es·cheat

(ĭs-chēt′)

1. Reversion of land held under feudal tenure to the manor in the absence of legal heirs or claimants.

2. Law

a. Reversion of property to the state in the absence of legal heirs or claimants.

b. Property that has reverted to the state when no legal heirs or claimants exist.

intr. & tr.v. es·cheat·ed, es·cheat·ing, es·cheats Law

To revert or cause to revert by escheat.

[Middle English eschete, from Old French (from escheoir, to fall out) and from Anglo-Latin escheta, both from Vulgar Latin *excadēre, to fall out : Latin ex-, ex- + Latin cadere, to fall; see kad- in Indo-European roots.]

es·cheat′a·ble adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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References in periodicals archive

* The transfer of unexercised gift certificates, gift cards, and merchandise credits potentially allows the transferor to avoid having these items become escheatable, provided that they are transferred prior to the expiration of the dormancy period.

An overview of unclaimed property: planning opportunities and strategies to minimize risk

If the potential owner agrees that no liability is owed and confirms this in writing, the property is not escheatable. Holders should send due-diligence letters to owners that cannot be otherwise contacted or that do not provide written confirmations.

States increase enforcement of unclaimed property laws

During all this time, the real estates of these persons remained vested in them: and when by the law of the 11th of December, 1778, the legislature thought proper to act upon this part of their property, it was declared to be forfeited for their offences, not escheatable on the ground of alienage.

Citizenship and the law of time in the United States

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