Fee Tail Legal Meaning and Definition

Here is a simplified definition of the legal term Fee Tail.

Fee Tail (noun)

A legal term for a type of property ownership, known as an estate in land, where the property can only be inherited by direct, blood-related descendants. If there are no such heirs, the ownership reverts back to the original grantor or their descendants. This method aims to keep the property within the same family lineage. It's largely a historic concept as trusts were established to counteract this restriction on property transfer, allowing the property to be held for the benefit of another individual.