Leases...............................................................................................................................18
Easements........................................................................................................................19
Profits A Prendere............................................................................................................19
Goods...................................................................................................................................19
Lecture 5 – Creation of Property Rights...................................................................................21
Derivative and Original Acquisition of Property..................................................................21
Accession of Movables to Land........................................................................................21
Commingling.....................................................................................................................23
Specificatio.......................................................................................................................23
Acquisitive Prescription....................................................................................................24
Lecture 6 – Transfer of Property Rights...................................................................................27
Prerequisites.........................................................................................................................27
Voluntary and Involuntary Transfer.....................................................................................27
Transfer of Money................................................................................................................27
Common Law....................................................................................................................27
Civil Law............................................................................................................................27
Transfer – Traditional v. Consensual....................................................................................28
France...............................................................................................................................28
England.............................................................................................................................28
German Law.....................................................................................................................29
Exceptions to Consensual System....................................................................................29
Types of Traditio...................................................................................................................30
Transfer of Land...................................................................................................................30
Germany...........................................................................................................................30
England.............................................................................................................................32
France...............................................................................................................................34
Transfer for Security Purposes.............................................................................................35
, Common Law....................................................................................................................35
France...............................................................................................................................35
Germany...........................................................................................................................36
Lecture 7 – Destruction of Property Rights..............................................................................37
Destruction of the Object.....................................................................................................37
France...............................................................................................................................37
Germany...........................................................................................................................37
Destruction of Property Right..............................................................................................37
France...............................................................................................................................37
Germany...........................................................................................................................38
Abandonment.......................................................................................................................39
France...............................................................................................................................39
Germany...........................................................................................................................40
Merger of Rights...................................................................................................................40
Termination of Rights...........................................................................................................40
Extinctive Prescription..........................................................................................................41
France...............................................................................................................................41
Germany...........................................................................................................................41
Specific Instances of Destruction of Limited Property Rights..............................................41
Common Law........................................................................................................................41
Destruction of the Object.................................................................................................41
Destruction of Property Rights.........................................................................................42
Cases.........................................................................................................................................43
, Lecture 1 – Introduction to Property Law
Property law is the law that deals with entitlements [rights to objects] to property. It
concerns rights that a person has against a considerable group of other persons
regarding an object.
Objects are:
1. Tangible (corporeal) objects
a. Movable goods
b. Immovables land
2. Intangible (incorporeal) objects
a. Intellectual property rights
Civil Law and Common Law Traditions
France
Based on French Civil Code (1804) and part of patrimonial law the overall
collection of assets and debts a person has.
– Initial focus on land
– Historical development from feudal regime to French Civil Code (Cciv)
Art. 544 CCIV “Ownership is the right to enjoy and dispose of objects in the most
complete manner, provide they are not used in a way prohibited by
status/regulations”
Art. 543 CCIV “… an object may have a right of ownership, mere right of
enjoyment or only a right of servitude”
Germany
Based on German Civil Code 1900 and based on Roman Law. Content is similar to
French Law Right of Ownership (restricted to corporeal objects)
Numerus clausus – limited number of property rights people cannot create any
other property rights than those already provided by the legal system.
England and Wales
No Civil Code but instead a mixture of statutory and case law. A distinction is made
between real property [land] and personal property [things].
– Real property feudal basis with case law and statutory intervention
– Personal property little statutory intervention
– Numerus clausus
There is no ownership, instead the focus is on possession same concept as Civil
Law systems, different terminology.
