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Fees - Law Dictionary Search Results

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fee

fee [Middle English, fief, from Old French fé fief, ultimately from a Germanic word akin to Old High German fehu cattle] 1 : an inheritable freehold estate in real property ;esp : fee simple compare leasehold life estate at estate absolute fee : a fee granted with no restrictions or limitations on alienability : fee simple absolute at fee simple conditional fee : a fee that is subject to a condition: as a : fee simple conditional at fee simple b : fee simple on condition subsequent at fee simple defeasible fee : a fee that is subject to terminating or being terminated determinable fee : a defeasible fee that terminates automatically upon the occurrence of a specified event : fee simple determinable at fee simple fee patent : a fee simple absolute that is granted by a patent from the U.S. government ;also : a patent that grants a fee simple absolute [the land shall have the same status as though such fee patent had never been issued "U.S. Code"] NOTE: Allotm...


fee simple

fee simple pl: fees simple [simple without limitation (as to heirs) and unrestricted (as to transfer of ownership)] : a fee that is alienable (as by deed, will, or intestacy) and of potentially indefinite duration ;esp : fee simple absolute in this entry fee simple absolute : a fee that is freely inheritable and alienable without any limitations or restrictions on transfers and that is of indefinite duration NOTE: A fee simple absolute is conveyed by language granting the estate “to the grantee and his or her heirs,” “to the grantee, his heirs and assigns,” or “to the grantee.” The term heirs is considered in this context a word of limitation, and so this does not create a future interest in the estate in the heirs but simply makes the estate freely alienable. fee simple conditional : a fee granted to an individual and to that individual's descendants which is subject to a reversion or remainder if the grantee has no lineal descendants but wh...


Fee

Fee [fr. feoh, Sax.; fee, Dan., cattle; feudum, Med. Lat.; feu, Scot.], property peculiar; reward or recom-pense for services. See FEES. Also an estate of inheritance divided into there species: (1) fee-simple absolute; (2) qualified or conditional or base fee, including (3) fee-tail, formerly fee-conditional. By the (English) Law of Properties Act, 1925, s. 1, a fee-simple absolute in possession and a term of years absolute are the only estates in land capable of being conveyed or created at law. All other estates in land take effect as equitable interests [ibid., s. 1 (4)]. See FEE-SIMPLE.A charge for labour or services esp. professional services; Black's Law Dictionary, 7th Edn., p. 629.A 'fee' is generally defined to be a charge for a special service rendered to individuals by some governmental agency. The distinction between a tax and a fee lies primarily in the fact that a tax is levied as a part of a common burden, while a fee is a payment for a special benefit or privilege, Com...


Fees

Fees, perquisites allowed to officers in the administration of justice, as a recompense for their labour and trouble, ascertained either by Acts of Parlia-ment, by rule or order of Court, or by ancient usage; in modern times frequently commuted for a salary, e.g., by the (English) Justices Clerks Act, 1877.Although, however, the officers of a court may be paid by salary instead of by fees, the obligation of suitors to pay fees usually remains, these fees being paid into the fund out of which the salaries of the officers are defrayed. In the Supreme Court they are collected by means of stamps under s. 26 of the (English) Judicature Act, 1875, and a Treasury Order of July, 1884, a judicial Order of the same year fixing the amount, and see Supreme Court Fees Rules, 1930.The mode of collecting fees in a public office is under the (English) Public Office Fees Act, 1879 (42 & 43 Vict. c. 58) (repealing and replacing the (English) Public Office Fees Act, 1866), by stamps or money, as the Trea...


Base fee

Base fee. A species of inheritable freehold estate which forms part of the class of estates known as conditional freeholds of inheritance. In a more special sense, a base fee was until 1926 a fee simple determinable on the failure of issue of an original donee of the estate in tail. It was limited by the failure of the heirs of the body of that donee to take, and upon that failure the persons next entitled in remainder became entitled to the remainder in tail or in fee simple, as the case might be. As where a tenant-in-tail, with remainder to a stranger, conveys the fee-simple to another in the property entailed upon him, such other takes a qualified fee by legal construction, determinable on the death of the tenant-in-tail and failure of the issue under the entail. Another example of such an estate is when a tenant-in-tail, not being himself entitled to the immediate remainder or reversion in fee, conveys without the consent of the protectors of the settlement; he then transfers a bas...


