what is a usufruct 
a usufruct is a legal right accorded to a person or party that confers the temporary right to use and derive income or benefit from someone else s property it is a limited real right that can be found in many mixed and civil law jurisdictions a usufructuary is the person holding the property by usufruct a usufruct combines the two property rights of usus and fructus usus refers to the right to use something directly without damaging or altering it and fructus refers to the right to enjoy the fruits of the property being used that is to profit from the real property by leasing it selling crops produced by it charging admission to it or similar usufruct is usually conferred for a limited time period it can be granted to the usufructuary or person holding usufruct as a way to look after property until the death of a property owner and the estate can be settled if the property owner is in ill health while the usufructuary has the right to use the property they cannot damage or destroy it or dispose of the property a usufructuary does not have full ownership of the property because they do not enjoy the third property right abusus which refers to the right to consume destroy or transfer ownership of the property to someone else 