Legal Definitions - brevi manu

Brevi manu is a Latin legal term that describes an action taken directly or on one's own authority, often without the need for a formal legal process or court intervention. It can also refer to a situation where ownership of an item is transferred to someone who already has physical possession of it, making a new physical delivery unnecessary.

• Example 1: Direct Administrative Action

  A city's public health department discovers a restaurant operating with severe, immediate health hazards, such as a widespread pest infestation and spoiled food. Under specific local ordinances, the department's lead inspector has the statutory authority to issue an immediate closure order for the restaurant without first seeking a court injunction.

  This is an action taken brevi manu because the inspector acts directly and on their own administrative authority, bypassing the slower process of obtaining a judicial order due to the urgent public safety risk.

• Example 2: Transfer of Ownership Without Physical Redelivery

  A company has been renting office furniture for several years from a leasing firm. After a period, the company decides to purchase the furniture outright from the leasing firm.

  In this case, the furniture does not need to be physically returned to the leasing firm and then redelivered to the company. Since the company already has physical control of the furniture, ownership is transferred brevi manu, meaning the legal title changes hands directly while the physical possession remains undisturbed.

• Example 3: Direct Enforcement by an Authority

  A homeowner's association (HOA) has a clear set of covenants that prohibit certain types of landscaping. A resident installs an unapproved fence that violates these rules.

  The HOA, acting under its established bylaws and covenants, issues a direct fine to the homeowner for the violation without needing to file a lawsuit in court. This is an example of the HOA taking action brevi manu, exercising its own authority to enforce its rules directly and efficiently, rather than resorting to a more formal and lengthy judicial process.