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Dictionary of Law Terms: Enfranchisement

Enfeoff (to). The act of transmitting the possession of corporeal hereditaments. Enfranchisement. The admittance of a person into a society or body-politic. Enfranchisement of copyholds is a conversion of copyholds into freehold tenure. Enrolment. The registering of deeds as required by certain statutes. Entailment-Fee-tail. A freehold estate of inheritance which can only descend to certain classes of heirs "begotten of the body" of the ancestor. Equitable Estate. The beneficial interest of a cestui que trust, the legal ownership being in a trustee.

Equitable Mortgage. The most familiar instance is the deposit (either with or without a memorandum, although it is better to have one) of the title deeds of an estate by way of security, which constitutes an equitable mortgage without the execution of any formal mortgage deed. In most of the United States that have registration laws they are not recognized.

Equity of Redemption. The right which equity gives to a mortgager of redeeming his estate after the appointed time for payment has passed, and which right can only be barred by a foreclosure.

Error. A writ of error is a commission to judges of a superior court, by which they are authorized to examine the record, upon which a judgment was given in an inferior court, and to affirm, reverse, or vary the same, according to law. Escheat. Is where lands, for want of heirs, or from forfeiture, escheat, or fall back, to the state, or lord of the fee, as the original grantor. Escrow. A deed delivered to a third person conditionally until something is done by the grantor. Until the condition has been performed, a deed has no legal effect. Estate. The interest which a person has in lands or other property. Estoppel. Where a man is precluded in law from alleging or denying a fact in consequence of his own previous act, allegation, or denial to the contrary. Estreat. Where a recognizance becomes forfeited by any of its conditions being broken, it is estreated; that is, extracted from the record, and sent up to the court, whence a process will issue to recover the penalty. Evidence. Proof, either written or unwritten, of the facts in issue in any legal proceeding.

Exchange of Lands. A mutual grant of lands: the one in consideration of the other. Excise. A tax or impost charged by government on certain commodities. Execution. The act of putting the sentence of the law into force. Executor de son tort. A stranger who takes upon himself to act as executor without any authority. Exigent. A writ used in the process of outlawry.