usufruct
/ˈjuːzjʊfrʌkt
/noun [mass noun] Roman Law
The right to enjoy the use and advantages of another’s property short of the destruction or waste of its substance.It is widely recognized that agriculture, wherein crops can grow again and no serious effect is made on the soil or the land, is an appropriate usage of the right of usufruct....
- In men's wills, usufruct on the husband's property is left to widows under condition that they give up their right to dowry and extradotal goods in favour of offspring.
- Landowners do not own groundwater as owner of the land, they just have a right to the usufruct of the water and not the water itself.
Derivatives
usufructuary
- He described it as a proprietary right and the rights of the individual members of the clan or group were the possessory or usufructuary rights.
- It was emphasised by him that the usufructuary rights that were referred to, which may not have been proprietary in character, nonetheless, depended wholly on the community title.
- ‘Owner’ includes a lessee, a usufructuary or any other person having a beneficial interest in the land.’
Origin
Early 17th century: from medieval Latin usufructus, from Latin usus (et) fructus 'use (and) enjoyment', from usus 'a use' + fructus 'fruit'.