Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in North Carolina

Fee tail estates were converted into fee simple estates. See N.C. G.S. � 41‑1 which says "Every person seized of an estate in tail shall be deemed to be seized of the same in fee simple."

Fee tails and fee simples come from old English law. Fee tails were originally limited to heirs of the body. Fee simple absolute means that anyone can get the land regardless of whether they ar a biological heir or not. And the holder of a fee simple can do whatever the heck he/she wants with the land.

Did you actually receive the inheritance? Was a new deed ever done? If not, when you go to sell the land, you will have to bring the old deed and/or the will creating a fee tail in the land to the attorney.