Natrekking
Accession
Accession is a mode of acquiring ownership whereby the owner of a thing automatically becomes the owner of anything added to it or produced from it.
Accession is a legal concept in Dutch property law under which the owner of a principal thing also acquires ownership of any accessory that is attached to it or produced from it. This mechanism prevents the fragmentation of ownership rights and ensures a clear allocation of title upon any addition to a thing.
The rules are of particular relevance to immovable property, for example in the construction of a dwelling on land or the installation of fixtures in a building. In practice, accession frequently determines ownership of buildings or improvements, irrespective of which party has borne the costs.
The Civil Code contains specific provisions on accession. These provisions are mandatory and may not be derogated from by agreement.
“By operation of the principle of accession, the contractor did not become the owner of the building erected on the land, since the landowner automatically acquired title to all structures thereon.”
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