What Does Accession Mean in Real Estate?
What is "Accession" in Real Estate?
Accession refers to the process by which property owners can legally acquire additions to their property through natural means or by the attachment of new properties. This concept primarily involves two scenarios:
- Natural Accession: This occurs when land increases due to natural processes, such as the deposition of soil by a river (accretion) or the gradual receding of a body of water which exposes more land (reliction). In these cases, the additional land becomes the property of the landowner whose land it adjoins.
- Artificial Accession: This can happen when human actions lead to the addition of value or physical property, such as building improvements or when objects are intentionally or unintentionally attached to a property. For instance, if a new building is constructed on a piece of land, that building becomes an inseparable part of the property through accession.
Accession allows property owners to claim ownership of these additions if they occur naturally or as a result of human action, often impacting the property's value and boundaries.
