Legal Definitions - transeunt cum universitate

The Latin phrase transeunt cum universitate translates to "they are transferred with the whole estate."

This legal principle describes situations where certain rights, obligations, or properties are not transferred individually but rather as an inseparable part of a larger, complete entity or collection of assets. It emphasizes that when the "whole" is transferred, its constituent parts, along with any associated burdens or benefits, automatically accompany it, rather than requiring separate conveyance.

• Example 1: Sale of an Apartment Complex

  Imagine a real estate investor purchases an entire apartment complex. When the complex is sold, the new owner doesn't just acquire the physical buildings and land; they also acquire all the existing tenant leases, including the rights to collect rent and the obligations to provide maintenance and services, as part of the entire property transfer. These leases "transeunt cum universitate" – they are transferred along with the whole apartment complex and its operational status, without needing individual re-negotiation for each tenant.

• Example 2: Inheritance of a Historic Art Collection

  Consider a situation where a valuable private art collection, which includes not only paintings and sculptures but also the specific intellectual property rights for their reproduction and exhibition, is bequeathed to a museum. The museum doesn't just inherit the physical artworks; it also inherits the associated reproduction and exhibition rights because these are considered an integral part of the entire collection's value and legacy. The intellectual property rights "transeunt cum universitate" – they transfer as part of the complete art collection inheritance.

• Example 3: Acquisition of a Manufacturing Plant

  When a larger corporation acquires a smaller manufacturing plant, the acquisition typically involves more than just the factory building and machinery. The acquiring corporation also takes on the existing environmental permits, waste disposal contracts, and even the collective bargaining agreements with the plant's workforce as a complete package. These various agreements and obligations "transeunt cum universitate" – they are transferred as part of the entire operational plant entity, not as individual, separate items that need to be re-established.