Legal Definitions - frank-tenement

Definition: A free tenement; a freehold. This term described both the tenure and the estate. Also spelled franktenement. See FREEHOLD.

Freehold: An estate in land held in fee simple, in fee tail, or for term of life; any real-property interest that is or may become possessory.

Examples:

• Determinable freehold: An estate that is subject to a condition that, if it occurs, will terminate the estate. For example, a lease that ends if the tenant violates a certain rule.
• Movable freehold: The land a seashore owner acquires or loses as water recedes or approaches.
• Perpetual freehold: An estate given to a grantee for life, and then successively to the grantee's heirs for life. This type of freehold was used to keep land within a family in perpetuity.

The examples illustrate different types of freehold estates. A determinable freehold is an estate that can be terminated if a certain condition is met. A movable freehold is a type of estate that changes as the water level changes. A perpetual freehold is an estate that is given to a grantee for life and then passed down to their heirs for life, keeping the land within the family for generations.