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substantial objection; and the court will not compel a purchaser to take the
title with a compensation. Smith v. Tolcher, 4 Russ. 305; Ker v. Clobery, Sugd.
Vend. & Pur. i. 295; and see Book I. ch. ii. sect. 1, art. vi. ante.
"The good
sense," said Sir John Leach, M. R., "of this general rule is not to be denied.
But there may be cases of obvious exception, and such a case occurred in
Binks v. Lord Rokeby, 2 Swan. 222, before Lord Eldon, who is to be regarded as
the author of the rule. A considerable landed estate was contracted to be sold
tithe free, and a good title was shewn to all the tithe, except as to a very few
acres, and Lord Eldon held that the right to the tithe of the few acres could
not be considered so material to the enjoyment of the estate, as to have formed
the inducement to the purchaser to enter into the contract; and he com-
pelled the purchaser to complete his contract, with a compensation for the
value of those tithes as to which the title was defective." 4 Russ. 305.

II. See the stat. 6 & 7 Will. 4, c. 71, for the Commutation of Tithes in
England and Wales, post.

MODUS DECI

MANDI AND

EXEMPTION FROM TITHES. 2 & 3 Will. 4,

c. 100.

3 & 4 WILL. IV. c. 27.

An Act for the Limitation of Actions and Suits relating to Real
Property, and for simplifying the Remedies for trying the
Rights thereto.

[24th July, 1833.]

BE it enacted by the King's most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of

LIMITATION OF
ACTIONS AND
SUITS.

3 & 4 W.4, c.27.

the same, that the words and expressions hereinafter mentioned, Meaning of the which in their ordinary signification have a more confined or a differ- words in the act. ent meaning, shall in this act, except where the nature of the provision or the context of the act shall exclude such construction, be interpreted as follows; (that is to say,) the word "land" shall ex- "Land." tend to manors, messuages, and all other corporeal hereditaments whatsoever, and also to tithes (other than tithes belonging to a spiritual or eleemosynary corporation sole), and also to any share, estate, or interest in them or any of them, whether the same shall be a freehold or chattel interest, and whether freehold or copyhold, or held according to any other tenure; and the word "rent" shall extend to all heriots, and to all services and suits for which a distress may be made, and to all annuities and periodical sums of money charged upon or payable out of any land (except moduses or compositions belonging to a spiritual or eleemosynary corporation sole); and the person through whom another person is said to claim shall Person through mean any person by, through, or under, or by the act of whom, the person so claiming became entitled to the estate or interest claimed, as heir, issue in tail, tenant by the curtesy of England, tenant in

"Rent."

whom another claims.

ACTIONS AND

SUITS.

"Person."

LIMITATION OF dower, successor, special or general occupant, executor, administrator, legatee, husband, assignee, appointee, devisee, or otherwise, 3 & 4 W.4, c.27. and also any person who was entitled to an estate or interest to which the person so claiming, or some person through whom he claims, became entitled as lord by escheat; and the word "person" shall extend to a body politic, corporate, or collegiate, and to a class of creditors or other persons, as well as an individual; and every word importing the singular number only shall extend and be applied to several persons or things as well as one person or thing; and every word importing the masculine gender only shall extend and be applied to a female as well as a male.

Number and gender.

Noland or rent

to be recovered

but within 20 years after the right of action

accrued to the claimant or

some person whose estate he claims.

When the right shall be deemed

to have accrued;

II. And be it further enacted, that after the thirty-first day of December one thousand eight hundred and thirty-three, no person shall make an entry or distress or bring an action to recover any land or rent but within twenty years next after the time at which the right to make such entry or distress or to bring such action shall have first accrued to some person through whom he claims; or if such right shall not have accrued to any person through whom he claims, then within twenty years next after the time at which the right to make such entry or distress or to bring such action shall have first accrued to the person making or bringing the same.

