Attornment

See "Attorn."

See Attorn. AU BES0IN. (Fr. in case of need. "Au besoin chez Messieurs a." "In case of need, apply to Messrs. at "). A phrase used in the direction of a bill of exchange, pointing out the person to whom application may be made for payment in case of failure or refusal of the drawee to pay; Story, Bills § 65.

The act of a tenant in consenting to a transfer of the reversion and in aiiflmowledging the new landlord. The act of a donee in tail, or a tenant for life or for years, in consenting to a grant of the reversion or the remainder. Though attornment is not practiced in the United States, the term is still applied to the acts of tenants in somewhat the old sense. In feudal and old English laiv. Attornamentnm, attornaiio, I. l, Attournance, l.fr. A turning over or transfer by a lord of the services of his tenant to the grantee of his seigniory; a transfer by the tenant of his services to the grantee or new lord; a tenant's acknowledgment or acceptance of the grantee as his lord, in place of the former loi-d. v. Attorn; Attornare.

In feudal and old Enclish law. A turning over or transfer by a lord of the services of his tenant to the grantee of his svigniory. j Attormment is the act of a person who holds @ leasehold interest in land, or estate for life or years, by which he agrees to become the tenant of a stranger who has acquired the fee in the land, or the remainder or reversion, or the right to the rent ar services by wiich the tenant holds.

[L. Lat. attomamenturn, attomatio; L. Fr. attoumance,] In feudal and old English law. A turning over, or transfer by a lord, of the services of his tenant to the grantee of his seigniory. A transfer by the tenant of his services to the grantee, or new lord; a tenant's consent to a transfer of lands by his lord; or his ac- Imowledgment or acceptance of the grantee as his lord, in place of the former lord.* See Attorn, Attomare.

In English law. An agreement of a tenant to the grant of a seigniory, [i. e. to become tenant to a new lorn of the seigniory,] or of a rent; or the agreement of a donee in tail, or tenant for life, or years, to amnt of a reversion or of a remainder, made to another, [i. e. to become connected with him in the relation of landlord and tenant of the tenement.] Shep. TbwcA. (by Preston), 258. Co, Litt, 309. Attornment might be by words alone, as by saying to the grantee, " I agree to the grant made to you, or " I am well content with the grant made to you;" but the most common attornment was to sav, " Sir, I attorn to you by force of the said jfrant," or, "I become your tenant;" or it might be in writing to the same effect; or it might be by delivering to the ^^rantee a penny, or a h^ penny, or a farthmg, by way of attornment. l Att, sect. 551, 563, 554. Co, Litt, 309 b. Attornment continued to be a necessary ceremony in the transfer of estates, until dispensed with by the statutes of 4 <& 5 Anne, c. 16, and 11 Geo. II. c. 19. 2 BL Com. 290. 1 Steph, Com. 434 — 436, 475. In the United States, attornment may be considered as abolished. 4 Ken Vs Com. 490, 491. The term however continues to be applied to the acts of tenants, in somewhat of its ancient signification. See Attorn,

estates, was the agreement of the tenant to the or tenant for life, or years, to a grant of a reversion or of a remainder made to another, Co. Litt. 309; Touchs. 253; attornments are rendered unnecessary, even in England, by virtue of sundry statutes, and they are abolished’ in the United States, 4 Kent, Com. 479. Vide 3 Vin. Ab. 317; 1 Vern. 330, n.; Saund. 234, n. 4; Roll. Ab. h. t.; Nelson’s Ab. h. t.; Com. Dig. h. t.