Legal Definitions - De Conjunctim Feoffatis

De Conjunctim Feoffatis refers to a historical English statute enacted during the reign of King Edward I. Its primary purpose was to prevent individuals involved in land disputes from delaying legal proceedings by claiming that they jointly owned the disputed property with another person who was not yet formally part of the lawsuit. This statute ensured that legal actions concerning land possession could proceed without undue obstruction, even if multiple parties had an interest in the property.

Here are some examples illustrating how this historical statute would have applied:

• Imagine a medieval farmer, Robert, who is being sued by his lord, Baron Fitzwilliam, for failing to pay his feudal dues on a parcel of land. When Baron Fitzwilliam initiates a legal action to reclaim the land, Robert attempts to delay the proceedings by asserting that his cousin, Thomas, is also a joint owner of the property and therefore the lawsuit cannot proceed without Thomas's involvement. The statute De Conjunctim Feoffatis would have prevented Robert from using this claim to indefinitely stall the lord's attempt to recover the land.

• Consider a situation where Lady Eleanor is attempting to evict a tenant, Sir Geoffrey, from a manor house and its surrounding lands, claiming Sir Geoffrey has breached the terms of his tenancy. Sir Geoffrey, seeking to buy time or complicate the case, argues in court that his wife, Lady Margaret, holds a joint interest in the property alongside him. Under the provisions of De Conjunctim Feoffatis, Sir Geoffrey's assertion of joint ownership would not have been a valid reason to halt Lady Eleanor's legal action, allowing the court to proceed with the dispute over possession.

• Suppose a wealthy merchant, Master John, had been granted a piece of land by the Crown, but a neighboring landowner, Sir William, believed the land rightfully belonged to his family and initiated a legal challenge to reclaim it. Master John, facing the lawsuit, might try to argue that he had recently "enfeoffed" (granted an interest in) the land to his business partner, Master Richard, and therefore Sir William's claim could not be resolved until Master Richard was also brought into the case. The statute De Conjunctim Feoffatis would have been invoked to ensure that Master John could not use this claim of joint ownership to obstruct or indefinitely postpone Sir William's legal pursuit of the land.