ABEYANCE

Abeyance

Abeyance is a state of expectancy in respect of property, titles or office, when the right to them is not vested in any one person, but awaits the appearance or determination of the true owner. In law, the term abeyance can only be applied to such future estates as have not yet vested or possibly may not vest. For example, an estate is granted to A for life, with remainder to the heir of B. During B's lifetime, the remainder is in abeyance, for until the death of B it is uncertain who is B's heir. Similarly the freehold of a benefice, on the death of the incumbent, is said to be in abeyance until the next incumbent takes possession.

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abeyance

Noun

  1. Expectancy; condition of ownership of real property being undetermined; lapse in succession of ownership of estate, or title.
    The proceeds of the estate shall be held in abeyance in an escrow account until the minor reaches age twenty-one.
  2. Suspension; temporary suppression; dormant condition. <ref name=SOED/>
  3. Expectancy of a title, its right in existence but its exercise suspended.
    The broad pennant of a commodore first class has been in abeyance since 1958, together with the rank.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: abeyance
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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