The clause in a deed, eg of a conveyance or a lease, which follows the granting clause and defines the nature and duration of the estate of the grantee.

See HATCHING.

A sunken bath or ditch, usually separating a formal garden from surrounding parkland without interrupting the view. Its use is to prevent grazing animals from encroaching on the garden. Most commonly the level of the garden is above that of the parkland.

In a lease this signifies a fixed term beginning on a quarter day and ending two quarter days later.

A method of applying a unit of rent to the zones of the area of a shop for rental valuation purposes, usually confined to the ground-floor area. The principle is that the most valuable area of a traditional shop is to be found at the front, ie the display area, and that the value then declines with increasing depth. The shop is divided into zones, usually of equal depth, with the value of the first, ie the front zone, being x per annum per sq ft or m2. Each successive zone is then "halved back" in value, ie x/2, x/4, and so on, but where the depth is considerable a large rear zone ("remainder zone") may be valued at a flat rate per sq ft or m2 without further halving back. If there is a rear or return frontage with direct access and possibly with window displays giving the prospect of additional custom, the value in relation to zoning will be modified. See ZONE A VALUE; ZONING METHOD.

Use of violence, abuse, threats and similar behaviour to obtain possession from a tenant. Under the Rent Acts harassment, whether or not followed by unlawful eviction, is a criminal offence.

A method of valuing (by reference to the hardcore rent) a freehold or other superior interest in property which is subject to a lease (or underlease) followed by a reversion. The hardcore rent, which is relatively secure, can be capitalised into perpetuity (or for the length of the lease) at a lower rate than any "marginal" rent, ie an anticipated or estimated in rent upon review, a fixed increase, or reversion. Cf TERM AND REVERSION METHOD.

A rent or part of a rent receivable from a property, which is sufficiently secure in relation to rental value to be judged by a valuer as assured. It is therefore reliably predicted to continue for the duration of the interest being valued despite any provision for it to be adjusted at given intervals, eg under a rent review clause. See BASE RENT; HARDCORE METHOD.

See "CRAWLEY" COSTS.

Parallel lines, usually drawn at an angle, used in plan-making to delineate specific areas or other features. See CROSS HATCHING.

A leasehold interest held directly from the freeholder and subject to one or more underleases in the whole of, or part of, the property. See SUBLEASE.

The rent paid by a head lessee to his freeholder.

The minimum uninterrupted space below a ceiling, door lintel or a bridge. It may be measured to the underlying floor, road or general surface or to the top of any plant or other equipment, whether fixed or movable, which is below the ceiling, lintel or bridge.

The several categories or titles under which claims may be made, eg in the case of the compulsory purchase claims under section 4(2) of the Land Compensation Act 1961, the amounts under such headings as the value of the land taken, disturbance and injurious affection.

Fundamental points of an agreement intended to form the basis of a formal contract. In a letting these usually include duration of the lease, the initial rent and obligations and rights of the respective parties, such as rights of assignment, subletting, maintenance, insurance and use.

Evidence originating from the statements (oral or written) of a person other than the witness testifying. Although there is a general rule against the admissibility of hearsay evidence, there are numerous exceptions to this principle, eg in civil cases under the Civil Evidence Acts 1968-1972. Cf ORIGINAL EVIDENCE.

Vertical or lateral movement of the soil. This may be caused by, among other things, geological disturbance, frost, increased moisture content, eg when trees are felled, or by chemical changes. Cf SETTLEMENT.

Investment with the characteristic that the investor's capital and/or income are to varying degrees protected from loss due to inflation or other causes of price movement from inflationary effects. As with a natural hedge, which reduces the impact of wind and provides shelter, it cannot act as a complete barrier in gale force conditions. The financial crisis throughout the world in the early 1970s uprooted many financial "hedges", as did the one in 1987.

1. Real property.

2. Under section 115 of the General Rate Act 1967, property which is, or may become, liable to a rate, or a unit of such property which is, or would fall to be, shown as a separate item in the valuation list. See CORPOREAL HEREDITAMENT; INCORPOREAL HEREDITAMENT.

See MIXED HEREDITAMENT.