Simple English definitions for legal terms
Read a random definition: contributing cause
Feasant: An old-fashioned word that means doing or causing something. When we say "damage feasant," it means causing harm to someone's land by letting animals trespass and eat the crops or trample the grass. In the past, the owner of the damaged land could take the animals and keep them until the owner of the animals paid for the damage. This word was first used a long time ago during the reign of King Edward III.
Definition: Feasant (fez-uhnt or fee-zuhnt) is an archaic term that means doing or causing.
Example: Damage feasant (dam-ij fez-uhnt or fee-zuhnt) refers to the act of causing damage. This phrase is usually used to describe the damage caused by animals that trespass on someone's land and eat their crops or trample their grass.
Explanation: In the past, if someone's animals caused damage to another person's property, the owner of the damaged property could impound the animals until they were compensated by the animals' owner. However, the impounder had to feed the animals and could not sell or harm them. The term "damage feasant" was introduced during the reign of Edward III to describe this situation.