PROPERTY LAW

COURSE SYLLABUS
Professor John R. Nolon
Summer Term 2015
Casebook: French, Korngold, Property (6th ed. 2014)
Supplemental Package: Available in Bookstore
You may also consult relevant sections of the following textbooks for additional help.
These are on reserve:
1. Stoebuck & Whitman, Property, 3rd ed. (2000)
2. Cribbet & Johnson, Principles of the Law of Property (3rd. ed. 1989)
3. Moynihan & Kurtz, Introduction to the Law of Real Property (4th. ed. 2005)
Materials to be covered in the course from the casebook and supplemental materials are
listed below. In addition to briefing and analyzing the cases, carefully consider and work
through the material in the notes and problems. Read all text and notes in the pages
assigned. Materials in the supplement are indicated by an asterisk (*).
1. Introduction: Nature of Property and Possession
Preface pp. xxvii-xxviii
Pierson v. Post pp. 71-77
The Capture Doctrine p. 71
Cribbet & Johnson pp. 9-20
Keeble v. Hickeringill pp. 77-82
*Mullett v. Bradley
*Stephens v. Albers
*Conti v. ASPCA
*Winston Churchill - History of English Peoples
*Editor's Introduction: The Case Law System in America
Anderson v. Beech Corp. pp. 94-99
Water pp.99-11
Cline v. American Aggregate Corp. pp. 100-110
*People v. Waite
*Adirondack League Club v. Sierra Club
2. Finders' Rights and Bailments
p. 110
Armory v. Delamirie pp. 111-113
Hanna v. Peel pp. 116-120
McAvoy v. Medina pp. 120-121
Benjamin v. Lindner Aviation, Inc. pp. 121-128
*N.Y. Personal Property Law 251-257
Bailments versus Wrong Doers pp. 113-114
*Peet v. Roth Hotel Co.
*Samples v. Geary
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*Pavesi v. Carollo
*Morris v. Third Ave. R.R.
The Winkfield pp. 114-116
3. Gifts of Personal Property
pp. 505-506
Cribbet & Johnson pp. 152-158
Irons v. Smallpiece pp. 506-511
*In Re Stevensons Estate
*Garrison v. Union Trust Co.
Newell v. Norwich pp. 511-513
In Re Estate of Smith pp. 514-516
Gruen v. Gruen pp. 521-525
Delivery to a Third Party p.526
Chandler v. Chandler pp.526-531
Joint Bank Accounts and Donative Intent pp. 530-531
Deeds of Gift pp. 520-521
*Cartoon
4. Adverse Possession
Conquest pp. 143-144
Johnson and Grahams Lessee v. MIntosh pp. 144-151
pp.151-154
Cribbet & Johnson pp. 333-339
Stoebuck pp. 853-869
Ewing v. Burnet pp. 154-157; note #1-3; prob.#1-3
Lawrence v. Town of Concord pp.163-171
*Ray v. Beacon Hudson Mountain Corp.
V.

Ownership Interests in Property

*Some English History
Possessory Estates and Future Interests pp. 295-303
*The Fee Simple Absolute

VI.

The Defeasible Fee Simple

*Defeasible Fee Simple Estates
Casebook: 303-305
*Sample Deed
*Materials on Common Law Estates and Future Interests
Station Associates, Inc. v. Dare County pp. 305-310
Red Hill Outing Club v. Hammond pp. 310-313
Restraints on Alienation and Unenforceable Conditions pp. 313-315
City of Palm Springs v. Living Desert Reserve pp. 315-321

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VII.

Life Estates, Vested Remainders, Other Future Interests

Life Estates, Reversions, and Remainders, pp. 322
Casebook pp.321-322
Stoebuck pp. 58-64
Cribbet & Johnson pp. 51-58
Review: Lawrence v. Town of Concord, pp. 163-171
Nelson v. Parker pp. 322-325
In Re Estate of Jackson pp. 325-329
Waste pp. 327-328
Alienability pp. 328-329
Contingent Reminders and Executory Interests
General pp. 329-332
Stoebuck pp 78-88, 88-108
*Review Exercises carefully (from 5th Ed. pp.362-364)
The Trust pp. 332-333 & Stoebuck pp. 12-14
*Notes on Executory Interests and Restraints on Alienation
*What are Executory Interests
* Uses and Executory Interests
Rule Against Perpetuities pp. 334-340
*In Re Estate of Anderson (from 5th Ed. pp.380-390)
Stoebeck 118-145
*Wildenstein v. Wallis
Symphony Space v. Pergola Properties, Inc. pp. 340-349; skip notes 1-3;
Do Problems, skip 12-18 and 22.
*Estates, Powers, and Trusts Law Article 9
*How to Apply the Rule Against Perpetuities
*The Rule Against Perpetuities - Problems
*Class Notes on The Rule Against Perpetuities

VIII.

