freehold, n. 1. An estate in land held in fee simple, in fee tail, or for term of life; any real-property interest that is or may become possessory. • At common law, these estates were all created by enfeoffment with livery of seisin. [Cases: Estates in Property 4–7, 12. C.J.S. Estates §§ 10–14, 20–27.] 2. […]
mortmain (mort-mayn). [French “deadhand”] The condition of lands or tenements held in perpetuity by an ecclesiastical or other corporation. • Land alienated in mortmain is not inalienable, but it will never escheat or pass by inheritance (and thus no inheritance taxes will ever be paid) because a corporation does not die. See AMORTIZE(3); DEADHAND CONTROL.
The right to receive an annual sum from the income of land, usu. in perpetuity, and to retake possession if the payments are in arrears. — Also spelled rent-charge; rentcharge. — Also termed fee-farm rent.
mortmain statute. A law that limits gifts and other dispositions of land to corporations (esp. charitable ones) and that prohibits corporations from holding land in perpetuity. • In England, laws such as the Provisions of Westminster and Magna Carta essentially required the Crown’s authorization before land could vest in a corporation. The object was to
community trust. An agency organized to administer funds placed in trust for public-health, educational, and other charitable purposes in perpetuity.
An estate granted by a life tenant, who, despite using language of conveyance that is otherwise sufficient to create an estate tail, is unable to grant in perpetuity.
Hist. A species of tenure in which land is held in perpetuity at a yearly rent (fee-farm rent), without fealty, homage, or other services than those in the feoffment. — Also termed feodi firma; firma feodi. See EMPHYTEUSIS.
wait-and-see doctrine 情事等待原则 这一原则是为了缓和「禁止永久持有规则」〔Rule Against Perpetuities〕所产生的严厉的法律效果。它允许考虑在授予将来权益(尤指终身地产权〔life estate〕)的文书成立后所发生的事件，一旦限制该权益的将来不确定事件在永久持有规则所规定的期限内发生，则该项权益有效。在美国，为了确定某一不特定权益〔contingent interest〕是否违反「禁止永久持有规则」，许多州通过立法允许法院考察不特定事件实际发生时的条件，而不是像「禁止永久持有规则」所规定的那样考察在该权益创设时的条件。该原则在某些州又被称为「重新考虑原则」〔second look doctrine〕。 (→perpetuity; rule against perpetuities)
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cy-pres 类似原则 此词原系法律法语，cy意为「这，这里」，pres意为「接近，附近」。类似原则是衡平法上对法律文件进行解释的一项规则，指如果法律文件按其字面意义生效将成为不可能或者不合法，则可以借类似原则使当事人的目的尽可能地得到实现。类似原则主要适用于对遗嘱和慈善信托的解释中。例如：１若遗嘱人企图设立永久性地产权〔perpetuity〕，则法院并不宣布该遗赠全部无效，而是在「禁止永久权规则」〔rule against perpetuities〕许可的范围内，尽力实现遗嘱人的一般性意图；２在为设立慈善用益权的赠与中，尤其是在用语模糊或不确定而必须通过解释来探求遗嘱人的真实目的时，也同样适用类似原则；３如果遗嘱人曾表达过一般性的慈善目的，但由于某种原因，该目的并不能以遗嘱中所特别指定的方式来实现，则法院依照类似原则将享有衡平法的权利，仍可以执行这种为特定慈善目的而建立的遗嘱信托，即将信托财产运用于与初始信托尽可能类似的目的上，使该信托继续存在。
rule against perpetuities 禁止永久权规则 一项普通法规则，指为使一项未来权益合法有效，则在设立该未来权益或立遗嘱人死亡后，必须于(一位或多位)受益人终身(如果受益人为胎儿，则还需另含其妊娠期)加上21年之内，使该未来权益生效。该规则被移入信托法，指非慈善信托如果存续期限超过生存受益人终身加上21年及妊娠期的总和，则为无效。(→perpetuity)
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