Legal Definitions - quandocunque decederit

Quandocunque decederit is a historical Latin legal phrase that translates to "whenever he died." It was used in legal documents, particularly in historical contexts, to specify that a certain condition, obligation, or transfer of property would take effect upon a person's death, irrespective of the exact date or circumstances of that death. It signifies an event contingent upon a future, uncertain demise.

• Example 1 (Property Transfer):

  Imagine a historical will from the 17th century. A wealthy landowner might have stipulated that a specific cottage and its surrounding orchard would be inherited by his niece, but only "quandocunque decederit" his current groundskeeper, who had a lifetime right to live there. This meant the niece would gain full possession of the property only after the groundskeeper passed away, regardless of whether that happened in five years or fifty years, thus making the transfer contingent on the groundskeeper's death, whenever it occurred.

• Example 2 (Feudal Service/Obligation):

  In a medieval feudal agreement, a lesser lord might have pledged a specific number of knights to serve a powerful duke, with the condition that this particular obligation would cease "quandocunque decederit" the duke himself. This clause ensured that the military service commitment was tied directly to the duke's lifespan, ending upon his death, whenever that might occur, rather than a fixed term or specific date.

• Example 3 (Financial Arrangement/Pension):

  Consider a historical pension agreement for a retired royal servant. The agreement might have stated that the annual payments would continue from the royal treasury "quandocunque decederit" the reigning monarch who granted the pension. This meant the servant's pension would be paid as long as that specific monarch lived, and the obligation would terminate upon that monarch's death, whenever it happened, rather than continuing indefinitely or for a set period.