The Law Dictionary

Law Dictionary

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PETITORY

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That which demands or petitions that which has, the, quality of a prayer or petition; a right to demand. 2. A petitory suit or action is understood to be one in which the mere title to property is to be enforced by means of a demand or petition, as distinguished from a possessory suit. 1 Kent, Com. 371. 3. In the Scotch law, petitory actions are so called, not because something … [Read more...] about PETITORY

PETER-PENCE

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An ancient levy or tax of a penny on each house throughout England, paid to the pope. It was called "Peter-pence,' ' because collected on the day of St. Peter, ad vincula; by the Saxons it was called "Rome-feoh," "Rome-scot," and "Rome-pennying," because collected and sent to Rome; and, lastly, it was called "hearth money," because every dwelling-house was liable to it, and … [Read more...] about PETER-PENCE

PETITORY ACTION

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A droitural action ; that is,, one in which the plaintiff seeks to establish and enforce, by an appropriate legal proceeding, his right of property, or his title, to the subject matter in dispute; as distinguished from a possessory action, where the right to the possession is the point in litigation, and not the mere right of property. The term is chiefly used in admiralty. 1 … [Read more...] about PETITORY ACTION

PETIT

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Fr. Small; minor, inconsiderable. Used in several compounds, and sometimes written "petty." Petit cape. A judicial writ, issued in the old actions for the recovery of land, requiring the sheriff to take possession of the estate, where the tenant, after ha vine appeared in answer to the summons, made default in a subsequent stage of the proceedings. As to petit "Jury," … [Read more...] about PETIT