(A) pleading. An estoppel is a preclusion, in law, which prevents a man from alleging or denying a fact, in consequence of his own previous act, allegation or denial of a contrary tenor. Stepb. Pl. 239. Lord Coke says, an estoppel is, when a man is concluded by his own act or acceptance, to say the truth. Blackstone defines an estoppel to be a special plea in bar, which happens where a man has done some act, or executed some deed, which estops or precludes him from averring any thing to the contrary. Estoppels are odious in law; they are not admitted in equity against the truth. Nor can jurors be estopped from saying the truth, because they are sworn to do so, although they are estopped from finding against the admission of the parties in their pleadings. 2. An estoppel may, arise either from matter of record; from the deed of the party; or from matter in Pays; that is, matter of fact. 3. Thus, any confession or admission made in pleading, in a court of record, whether it be express, or implied from pleading over without a traverse, will forever preclude the party from afterwards contesting the same fact in any subsequent suit with his adversary. Com. Dig. Estoppel, A 1. This is an estoppel by matter of record. 4. As an instance of an estoppel by deed, may be mentioned the case of a bond reciting a certain fact. The party executing that bond, will be precluded from afterwards denying in any action brought upon that instrument, the fact , so recited. 5 Barn. & Ald. 682. 5. An example of an estoppel by matter in pays occurs when one man Las accepted rent of another. He will be estopped from afterwards. denying, in any action, with that person, that he was, at the time of such acceptance, his tenant. 6. This doctrine of law gives rise to a kind of pleading that is neither by way of traverse, nor confession. and avoidance: viz. a pleading, that, waiving any question of fact, relies merely on the estoppel, and, after stating the previous act, allegation, or denial, of the opposite party, prays judgment, if he shall be received or admitted to aver contrary to what he before did or said. This pleading is called pleading by way of estoppel. Steph. 240a 7. Every estoppel ought to be reciprocal, that is, to bind both parties: and this is the reason that regularly a stranger shall neither take advantage or be bound by an estoppel. It should be directly affirmative, and not by inference nor against an estoppel. (B) (1) The concept that a person should be barred from adopting a position in court that contradicts past statements or actions, especially when doing so would be unfair to the other party who relied on the estopped person’s original position. Estoppel in pais occurs when there is custom establish, for example, a landlord allows a tenant to pay rent three months late for a year. The landlord would be estopped from evicting the tenant if rent is paid one month late given the tenant’s reliance on the landlord’s action or waiver. (2) A legal doctrine, such as collateral estoppel, which prevents a party from relitigating the facts or issues that were already decided upon in an earlier court decision. For example, if a driver collided with several cars when drunk and the first driver obtained a judgment based on a finding that the defendant was drunk, the driver cannot assert that he or she was not drunk during the lawsuits brought by the other plaintiffs.
Law Dictionary – Alternative Legal Definition
A bar or impediment raised by the law, which precludes a man from alleging or from denying a certain fact or state of facts, in consequence of his previous allegation or denial or conduct or admission, or in consequence of a final adjudication of the matter in a court of law. A preclusion, in law, which prevents a man from alleging or denying a fact, in consequence of his own previous act, allegation, or denial of a contrary tenor. Steph. PI. 239. An admission of so conclusive a nature that the party whom it affects is not permitted to aver against it or offer evidence to controvert it. 2 Smith, Lead. Cas. 778. Estoppel is that which concludes and “shuts a man’s mouth from speaking the truth.” When a fact has been agreed on, or decided in a court of record, neither of the parties shall be allowed to call it in question, and have it tried over again at any time thereafter, so long as the judgment or decree stands unreversed; and when parties, by deed or solemn act in pais, agree on a state of facts, and act on it, neither shall ever afterwards be allowed to gainsay a fact so agreed on, or be heard to dispute it; in other words, his mouth is shut, and he shall not say that is not true which he had before in a solemn manner asserted to be true. Armfield v. Moore, 44 N. C 157.
