Escheat

Escheat /ɪsˈt/[1][2] (from the Latin excidere for "fall away") is a common law doctrine that transfers the real property of a person who has died without heirs to the crown or state. It serves to ensure that property is not left in "limbo" without recognized ownership. It originally applied to a number of situations where a legal interest in land was destroyed by operation of law, so that the ownership of the land reverted to the immediately superior feudal lord.

  1. ^ "Escheat". Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  2. ^ Walker, John (1838). A Critical Pronouncing Dictionary and Expositor of the English Language. Adegi Graphics LLC. ISBN 9781402171710.