Legal Definitions - in nullius bonis

The Latin phrase in nullius bonis translates to "in the goods of no one" or "belonging to no one." It refers to property or things that are not owned by any particular person or entity. This concept is often used to describe items that are unowned, abandoned, or have never been claimed.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Example 1: Wild Fish in the Ocean

  Imagine a school of tuna swimming freely in international waters. Before any fishing vessel catches them, these fish are considered in nullius bonis. They do not belong to any specific person, company, or nation. Once a fishing crew legally catches and brings them aboard their vessel, the fish become the property of that crew or company.

  This illustrates in nullius bonis because the fish are unowned until they are captured and possessed, demonstrating that they belong to no one in their natural, uncaptured state.

• Example 2: An Abandoned Sofa on the Curb

  Suppose someone places an old, broken sofa on the curb with a "FREE" sign, clearly intending to discard it. If a garbage truck hasn't picked it up yet, and the original owner has explicitly relinquished all claims to it, that sofa could be considered in nullius bonis. Anyone who takes it with the intent to own it could then claim possession.

  This example shows in nullius bonis in the context of abandoned property, where the original owner has given up their rights, making the item temporarily unowned until someone else claims it.

• Example 3: A Meteorite on Unclaimed Land

  Consider a meteorite that falls from space and lands on a vast, uninhabited desert area that is not formally owned by any individual, government, or indigenous group. Before anyone discovers, claims, or takes possession of it, that meteorite would be considered in nullius bonis. It is a natural object that has arrived on unowned territory and has no prior owner.

  This scenario demonstrates in nullius bonis by presenting an item that has never been owned and rests on land that is also unowned, reinforcing the idea of something belonging to no one.