2010 California Code
Civil Code
Chapter 1. Estates In General

761.  Estates in real property, in respect to the duration of their
enjoyment are either:
   l. Estates of inheritance or perpetual estates;
   2. Estates for life;
   3. Estates for years; or,
   4. Estates at will.


Ý762.]  Section Seven Hundred and Sixty-two. Every estate of
inheritance is a fee, and every such estate, when not defeasible or
conditional, is a fee simple or an absolute fee.



763.  Estates tail are abolished, and every estate which would be at
common law adjudged to be a fee tail is a fee simple; and if no
valid remainder is limited thereon, is a fee simple absolute.



764.  Where a remainder in fee is limited upon any estate, which
would by the common law be adjudged a fee tail, such remainder is
valid as a contingent limitation upon a fee, and vests in possession
on the death of the first taker, without issue living at the time of
his death.



765.  Estates of inheritance and for life are called estates of
freehold; estates for years are chattels real; and estates at will
are chattel interests, but are not subject to enforcement of a money
judgment.


Ý766.]  Section Seven Hundred and Sixty-six. An estate during the
life of a third person, whether limited to heirs or otherwise, is a
freehold.


767.  A future estate may be limited by the act of the party to
commence in possession at a future day, either without the
intervention of a precedent estate, or on the termination, by lapse
of time or otherwise, of a precedent estate created at the same time.




768.  A reversion is the residue of an estate left by operation of
law in the grantor or his successors, or in the successors of a
testator, commencing in possession on the determination of a
particular estate granted or devised.


769.  When a future estate, other than a reversion, is dependent on
a precedent estate, it may be called a remainder, and may be created
and transferred by that name.



773.  Subject to the rules of this title, and of Part 1 of this
division, a freehold estate, as well as a chattel real, may be
created to commence at a future day; an estate for life may be
created in a term of years, and a remainder limited thereon; a
remainder of a freehold or chattel real, either contingent or vested,
may be created, expectant on the determination of a term of years;
and a fee may be limited on a fee, upon a contingency, which, if it
should occur, must happen within the period prescribed by the
statutory rule against perpetuities in Article 2 (commencing with
Section 21205) of Chapter 1 of Part 2 of Division 11 of the Probate
Code.



778.  A remainder may be limited on a contingency which, in case it
should happen, will operate to abridge or determine the precedent
estate; and every such remainder is to be deemed a conditional
limitation.


779.  When a remainder is limited to the heirs, or heirs of the
body, of a person to whom a life estate in the same property is
given, the persons who, on the termination of the life estate, are
the successors or heirs of the body of the owner for life, are
entitled to take by virtue of the remainder so limited to them, and
not as mere successors of the owner for life.



780.  When a remainder on an estate for life or for years is not
limited on a contingency defeating or avoiding such precedent estate,
it is to be deemed intended to take effect only on the death of the
first taker, or the expiration, by lapse of time, of such term of
years.



781.  A general or special power of appointment does not prevent the
vesting of a future estate limited to take effect in case such power
is not executed.


782.  (a) Any provision in any deed of real property in California,
whether executed before or after the effective date of this section,
that purports to restrict the right of any persons to sell, lease,
rent, use or occupy the property to persons having any characteristic
listed in subdivision (a) or (d) of Section 12955 of the Government
Code, as those bases are defined in Sections 12926, 12926.1,
subdivision (m) and paragraph (1) of subdivision (p) of Section 12955
and Section 12955.2 of the Government Code, by providing for payment
of a penalty, forfeiture, reverter, or otherwise, is void.
   (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), with respect to familial
status, subdivision (a) shall not be construed to apply to housing
for older persons, as defined in Section 12955.9 of the Government
Code. With respect to familial status, nothing in subdivision (a)
shall be construed to affect Sections 51.2, 51.3, 51.4, 51.10, 51.11,
and 799.5, relating to housing for senior citizens. Subdivision (d)
of Section 51 and Section 1360 of this code and subdivisions (n),
(o), and (p) of Section 12955 of the Government Code shall apply to
subdivision (a).



782.5.  (a) Any deed or other written instrument that relates to
title to real property, or any written covenant, condition, or
restriction annexed or made a part of, by reference or otherwise, any
such deed or instrument, that contains any provision that purports
to forbid, restrict, or condition the right of any person or persons
to sell, buy, lease, rent, use, or occupy the property on account of
any basis listed in subdivision (a) or (d) of Section 12955 of the
Government Code, as those bases are defined in Sections 12926,
12926.1, subdivision (m) and paragraph (1) of subdivision (p) of
Section 12955, and Section 12955.2 of the Government Code, with
respect to any person or persons, shall be deemed to be revised to
omit that provision.
   (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), with respect to familial
status, subdivision (a) shall not be construed to apply to housing
for older persons, as defined in Section 12955.9 of the Government
Code. With respect to familial status, nothing in subdivision (a)
shall be construed to affect Sections 51.2, 51.3, 51.4, 51.10, 51.11,
and 799.5, relating to housing for senior citizens. Subdivision (d)
of Section 51 and Section 1360 of this code and subdivisions (n),
(o), and (p) of Section 12955 of the Government Code shall apply to
subdivision (a).
   (c) This section shall not be construed to limit or expand the
powers of a court to reform a deed or other written instrument.



783.  A condominium is an estate in real property described in
subdivision (f) of Section 1351. A condominium may, with respect to
the duration of its enjoyment, be either (1) an estate of inheritance
or perpetual estate, (2) an estate for life, (3) an estate for
years, such as a leasehold or a subleasehold, or (4) any combination
of the foregoing.



783.1.  In a stock cooperative, as defined in subdivision (m) of
Section 1351, both the separate interest, as defined in paragraph (4)
of subdivision (l) of Section 1351, and the correlative interest in
the stock cooperative corporation, however designated, are interests
in real property.


784.  "Restriction," when used in a statute that incorporates this
section by reference, means a limitation on, or provision affecting,
the use of real property in a deed, declaration, or other instrument,
whether in the form of a covenant, equitable servitude, condition
subsequent, negative easement, or other form of restriction.