III. And be it further enacted, that in the construction of this act the right to make an entry or distress or bring an action to recover any land or rent shall be deemed to have first accrued at such time as hereinafter is mentioned; (that is to say,) when the person claiming such land or rent, or some person through whom he claims, shall, in respect of the estate or interest claimed, have been in possession or in receipt of the profits of such land, or in receipt of such on dispossession; rent, and shall while entitled thereto have been dispossessed, or

in the case of an estate in possession;

on abatement or death;

on alienation;

have discontinued such possession or receipt, then such right shall be deemed to have first accrued at the time of such disposition or discontinuance of possession, or at the last time at which any such profits or rent were or was so received; and when the person claiming such land or rent shall claim the estate or interest of some deceased person who shall have continued in such possession or receipt in respect of the same estate or interest until the time of his death, and shall have been the last person entitled to such estate or interest who shall have been in such possession or receipt, then such right shall be deemed to have first accrued at the time of such death; and when the person claiming such land or rent shall claim in respect of an estate or interest in possession granted, appointed, or other

ACTIONS AND
SUITS.

wise assured by any instrument (other than a will) to him, or some LIMITATION OF person through whom he claims, by a person being in respect of the same estate or interest in the possession or receipt of the profits of 3 & 4W. 4, c. 27. the land, or in the receipt of the rent, and no person entitled under such instrument shall have been in such possession or receipt, then such right shall be deemed to have first accrued at the time at which the person claiming as aforesaid, or the person through whom he claims, became entitled to such possession or receipt by virtue of

such instrument; and when the estate or interest claimed shall have in case of future been an estate or interest in reversion or remainder, or other future estates; estate or interest, and no person shall have obtained the possession

or receipt of the profits of such land or the receipt of such rent in respect of such estate or interest, then such right shall be deemed to have first accrued at the time at which such estate or interest became

feiture or breach of condition.

an estate or interest in possession; and when the person claiming in case of forsuch land or rent, or the person through whom he claims, shall have become entitled by reason of any forfeiture or breach of condition, then such right shall be deemed to have first accrued when such forfeiture was incurred or such condition was broken.

IV. Provided always, that when any right to make an entry or distress or to bring an action to recover any land or rent by reason of any forfeiture or breach of condition shall have first accrued in respect of any estate or interest in reversion or remainder, and the land or rent shall not have been recovered by virtue of such right, the right to make an entry or distress or bring an action to recover such land or rent shall be deemed to have first accrued in respect of such estate or interest at the time when the same shall have become an estate or interest in possession, as if no such forfeiture or breach of condition had happened.

Where advantage of forfeit

ure is not taken by remainderman, he shall

have a new

right when his estate comes into possession.

have a new right.

V. Provided also, that a right to make an entry or distress or to Reversioner to bring an action to recover any land or rent shall be deemed to have first accrued, in respect of an estate or interest in reversion, at the time at which the same shall have become an estate or interest in possession by the determination of any estate or estates in respect of which such land shall have been held, or the profits thereof or such rent shall have been received, notwithstanding the person claiming such land, or some person through whom he claims, shall, at any time previously to the creation of the estate or estates which shall have determined, have been in possession or receipt of the profits of such land, or in receipt of such rent.

VI. And be it further enacted, that for the purposes of this act An administra

VOL. I.

S

tor to claim as

ACTIONS AND

SUITS.

LIMITATION OF an administrator claiming the estate or interest of the deceased person of whose chattels he shall be appointed administrator shall be deemed to claim as if there had been no interval of time between the death of such deceased person and the grant of the letters of administration.

3 & 4W. 4, c. 27.

if he obtained

the estate with-
out interval
after death of
deceased.

In the case of a
tenant at will,
the right shall

be deemed to have accrued at the end of one year.

No person after a tenancy from

year to year, to have any right but from the end of the first year

or last payment of rent.

Where rent amounting to 20s., reserved by a lease in writing, shall have been wrongfully received, no right

to accrue on the determination of the lease.

