Legal Definitions - abandum

Abandum refers historically to something that has been legally forfeited or given up as a penalty. It describes an item, property, or right that was lost by an individual due to a failure to comply with a legal duty, a crime, or a breach of contract, and subsequently transferred to another party, often the state or a lord.

• Example 1: Forfeited Land Due to Non-Performance
  In medieval England, if a tenant failed to perform the required military service or pay feudal dues to their lord, the land they held could be seized by the lord as a penalty. This forfeited land, taken back by the lord, would historically be considered an abandum.

  Explanation: The land is an abandum because it was a thing (property) that was forfeited by the tenant due to their failure to meet a legal obligation (feudal service or payment).

• Example 2: Confiscated Assets for Treason
  During the 17th century, if a person was convicted of a serious crime like treason, all their personal property, including their estates, money, and valuable possessions, could be confiscated by the Crown. These confiscated assets, seized by the state as a punishment, would historically be referred to as an abandum.

  Explanation: The assets (property and possessions) are an abandum because they were things that were forfeited by the convicted individual as a legal consequence of their crime.

• Example 3: Lost Guild Privilege
  Imagine a historical guild member who repeatedly violated the guild's strict rules of conduct and, as a result, had their exclusive right to practice a certain trade within the city revoked. This lost privilege, which was a valuable right forfeited due to their misconduct, could historically be considered an abandum.

  Explanation: The exclusive right to practice a trade is an abandum because it was a thing (a privilege or right) that was forfeited by the guild member as a penalty for breaking the rules.