Fee-simple

Fee-simple, a freehold estate of inheritance, absolute and unqualified. It stands at the head of estates as the highest in dignity and the most ample in extent; since every other kind of estate is derivable there out, and mergeable therein, for omne majus continet in se minus. It may be enjoyed not only in land, but also in advowsons, commons, estovers, and other hereditaments as well as in personalty, as an annuity or dignity, and also in an upper chamber, though the lower buildings and soil belong to another.Littleton, in his Tenures (1. i., c. 1, s. 1), gives a description of this estate, which appears to have been adopted by every subsequent writer. His language is this:-A person who holds 'in fee-simple is he which hath lands or tenements to hold to him and his heirs for ever. And it is called in Latin feodum simplex, for feodum is the same that inheritance is, and simplex is as much as to say lawful or pure. And so feodum simplex signifies a lawful or pure inheritance. For if a m...


Conditional fee

Conditional fee. This species of formerly inheritable freehold (now, equitable interest, except under (English) Law of Property Act, 1925, s. 8) is marked, as to its duration or time of continuance, by an event beyond which it is not to endure. The event is the qualification which gives a name to this estate, and ascertains its determination. A fee qualified is frequently called a fee base, i.e., impure, defective, and circumscribed. There is hardly any event, provided it be lawful, and do not violate the rule against perpetuity, which may not be made the cause of the determination of this fee.The following events are specimens of qualifications, which may be expressly annexed to this estate.A limitation to A. and his heirs--(1) Peers of the realm;(2) Lords of the manor of Blackacre;(3) Tenants of the manor of Dale;(4) During the time whilst a particular tree shall stand;(5) Till the marriage of a certain person takes place;(6) Till certain debts be paid;(7) Till default be made in pay...


Fees and taxes

Fees and taxes, 'Fees' are the amounts paid for a privilege, and are not an obligation, but the payment is voluntary. Fees are distinguished from taxes in that the chief purpose of a tax is to raise funds for the support of the Government or for a public purpose, while a fee may be charged for the privilege or benefit conferred, or service rendered or to meet the expenses connected therewith. Thus, fee are nothing but payment for some special privilege granted on service rendered. Taxes and taxation are, therefore, distinguishable from various other contributions, charges, or burdens paid or imposed for particular purposes and under particular power or functions of the Government, Southern Pharmaceuticals and Chemicals v. State of Kerala, AIR 1981 SC 1863: (1981) 4 SCC 391: (1982) 1 SCR 519.The distinction between fees and taxes, although sometimes ascribed to Rau, is really much older. Adam Smith already speaks of certain expenses 'which are laid out for the benefit of the whole socie...


Licence fee and fixed fee

Licence fee and fixed fee, the term 'licence fee' in the context of the U.P. Excise Law connotes the idea of it being the consideration in money receivable by the Government from a private person by grant of a licence (contract), for parting in such person's favour, its exclusive privilege or right of carrying on certain activities in respect of country liquor or drugs under 'auction system' in public auctions, and the term 'fixed fee' is a fee determined by the Excise Commissioner, in lieu of 'licence fee', State of U.P. v. Sheopat Rai, AIR 1994 SC 813. (1994) Supp 1 SCC 8. [U.P. Excise Act, 1910 s. 24A; U.P. Excise Rules, 1910, R. 2(1)]...


Determinable fee

Determinable fee. A fee determinable by limitation or condition, (English) S.L. Act, 1925, ss. 1 and 117 (1)(iv.), and see Challis R. P., 3rd Edn. By the First Sched., (English) L. P. Act, 1925, such fees, if not capable of taking effect as legal estates under Part I of that Act, have been converted into equitable interests. Certain estates in fee simple which by statute are liable to be divested, and fee simple vested incorporations are legal estates, see s. 7(1) and (2), (English) L. P. Act, 1925, and see BASE FEE....


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