Escheat

In American law

The reverting of land to the state, on the death of the owner without lawful heirs. In feudal and English law. The falling back of lands to the lord in consequence of the extinction of the blood of the tenant; the land or fee itself so falling; profits falling to the lord on death of the tenant without heirs; material substances falling to the ground, as escheat of wood, meaning all appendages of lop and top of a tree cut down. Escheat propter defectum sangruinis: escheat through death of the tenant without heirs. Escheat propter delictuin tenentis: escheat through attainder of the tenant Escheat, writ of: a writ which anciently lay for a lord to recover possession of lands that had escheated to him.