What action converts real property to personal property by removal?

• A. Severance
• B. Annexation
• C. Emblements
• D. Fixtures

Answer: (A)

Severance is the act of removing something that has been attached to real property, which converts it from real property into personal property. In property law, items affixed to land in a permanent way are fixtures and become part of the real property. When you detach and remove such an item, you break the connection to the land and the item becomes personal property that can be moved or owned separately. This distinction helps differentiate what stays with the property (fixtures) from what can be taken away (personal property). For example, a built-in cupboard is a fixture; removing it before a sale severs it from the house, turning it into personal property. Annexation is the opposite process—adding a personal property item to the land to make it real property—while emblements refer to annual crops, not attachment or removal.