Latin for 'that you cause to be done.' This is a court document that instructs a sheriff to seize and sell a defendant's property in order to satisfy a monetary... (more...)
Latin for 'that you cause to be done.' This is a court document that instructs a sheriff to seize and sell a defendant's property in order to satisfy a monetary judgment against the defendant.
CONSTRUCTIVE EVICTION
When a landlord provides housing that is so substandard that a landlord has legally evicted the tenant. For example, if the landlord refuses to provide heat or ... (more...)
When a landlord provides housing that is so substandard that a landlord has legally evicted the tenant. For example, if the landlord refuses to provide heat or water or refuses to clean up an environmental health hazard, the tenant has the right to move out and stop paying rent, without incurring legal liability for breaking the lease.
LICENSE (OF INVENTION, COPYRIGHT OR TRADEMARK)
A contract giving written permission to use an invention, creative work or trademark. A license provides a way to make money from your invention or creative wor... (more...)
A contract giving written permission to use an invention, creative work or trademark. A license provides a way to make money from your invention or creative work without having to manufacture and sell copies yourself. By licensing an invention or work to a company, you get money (often in the form of royalties) in return for allowing the company to use, produce and sell copies of your invention or work in the marketplace.
LIFE TENANT
One who has a life estate in real property.
ADVERSE POSSESSION
A means by which one can legally take another's property without paying for it. The requirements for adversely possessing property vary between states, but usua... (more...)
A means by which one can legally take another's property without paying for it. The requirements for adversely possessing property vary between states, but usually include continuous and open use for a period of five or more years and paying taxes on the property in question.
LIABILITY INSURANCE COVERAGE
Compensation to third parties who are injured or whose property is damaged due to the fault of the insurance holder. You may have liability insurance for your c... (more...)
Compensation to third parties who are injured or whose property is damaged due to the fault of the insurance holder. You may have liability insurance for your car or your home, or to cover actions you take in the course of your profession. Liability polices are sometimes called 'third-party policies.'
MEMORANDUM
(1) An informal written document. A memorandum may be used in any number of circumstances, but most lawyers are best acquainted with the interoffice memorandum-... (more...)
(1) An informal written document. A memorandum may be used in any number of circumstances, but most lawyers are best acquainted with the interoffice memorandum--a document prepared by a junior associate in a law office or a judge's law clerk outlining the facts, procedural elements and legal arguments involved in a particular legal matter. These memos are reviewed by senior lawyers and judges who use them to decide how to proceed with the case. (2) Any written record, including a letter or note, that proves that a contract exists between two parties. This type of memo may be enough to validate an oral (spoken) contract that would otherwise be unenforceable because of the statute of frauds. (Under the statute of frauds, an oral contract is invalid if it can't be completed within one year from the date the contract is made.)
APPRECIATION
An increase in value. Appreciated property is property that has gone up in value since it was acquired.
LEGACY
An outdated legal word meaning personal property left by a will. The more common term for this type of property is bequest. Compare devise.