VII. And be it further enacted, that when any person shall be in possession or in receipt of the profits of any land, or in receipt of any rent, as tenant at will, the right of the person entitled, subject thereto, or of the person through whom he claims, to make an entry or distress or bring an action to recover such land or rent shall be deemed to have first accrued either at the determination of such tenancy, or at the expiration of one year next after the commencement of such tenancy, at which time such tenancy shall be deemed to have determined: provided always, that no mortgagor or cestuique trust shall be deemed to be a tenant at will, within the meaning of this clause, to his mortgagee or trustee.

VIII. And be it further enacted, that when any person shall be in possession or in receipt of the profits of any land, or in receipt of any rent, as tenant from year to year or other period, without any lease in writing, the right of the person entitled subject thereto, or of the person through whom he claims, to make an entry or distress

or to bring an action to recover such land or rent, shall be deemed to have first accrued at the determination of the first of such years or other periods, or at the last time when any rent payable in respect of such tenancy shall have been received (which shall last happen).

IX. And be it further enacted, that when any person shall be in possession or in receipt of the profits of any land, or in receipt of any rent, by virtue of a lease in writing, by which a rent amounting to the yearly sum of twenty shillings or upwards shall be reserved, and the rent reserved by such lease shall have been received by some person wrongfully claiming to be entitled to such land or rent in reversion immediately expectant on the determination of such lease, and no payment in respect of the rent reserved by such lease shall afterwards have been made to the person rightfully entitled thereto, the right of the person entitled to such land or rent, subject to such lease, or of the person through whom he claims, to make an entry or distress or to bring an action after the determination of such lease, shall be deemed to have first accrued at the time at which the rent reserved by such lease was first so received by the person wrongfully claiming as aforesaid; and no such right shall be deemed to have first accrued upon the determination of such lease to the person rightfully entitled.

ACTIONS AND

X. And be it further enacted, that no person shall be deemed to LIMITATION OP have been in possession of any land within the meaning of this act merely by reason of having made an entry thereon.

XI. And be it further enacted, that no continual or other claim upon or near any land shall preserve any right of making an entry or distress or of bringing an action.

XII. And be it further enacted, that when any one or more of several persons entitled to any land or rent as coparceners, joint tenants, or tenants in common, shall have been in possession or receipt of the entirety, or more than his or their undivided share or shares of such land or of the profits thereof, or of such rent, for his or their own benefit, or for the benefit of any person or persons other than the person or persons entitled to the other share or shares of the same land or rent, such possession or receipt shall not be deemed to have been the possession or receipt of or by such last-mentioned person or persons or any of them.

XIII. And be it further enacted, that when a younger brother or other relation of the person entitled as heir to the possession or receipt of the profits of any land, or to the receipt of any rent, shall enter into the possession or receipt thereof, such possession or receipt shall not be deemed to be the possession or receipt of or by the person entitled as heir.

XIV. Provided always, and be it further enacted, that when any acknowledgment of the title of the person entitled to any land or rent shall have been given to him or his agent in writing signed by the person in possession or in receipt of the profits of such land, or in receipt of such rent, then such possession or receipt of or by the person by whom such acknowledgment shall have been given shall be deemed, according to the meaning of this act, to have been the possession or receipt of or by the person to whom or to whose agent such acknowledgment shall have been given at the time of giving the same, and the right of such last-mentioned person, or any person claiming through him, to make an entry or distress or bring an action to recover such land or rent shall be deemed to have first accrued at and not before the time at which such acknowledgment, or the last of such acknowledgments if more than one, was given.

SUITS. 3 & 4 W.4, c.27.

A mere entry not to be deemed possession. No right to be preserved by

continual claim. Possession of

one coparcener,

&c. not to be the possession of the others.

Possession of a not to be the possession of the

younger brother

heir.

Acknowledgment in writing given to the person entitled, or his agent, to be

equivalent to

possession or receipt of rent.

sion is not adverse at the time

XV. Provided also, and be it further enacted, that when no such Where possesacknowledgment as aforesaid shall have been given before the passing of this act, and the possession or receipt of the profits of the land, or the receipt of the rent, shall not at the time of the passing

of passing the shall not be act, the right

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