California Real Estate Broker ExaminationTransfer of PropertyMedium
A landowner discovers that the local river, which forms the boundary of their property, has gradually deposited soil and sediment along their riverbank, extending their land. This slow and imperceptible increase in land by natural causes is known as:
- AReliction
- BErosion
- CAvulsion
- DAccretion
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Accretion
Accretion is the gradual and imperceptible addition of land to a riparian or littoral property by the natural action of water, typically through the deposit of soil or sediment.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Reliction is the gradual uncovering of land by the permanent recession of water, not the addition of new soil.
- B. Erosion is the gradual wearing away of land by natural forces, which decreases land area.
- C. Avulsion is the sudden tearing away of land by water, not a gradual deposit.
Accretion
The gradual and imperceptible addition of land to a property by the natural action of a body of water, through the deposit of soil or sediment.
- Gradual process
- Caused by natural water action (rivers, lakes, oceans)
- Increases land area of the adjacent property
- New land typically belongs to the landowner
Memory trick: Accretion: 'Add'ing land slowly, like a growing nation.