pie crust lease

English

Etymology

From pie crust +‎ lease, in reference to the lease only including the topmost layer of the land. Coined due to the fact that estates in land include the subsurface by default.

Noun

pie crust lease (plural pie crust leases)

1. (England and Wales, law) A lease for the surface of some land or structure (such as a bridge), which excludes the subsurface or land beneath.

   Synonym: surface lease