Simple English definitions for legal terms
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The law of capture is a rule that says if you catch something, it belongs to you. This can apply to wild animals, groundwater, and oil and gas. For example, if you drill a well and pump out oil from under your land, you don't have to pay the owner of the land next to you for the oil that you took. However, some laws have been made to limit this rule because it can cause problems for other people who rely on the same resources.
The law of capture refers to several legal principles that determine ownership of property, including:
For example, if a hunter captures a deer on someone else's property, the hunter becomes the owner of the deer under the rule of capture. Similarly, if a landowner drills a well and extracts groundwater, they have the right to use that water even if it affects the water supply of their neighbors. And if an oil company drills a well and extracts oil or gas from beneath a neighboring landowner's property, they are not liable for any drainage as long as they have followed all relevant laws and regulations.