Noncontiguous describes something–usually land–that is not connected and does not share a border. For example, the contiguous United States comprises 48 states and excludes Alaska and Hawaii. Alaska and Hawaii are thus considered noncontiguous states. Whether or not parcels of land are contiguous is important for homestead exemptions in the event of bankruptcy. Generally, a parcel of land that is noncontiguous from one that a person actually resides on does not meet a sufficient level of use to qualify as a homestead. For an example, see the case of in In re Schott, in which two tracts of land separated by a road were considered noncontiguous, and only the tract that the debtor resided on qualified for a homestead exemption.
[Last updated in July of 2020 by the Wex Definitions Team]