Legal Definitions - determinable

Determinable

Determinable refers to an interest in a property that can end when a specific event or condition occurs. For example, a fee simple determinable is a type of estate that automatically ends when a specified event happens.

Determinable can also mean that a fact can be determined or ascertained.

Example 1: John gives his property to the city as long as it is used as a park. If the city ever stops using the property as a park, it will automatically go back to John or his heirs. This is an example of a fee simple determinable.

Example 2: The amount of rainfall in a particular area can be determinable by measuring the amount of water in a rain gauge.

In Example 1, the interest in the property is determinable because it will end when the city stops using it as a park. In Example 2, the fact of how much rainfall there is can be determined by measuring the water in a rain gauge.