u‧su‧fruct (yoo-zoo-fruhkt)
n.
The right to use and enjoy the profits and advantages of something belonging to another as long as the property is not damaged or altered in any way.
A legal term describing a situation wherein a person or company has a temporary right to use and derive income from someone else’s property (provided that it isn’t damaged).
Investopedia Commentary:
Usufruct is recognized only in a few jurisdictions in North America.
Wow! Is it just me, or does everyone think that is an awesome idea? Well, with a few stipulations. It’s a great idea as long as anyone doesn’t try to use my stuff. Usufruct sounds like a concept Kramer, of Seinfeld fame, would have created or at least fully embraced as an excuse for his unsupervised forays into Jerry’s apartment.
Occasionally I do a little research for some of my more…ahem… educational posts. This is one of those times obviously. I did say a little though. I’d love to know where those jurisdictions are in which usufruct is legal, but I wasn’t motivated enough to actually look that up. I wonder if the people living there know they’re in a usufruct zone? I imagine all sorts of chaos could occur if all the residents of a particular jurisdiction were aware of the usufruct law. People could just walk into stores and homes borrowing things without fear of legal retribution as long as they returned them unharmed. Men would take large screen t.v’s home every weekend to watch football, returning them on Tuesdays. Women would always have the right shoes and purse to match their outfit. I want to move to a usufruct zone. “Yes your honor. I did take his car, but I returned a week later fully gassed up. I plead the usufruct defense.” Right now I’m usufructing the picture of Kramer. It is undamaged or altered in any way. I defy NBC to sue me for copyright infringement.
I have to thank my friend Erin from work for this idea. Every day she sends out a “Word of The Day” through e-mail. What would you do if your town was a Usufruct Zone?
When I was a young thing (you know, before I had to use eye cream), I spent a semenster in Barcelona, Spain. Studying law. In Spanish. I’m not sure what I was thinking (other than Barcelona? Hell yeah! Wheee!)Anyway, in my …we’ll call it “Wills and Probate” class, I was having trouble with this word, “usufructo” and its concept. So I looked in my handydandy Spanish-English legal dictionary, and I find the translation: “usufruct.” Now really, did anyone think that would be helpful?To this day I’m not entirely sure what an usufruct does for you or how it works, but the closest legal concept I can draw it to is an easement. Of course I’ve been outo f law school for 2 years and I’m a non-practicing attorney, so I feel I should note that this is my opinion and in no way reflects the opinions of other attorneys or the legal profession at large, in Florida or other jurisdictions, and I take no responsibility for the accuracy of that statement.
Sorry, that was a long comment but I honestly thought I would never see the word “usufruct” again once I returned to American soil.
That has to be one of the weardest sounding words i have heard. Try saying it ten times very fast. Now try it drunk. Maybe they should use it as a sobriety test. 🙂
I also get the “word of the day” emailed to me..some of us are just plain weird….and I am also the type that has to do some research when intrigued…I found the following link to a rather lengthy article…that also uses the words “naked owner” several times, for those of you who may need an added incentive to read.http://www.answers.com/topic/usufruct-2I can tell you that it is legal in the states of Georgia and Lousianna, and in Quebec.
Jmai- See? You never know what you might find on my blog. One day it’s drunken middle-aged men and the next it’s an obscure legal term.Gary- If you shout it loudly it sounds sounds like you might be cursing.Sunny- Thank you for your added research so that now we all know where we can usufruct things.
thanks for stopping by, for now, photo’s it is…you know what? it does happen from time to time that a woman becomes speechless…I just don’t have anything interesting to say, soooooo, I post pictures…I promis when something exciting happens , you’ll be the first know…ok?..bye bye…
If I was in a usufruct zone I would borrow your blog…..
So here’s a fun little fact from your geeky writer. Usufruct comes from Latin for “to use” and “fruit”. How great that you usd Kramer to illustrate your point since he was always seemed involved with “using the fruit”/ Think back to the Mango Incident or the Mackinac Peaches or his fresh food only phase. Usufruct always fascinated me, not unlike the common man’s eminent domain. I do wish you could coax Nordstrom into embracing this concept.