John Van Ness v. Perez Pacard’s Empirical Analysis
27 U.S. 137 · 1829
Citation profile
20 federal appellate · 4 district · 51 state decisions
How this case has been cited
Cited by 120 later decisions (15 by the Supreme Court) — most recently June 2026 · most notably Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Florida (1996), Moragne v. States Marine Lines, Inc. (1970)
20 federal appellate · 4 district · 51 state decisions — followed in 24 states
Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.
Relationships
Relies on Daviel Jackson v. John Twentyman · Holmes v. Tremper · Jackson ex dem. Church v. Brownson
Most-quoted passages
The sentences later courts lift from this opinion, ranked by how many decisions quote each — the parts of the opinion doing the work. These counts are smaller than the citation total above because most of the 120 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.
““Our ancestors brought with them its general principles, and claimed it as their birthright; but they brought with them and adopted only that portion which was applicable to their situation.””
2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority““The question whether removable or not floes not depend upon the form or size of the building, whether it has a brick foundation or not, or is one or two stories high, or has a hriclc or other chimney. The sole question is whether it is designed for purposes of trade or not. A tenant may erect a largte as well as a small messuage, or a soap boilery of one or two stories high, and on whatever foundations he may choose. In Lawton v. Lawton, 3 Atk. 13, Lord Hardwicke said * * * that it made no difference whether the shed of the engine he made of brick or stone. In Penton v. Hobart, 2 East, 88, the building had a brick foundation, let into the ground, with a chimney belonging to it, upon which there was a superstructure of wood. Yet the court thought the building removable. In Elwes v. Maw, 3 East, 38, Lord Ellenborough expressly stated that there was no difference between the building covering any fixed engine, utensils, and the latter. The only point is whether it is accessory to carrying on the trade or not. If bona fide intended for this purpose, it falls within the exception in favor of trade. The case of the Dutch bams before Lord Kenyon (Dean v. Allalley, 3 Esp. 11; Woodf. Landl. & T. 219) is to the same effect.””
1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
How this case has been treated — in progress
Whether each later court followed, distinguished, criticized, or overruled this decision. The treatment classification (task #35) runs highest-cited cases first and lights up here as it reaches this one.