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escheat

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escheat


  4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Escheat  \Es*cheat"\,  v.  i.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Esheated};  p.  pr  & 
  vb  n.  {Escheating}.]  (Law) 
  To  revert,  or  become  forfeited,  to  the  lord,  the  crown,  or 
  the  State,  as  lands  by  the  failure  of  persons  entitled  to 
  hold  the  same  or  by  forfeiture. 
 
  Note:  In  this  country  it  is  the  general  rule  that  when  the 
  title  to  land  fails  by  defect  of  heirs  or  devisees,  it 
  necessarily  escheats  to  the  State;  but  forfeiture  of 
  estate  from  crime  is  hardly  known  in  this  country,  and 
  corruption  of  blood  is  universally  abolished.  --Kent. 
  --Bouvier. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Escheat  \Es*cheat"\,  n.  [OE.  eschete,  escheyte  an  escheat,  fr 
  OF  escheit,  escheoit  escheeite  esheoite  fr  escheoir  (F. 
  ['e]choir)  to  fall  to  fall  to  the  lot  of  pref.  es-  (L.  ex) 
  +  cheoir,  F.  choir,  to  fall,  fr  L.  cadere.  See  {Chance},  and 
  cf  {Cheat}.] 
  1.  (Law) 
  a  (Feud.  &  Eng.  Law)  The  falling  back  or  reversion  of 
  lands,  by  some  casualty  or  accident,  to  the  lord  of 
  the  fee,  in  consequence  of  the  extinction  of  the  blood 
  of  the  tenant,  which  may  happen  by  his  dying  without 
  heirs,  and  formerly  might  happen  by  corruption  of 
  blood,  that  is  by  reason  of  a  felony  or  attainder. 
  --Tomlins.  --Blackstone. 
  b  (U.  S.  Law)  The  reverting  of  real  property  to  the 
  State,  as  original  and  ultimate  proprietor,  by  reason 
  of  a  failure  of  persons  legally  entitled  to  hold  the 
  same 
 
  Note:  A  distinction  is  carefully  made  by  English  writers, 
  between  escheat  to  the  lord  of  the  fee  and  forfeiture 
  to  the  crown.  But  in  this  country,  where  the  State 
  holds  the  place  of  chief  lord  of  the  fee,  and  is 
  entitled  to  take  alike  escheat  and  by  forfeiture,  this 
  distinction  is  not  essential.  --Tomlins.  Kent. 
  c  A  writ,  now  abolished,  to  recover  escheats  from  the 
  person  in  possession.  --Blackstone. 
 
  2.  Lands  which  fall  to  the  lord  or  the  State  by  escheat. 
 
  3.  That  which  falls  to  one  a  reversion  or  return 
 
  To  make  me  great  by  others'  loss  is  bad  escheat. 
  --Spenser. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Escheat  \Es*cheat"\,  v.  t.  (Law) 
  To  forfeit.  --Bp.  Hall. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  escheat 
  n  1:  a  reversion  to  the  state  (as  the  ultimate  owner  of  property) 
  in  the  absence  of  legal  heirs 
  2:  the  property  that  reverts  to  the  state 




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