Florida Real Estate Broker ExaminationReal Estate Law and RegulationsEasy
A Florida real estate sales associate is assisting a seller who owns a beachfront property. The seller mentions that a portion of their land has been naturally eroded by the ocean over several years, resulting in a gradual loss of shoreline. This natural process, which leads to the diminution of land by water, is legally referred to as:
- AAvulsion
- BReliction
- CErosion
- DAccretion
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Erosion
Erosion is the gradual wearing away of land by natural forces, such as water or wind, leading to a loss of land. This contrasts with accretion (gain of land) or avulsion (sudden loss of land).
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Avulsion is the sudden and dramatic loss of land, for example, by a hurricane or flood, not a gradual process.
- B. Reliction is the gradual receding of water, uncovering new land, which is a gain, not a loss.
- D. Accretion is the gradual build-up of land by natural forces, which is the opposite of a loss of shoreline.
Erosion (Real Estate)
Erosion is the gradual and imperceptible loss of land caused by natural forces, such as the action of water or wind.
- Results in a decrease in land area.
- Occurs over a prolonged period.
- Contrast with avulsion (sudden loss) and accretion/reliction (gain).
Memory trick: WATER: We Always Take Environmental Rights