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Nolo's Plain-English Law Dictionary

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Accretion: An out-of-the-ordinary increase in property that goes to the property owner. In real estate, accretion is an increase in land that results from the deposit of soil by a river or ocean. Accretion also occurs when someone who inherits assets receives more than expected because another beneficiary dies or doesn't accept a share, or when trust assets increase due to some unexpected and unusual event. (See also: alluviation)

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