A tenant left trade fixtures upon moving out; under what principle does the landowner acquire them?

• A. Emblements
• B. Severance
• C. Annexation
• D. Adverse possession

Answer: (C)

The idea here is how fixtures become part of real property. When something is permanently attached to a building or land, it becomes real property through annexation. Trade fixtures installed by a tenant are normally the tenant’s personal property, but if the tenant leaves them behind attached to the property, they can be treated as part of the real property via annexation. In that case, the landowner acquires ownership of these fixtures because they have effectively become part of the property. Emblements refer to crops that a tenant planted, which are handled differently; severance is the act of removing something from land; adverse possession is about gaining title through long-term possession.