Landlord & Tenant

pp. 351-353; 355-358
*Lease Form T327, clauses 2, 6, 8, 16 & 20
Cribbet & Johnson pp. 53-58
Stoebuck pp. 243-257,257-289, 289-314, 389-409
Teitelbaum v. Direct Realty Co. pp. 358-360
*Note 1 (from 5th Ed. p.409)
Blackett v. Olanoff pp. 360-362; notes & questions pp 369-371
Problems: Constructive Eviction p. 372
Javins v. First National Realty Corp. pp. 372-386
*Lease Form T327, clauses 12, 24-25
*New York Real Property Law 235-b. & 235-c
*New York Real Property Law 226-b
Notes pp. 369-371
Austin Hill Country Realty, Inc. v. Palisades Plaza, pp. 432-440
Julian v. Christopher pp. 461-469
Kelly v. Tri Cities Broadcasting, Inc. pp. 447-454
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IX.

Concurrent Estates and Marital Property

Introduction: pp. 471-474
*Concurrent Ownership, Nolon
Read pp. 69-77 & 175-198, Stoebuck & Whitman
*NY EPTL 6-2.2
Martin v. Martin pp. 474-476
Downing v Downing pp. 488-493
Smolen v. Smolen pp.496-499
Marital Property pp. 499-502

X.

Servitudes and Common Interest Communities

Introduction: pp. 685-687
Stoebuck & Whitman , pp. 434-468, 469-513, 656-665,
Easements and Profits pp. 689-690
Brown v. The Penn Central Corporation, pp. 690- 692
Stratis v. Doyle pp. 692-695
Mund v. English pp. 695-698
Vand Sandt v. Royster pp. 698-701
Morrel v. Rice pp. 701-706
Paxson v. Glovitz pp. 706-711
Goulding v. Cook pp. 711-713
Covenants pp. 727-729
Restatement, see pp. 714-715. Pp. 715-718 and p. 727

XI.

The Modern Real Estate Transaction

pp. 533-545
Read pp. 704-743, 806-833, 869-898 Stoebuck & Whitman
Cribbet pp. 292-296
*N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law Sec. 5-703
*Anatomy of a Closing
In Re Conduct of Baer pp. 545-549
Tristram's Landing v. Wait pp.549-554-555
*Contract of Sale
Casebook pp. 554
Stambovsky v. Ackley pp. 705-712
*Real Property Law Article 14: Property Condition Disclosure
Contract Remedies pp. 572-573
*Sechrest v. Safiol
*RPL Secs 240-244, 251, & 253
Bryant v. Willison pp. 573-578
Deeds: pp. 714-715
*Sample Deed
*Survey, Recording and Title Insurance (3 pages)
Seymour v. Evans pp. 578-586
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XII.

Mortgages and Title Insurance

pp. 586-593
Williams v. Kimes, pp. 593-596
*Somerset Savings Bank v. Chicago Title Insurance Co.

XIII.

The Recording System

pp. 596-601
Problems 1, 3, & 4 pp. 601-602 do for race-notice and notice jurisdictions
Cribbet pp. 306-329
*RPL Sec. 290-291
Ryczkowski v. Chelsea Title pp. 751-752; see note 2, p. 782
Morse v. Curtis pp. 752-754
* RPL Sec. 345
Sanborn v. McLean pp. 759-763

XIV.

Land Use Regulation and its Constitutional Limits

*Clark v. Wambold
*Mitchell v. Hines
*Boomer v. Atlantic Cement Co.
*Historical Overview of the American Land Use System
*Brief History SZEA
*Basics of Zoning
*Goldman v. Crowther
*Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty Co.
*Nectow v. City of Cambridge
*So You Want to Build a Subdivision?
Review: Sechrest v. Safoil
Review Seymour v. Evans
The takings Clause pp.811-812
Penn Central v. New York pp. 1127-1135
Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal Council pp. 1168-1182
*Dolan v. City of Tigard