Define: Chattels

Chattels refer to movable personal property that can be physically touched or transferred from one person to another. Examples of chattels include furniture, vehicles, clothing, jewelry, and livestock. Unlike real property, which includes land and buildings, chattels can be easily moved and do not typically involve real estate. Chattels are subject to ownership, possession, and transfer by individuals or entities, and they may be bought, sold, leased, or gifted like other forms of personal property. In legal contexts, such as contracts or estates, chattels are often distinguished from real property and may be subject to different rules and regulations governing ownership, transfer, and rights.

Chattels is one of those funny legal words which means simply ‘the things you own’.

The legal definition of chattels is: property of any kind other than freehold land. In practice, it will mean your moveable items such as furniture or personal possessions.

If you’re the sort of person who goes out to dinner or cocktail parties, you can spot the lawyers, they use the word chattels in their ‘social’ conversation!

A chattel can be either personal or real. Strictly speaking, ‘chattel personal’ (or ‘personal chattel’) denotes a movable thing or good. More commonly, though, the term is used in a wider sense to signify any kind of property other than real property and chattels real. As a result, ‘chattel personal’ refers to both tangible and intangible objects or choses in possession and choses in action. Tangible chattels (or choses in possession) include such items as vehicles, furniture, domestic animals, etc. They consist of movable things that can be physically possessed. Intangible chattels (or choses in action) comprise such items as debts, shares in companies, copyrights, negotiable instruments, etc. They include anything that exists as a claim recoverable by action at law.

Chattel real’ (or ‘real chattel’) is a term for rights associated with real estate (land and buildings) but classified as chattel because, traditionally, at common law, the rights devolved to the personal representative of the deceased owner, not to his heir. In fact, the main difference between real estate and chattels real had to do with: (i) the mode of devolution upon death; (ii) the rights of succession on intestacy; and (iii) the issue of legal remedies. However, these issues were made irrelevant in 1925 as a result of the extensive land reform legislation enacted that year, and the distinction is now only of historical interest. Today, the main instances of chattels real are interests in land less than a freehold, for example, leasehold estates. The justification for this classification is that a chattel real lacks the indefiniteness of time essential to real property.

This site contains general legal information but does not constitute professional legal advice for your particular situation. Persuing this glossary does not create an attorney-client or legal adviser relationship. If you have specific questions, please consult a qualified attorney licensed in your jurisdiction.

This glossary post was last updated: 29th March, 2024.