Legal Definitions - debitum reale

Definition: Debitum reale is a legal term that refers to a real debt, which is a debt that is secured by land or property, as opposed to a personal obligation.

Example: If a person takes out a mortgage to buy a house, the mortgage is a debitum reale because it is secured by the property. If the person fails to make payments on the mortgage, the lender can foreclose on the property to recover the debt.

Explanation: This example illustrates the concept of debitum reale because the debt (the mortgage) is secured by the property, which means that the lender has a legal claim to the property if the borrower fails to repay the debt. In contrast, a personal obligation is not secured by any property, so the lender would have to rely on the borrower's creditworthiness and ability to repay the debt.