Property Law and Real Estate Books

Patent law is hard for non-lawyers to understand, and is not made much clearer by reading statutes, in the US, or in the UK. This 722-page, 1996 book explains UK patent law in an understandable way. It corresponds to a US patent law book, "Patent Law & Practice" by H.F Schwartz in that the Cornish book explains UK patent law, complete with citations to UK cases, such that it can be applied by Experts assisting in patent litigation.

This is a great book to use as an introduction to real estate law. It uses language understandable by all. I used it for several years for teaching real estate law to paralegals with diverse educational backgrounds and all students were able to comprehend the contents of this excellent book.

I admit, I'm biased. I am a co-editor of Kordofan Invaded, and I think it is a wonderful book. I urge everyone interested in Sudan, and especially Kordofan, to check out the book. You'll be fascinated.

Michael Kevane

"Land and Taxation" contains contributions from five different economists, each of whom put forth persuasive arguments for switching to a land-based tax system -- a system in which the rental value of land and natural resources ("rent" for short) is the sole source of public revenue. Doing so, they argue, would "restore full employment, banish poverty and sustain economic activity."

In the prologue, Fred Harrison defines economic rent as "the value of land and natural resources after deducting the rewards that must legitimately accrue to those who invest labor and capital in and on the land (buildings, fences, drainage, and so on)." He then points out that the idea of shifting taxes entirely off labor and capital and onto land values goes back hundreds of years, but did not become widely known and understood until the publication of Henry George's masterwork, "Progress and Poverty" (1879). George argued that, because land is in fixed supply, landholders are able to grow rich without working simply by levying tolls on the fruits of other people's labor -- not in exchange for services rendered -- but in exchange for mere access to the earth on which all humans must live, yet which none produced.

More specifically, since the growth and progress of society tend to drive up land values, and since an increase in land values tends to come at the expense of wages (the return to labor) and interest (the return to capital), the paradox of increasing poverty amid advancing wealth is the direct result of allowing publicly created land values to be privately pocketed by a landed few at the expense of the productive many. To eliminate this paradox, and to uphold the true right of property (property in oneself and the fruit of one's labor), George proposed making land rent the sole source of public revenue -- a policy that was later dubbed the "Single Tax."

In "Land and Taxation," the authors explain that the Single Tax is just as relevant and just as needed today as it was 120 years ago, and do an excellent job refuting the various myths propagated by neo-classical economists concerning the nature and role of economic rent -- including the myth that the concept of economic rent applies, not just to land, but to any factor of production that is in scarce supply.

This book contains much detail on the technical aspects of
real estate law. It describes rights, duties and obligations
of brokers. In addition, the authors cover different mortgage
amortization assumptions and secured transactions. The concept
of depreciation and tax-sheltered income is explained. The
whole area of title insurance is explained together with
illustrative cases and citations. The benefits and pitfalls of
condominum conversion/ownership are explained. Overall, the work will benefit anyone seeking to explore real estate as an
investment.

A very nice summary of the different water law regimes in the Western U.S., extremely well-organized and presented. Highly accessible to those who aren't lawyers and never intend to be.

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Anyone who has had the good fortune to study under Professor Smith at McGill University's Faculty of Law will instantly recognize his extraordinary intelligence, tempered by a good dose of common sense. His gifts are evident in this book, which has been cited by the House of Lords (the highest appellate court in the United Kingdom). The author wrote it while doing post-graduate studies at Oxford. The prose is lucid, the argument clear, and the citations concise. Of equal importance, the author displays his mastery of the subject by discussing trends in several jurisdictions (the UK, the US, and the Commonwealth). The comparative approach is a halmark of McGill Law. That flexibility has proved enormously important in my career. This book is an important reference in my tax practice. The law of tracing comes in handy when the government seeks to recover deficiencies that some clever taxpayer may have stashed away in some far-flung jurisdiction. Tracing is a remedy for money laundering, a topic of growing importance these days (and not just for tax reasons). I know the price is a little on the expensive side, even for a law book. Buy it anyways. Even if tracing isn't part of your day-to-day practice, you'll gain by seeing one of the most powerful legal minds at work.

Is there a study guide available for the "Reviewing Your Understanding" at the end of each chpater?

Thom McEvoy, associate professor and extension forester at theUniversity of Vermont has written a very helpful reference for theprivate woodland owner. It deals not only with legal issues but also covers taxes, estate planning, management, surveying, ethics and current perspectives on sustainable forestry. It gives enough background and detail to clarify confusing legal concepts but not so much as to burden the reader. Throughout it carries a wonderful point of view: it is often wiser and more productive to solve issues without the law than to get adversarial. As a bonus the book has some very useful appendices which include lists of extention forestry specialists, attorneys general, an extensive glossary and suggested readings.

It has changed the practice of this woodland owner. I have become serious about estate planning. I am less threatened because I understand it better. I was also motivated to contact my lawyer about what I had thought were minor legal items. They were not. Thanks Thom McEvoy.

The book will remain a primary reference. A comfort and guide the next time I have a timber sale, hire a forester, buy or sell land or discuss boundaries with my neighbors.

This a great supplement for Real Property. The cases are hard to understand so having someone explain it in plain English is really helpful!