Legal Definitions - dismemberments of ownership

Dismemberments of ownership refer to the three elements that make up the right of ownership in civil law. These elements are:

• Usus: the right to use the property
• Fructus: the right to enjoy the fruits of the property (such as rent or crops)
• Abusus: the right to dispose of the property (such as selling or destroying it)

The right of ownership can be dismembered, meaning that these three elements can be separated and conveyed as independent real rights. For example, someone may have the right to use a property (usus) without owning it, or someone may have the right to enjoy the fruits of a property (fructus) without owning it.

An example of dismemberment of ownership is a landlord renting out a property to a tenant. The tenant has the right to use the property (usus) and enjoy the fruits of it (fructus) by living in it and paying rent, but the landlord retains the right of disposal (abusus) by owning the property and being able to sell it or make changes to it.