Collateral estoppel. The collateral determination of a question by a court having general jurisdiction of the subject. See Small v. Haskins, 26 Vt. 209. Equitable estoppel (or estoppel by conduct, or in pais) is the species of estoppel which equity puts upon a person who has made a false representation or a concealment of material facts, with knowledge of the facts, to a party ignorant of the truth of the matter, with the intention that the other party should act upon it, and with the result that such party is actually induced to act upon it, to his damage. Bigelow, Estop. 484. And see Louisville Banking Co. v. Asher, 65 S. W. 831, J23 Ky. Law Rep. 1661; Bank v. Marston, 85 Me. 488, 27 Atl. 529; Richman v. Baldwin, 21 N. J. Law, 403; Railroad Co. v. Perdue. 40 W. Va, 442, 21 S. E. 755. Estoppel by deed is where a party has executed a deed, that is, a writing under seal (as a bond) reciting a certain fact, and is thereby precluded from afterwards denying, in any action brought upon that instrument, the fact so recited. Steph. Pi. 197. A man shall always be estopped by his own deed, or not permitted to aver or prove anything in contradiction to what he has once so solemnly and deliberately avowed. 2 BL Comm. 295; Plowd. 434; Hudson v. Winslow Tp., 35 N. J. Law, 441; Taggart v. Risley, 4 Or. 242; Appeal of Waters, 35 Pa. 526, 78 Am. Dec. 854. Estoppel by election. An estoppel predicated on a voluntary and intelligent action or choice of one of several things which is inconsistent with another, the effect of the estoppel being to prevent the party so choosing from afterwards reversing his election or disputing the state of affairs or rights of others resulting from his original choice. Yates v. Hurd. 8 Colo. 343. 8 Pac. 575. Estoppel by judgment. The estoppel raised by the rendition of a valid judgment by a court having jurisdiction, which prevents the parties to the action, and all who are in privity with them, from afterwards disputing or drawing into controversy the particular facts or issues on which the judgment was based or which were or might have been litigated in the action. 2 Bl. Judgm. s 504; State v. Torinus, 28 Minn. 175, 9 N. W. 725. Estoppel by matter in pais. An estoppel by the conduct or admissions of the party; an estoppel not arising from deed or matter of record. Thus, where one man has accepted rent of another, he will be estopped from afterwards denying, in any action with that person, that he was, at the time of such acceptance, his tenant. Steph. PL 197. The doctrine of estoppels in pais is one which, so far at least as that term is concerned, has grown up chiefly within the last few years. But it is, and always was, a familiar principle in the law of contracts. It lies at the foundation of morals, and is a cardinal point in the exposition of promises, that one shall be bound by the state of facts which he has induced another to act upon. Red field, C. J., Strong v. Ellsworth, 26 Vt. 366, 373. And see West Winstead Sav. Bank v. Ford. 27 Conn. 290, 71 Am. Dec. 66; Davis v. Davis, 26 Cal. 38, 85 Am. Dec. 157; Bank v. Dean, 60 N. Y. Super. Ct. 299, 17 N. Y. Supp. 875; Coogler v. Rogers, 25 Fla. 853, 7 South. 391; Merchants’ Nat. Bank v. State Nat Bank, 10 Wall 645, 19 L. Ed. 1008; Hanly v. Watterson, 89 W. Va. 214, 19 S. E. 536; Barnard v. Seminary, 49 Mich. 444, 13 N. W. 811. Estoppel by matter of record. An estoppel founded upon matter of record; as a confession or admission made in pleading in a court of record, which precludes the party from afterwards contesting the same fact in the same suit. Steph. PL 197. Estoppel by verdict. This term is sometimes applied to the estoppel arising from a former adjudication of the same fact or issue between the same parties or their privies. Chicago Theological Seminary v. People, 189 111. 439, 59 N. E. 977; Swank v. Railway Co., 61 Minn. 423, 63 N. W. 1088. But this use is not correct, as it is not the verdict which creates an estoppel, but the judgment, and it is immaterial whether a jury participated in the trial or not.
In pleading. A plea, replication, or other pleading, which, without confessing or denying the matter of fact adversely alleged, relies merely on some matter of estoppel as a ground for excluding the opposite party from the allegation of the fact. Steph. PL 219; 3 Bl. Comm. 308. A plea which neither admits nor denies the facts alleged by the plaintiff, but denies his right to allege them. Gould, PL c. 2, s 39. A special plea in bar, which happens where a man has done some act or executed some deed which precludes him from averring anything to the contrary. 3 BL Comm. 308. Esteveria sunt ardendi, arandi, construendi et claudendi. 13 Coke, 68. Estovers are of flre-bote, plow-bote, house-bote, and hedge-bote.