Common Assurances - Definition - Law Dictionary Home Dictionary Definition common-assurances

Definition :

Common assurances, the legal evidences of the tran-slation of property, whereby every person's estate is assured to him. These common assurances are of four kinds:-(1) By matter in pais, or deed, which is an assurance transacted between two or more private persons, in pais, iin the country; that is (according to the old Common Law) upon the very spot to be transferred. (2) By matter of record, or an assurance transacted only in the sovereign's public courts of record, or under the authority of a public board or commission empowered by Act of Parliament to record its proceedings. (3) By special custom obtaining in some particular places and relating only to some particular species of property: which three are such as take effect during the life of the party conveying or assuring. (4) The fourth takes no effect till after his death, and that is by devise, contained in his last will and testament, 2 Bl. Com. 294.