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title="Adverse possession">Adverse possession</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Deed" title="Deed">Deed</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Right_of_conquest" title="Right of conquest">Conquest</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Discovery_doctrine" title="Discovery doctrine">Discovery</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Accession_(property_law)" title="Accession (property law)">Accession</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lost,_mislaid,_and_abandoned_property" title="Lost, mislaid, and abandoned property">Lost, mislaid, and abandoned property</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Treasure_trove" title="Treasure trove">Treasure trove</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bailment" title="Bailment">Bailment</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/License" title="License">License</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Alienation_(property_law)" title="Alienation (property law)">Alienation</a></li></ul></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <a href="/wiki/Estate_in_land" title="Estate in land">Estates in land</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Allodial_title" title="Allodial title">Allodial title</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fee_simple" title="Fee simple">Fee simple</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fee_tail" title="Fee tail">Fee tail</a></li> <li><br /><a href="/wiki/Life_estate" title="Life estate">Life estate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Defeasible_estate" title="Defeasible estate">Defeasible estate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Future_interest" title="Future interest">Future interest</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Remainder_(law)" title="Remainder (law)">remainder</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Concurrent_estate" title="Concurrent estate">Concurrent estate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Leasehold_estate" title="Leasehold estate">Leasehold estate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Condominium_(living_space)" class="mw-redirect" title="Condominium (living space)">Condominiums</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Real_estate" title="Real estate">Real estate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Land_tenure" title="Land tenure">Land tenure</a></li></ul></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <a href="/wiki/Conveyancing" title="Conveyancing">Conveyancing</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bona_fide_purchaser" title="Bona fide purchaser"><i>Bona fide</i> purchaser</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Torrens_title" title="Torrens title">Torrens title</a></li> <li><br /><a href="/wiki/Strata_title" title="Strata title">Strata title</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Deeds_registration" title="Deeds registration">Deeds registration</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Estoppel_by_deed" title="Estoppel by deed">Estoppel by deed</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Quitclaim" title="Quitclaim">Quitclaim deed</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mortgage_law" title="Mortgage law">Mortgage</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Equitable_conversion" title="Equitable conversion">Equitable conversion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Quiet_title" title="Quiet title">Action to quiet title</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Escheat" title="Escheat">Escheat</a></li></ul></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <a href="/wiki/Future_interest" title="Future interest">Future use</a> control</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Restraint_on_alienation" title="Restraint on alienation">Restraint on alienation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rule_against_perpetuities" title="Rule against perpetuities">Rule against perpetuities</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Rule in <i>Shelley's Case</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Doctrine_of_worthier_title" title="Doctrine of worthier title">Doctrine of worthier title</a></li></ul></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <a href="/wiki/Nonpossessory_interest_in_land" title="Nonpossessory interest in land">Nonpossessory interest</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Lien" title="Lien">Lien</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Easement" title="Easement">Easement</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Profit_(real_property)" title="Profit (real property)">Profit</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Usufruct" title="Usufruct">Usufruct</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Covenant_(law)" title="Covenant (law)">Covenant</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Equitable_servitude" title="Equitable servitude">Equitable servitude</a></li></ul></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> Related topics</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Fixture_(property_law)" title="Fixture (property law)">Fixtures</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Waste_(law)" title="Waste (law)">Waste</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Partition_(law)" title="Partition (law)">Partition</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Practicing_without_a_license" title="Practicing without a license">Practicing without a license</a></li> <li><br /><a href="/wiki/Property_rights_(economics)" title="Property rights (economics)">Property rights</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mineral_rights" title="Mineral rights">Mineral rights</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Water_right" title="Water right">Water rights</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Prior-appropriation_water_rights" title="Prior-appropriation water rights">prior appropriation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Riparian_water_rights" title="Riparian water rights">riparian</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lateral_and_subjacent_support" title="Lateral and subjacent support">Lateral and subjacent support</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Assignment_(law)" title="Assignment (law)">Assignment</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Nemo_dat_quod_non_habet" title="Nemo dat quod non habet">Nemo dat</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Quicquid_plantatur_solo,_solo_cedit" title="Quicquid plantatur solo, solo cedit">Quicquid plantatur</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Conflict_of_property_laws" class="mw-redirect" title="Conflict of property laws">Conflict of property laws</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Blackacre" title="Blackacre">Blackacre</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Security_deposit" title="Security deposit">Security deposit</a></li></ul></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> Other <a href="/wiki/Common_law" title="Common law">common law</a> areas</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Contract" title="Contract">Contract law</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tort" title="Tort">Tort law</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Will_(law)" class="mw-redirect" title="Will (law)">Wills</a>, <a href="/wiki/Trust_law" class="mw-redirect" title="Trust law">trusts</a> and <a href="/wiki/Administration_(probate_law)" title="Administration (probate law)">estates</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Criminal_law" title="Criminal law">Criminal law</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Evidence_(law)" title="Evidence (law)">Evidence</a></li></ul> <hr /> <i>Higher category:</i> <a href="/wiki/Law" title="Law">Law</a> and <a href="/wiki/Common_law" title="Common law">Common law</a></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-navbar"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Property_law" title="Template:Property law"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Property_law" title="Template talk:Property law"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Property_law" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Property law"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>The <b>Rule in <i>Shelley's Case</i></b> is a rule of law that may apply to certain <a href="/wiki/Future_interests" class="mw-redirect" title="Future interests">future interests</a> in <a href="/wiki/Real_property" title="Real property">real property</a> and <a href="/wiki/Trusts" class="mw-redirect" title="Trusts">trusts</a> created in <a href="/wiki/Common_law" title="Common law">common law</a> jurisdictions.<sup id="cite_ref-Moynihan_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Moynihan-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup class="reference nowrap"><span title="Page / location: 181">: 181 </span></sup> It was applied as early as 1366 in <i>The Provost of Beverly's Case</i><sup id="cite_ref-Moynihan_1-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Moynihan-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup class="reference nowrap"><span title="Page / location: 182">: 182 </span></sup><sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> but in its present form is derived from <i>Shelley's Case</i> (1581),<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> in which counsel stated the rule as follows: </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1244412712">.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 32px}.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;margin-top:0}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{padding-left:1.6em}}</style><blockquote class="templatequote"><p>when the ancestor by any gift or conveyance takes an <a href="/wiki/Estate_in_land" title="Estate in land">estate</a> of <a href="/wiki/Fee_simple" title="Fee simple">freehold</a>, and in the same gift or conveyance an estate is limited either mediately or immediately to his heirs in <a href="/wiki/Fee_simple" title="Fee simple">fee simple</a> or in <a href="/wiki/Fee_tail" title="Fee tail">fee tail</a>; that always in such cases, "the heirs" are words of limitation of the estate, not <a href="/wiki/Words_of_purchase" title="Words of purchase">words of purchase</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-Moynihan_1-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Moynihan-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup class="reference nowrap"><span title="Page / location: 181">: 181 </span></sup></p></blockquote> <p>The rule was reported by <a href="/wiki/Edward_Coke" title="Edward Coke">Lord Coke</a> in <a href="/wiki/England" title="England">England</a> in the 17th century as <a href="/wiki/Precedent" title="Precedent">well-settled law</a>. In <a href="/wiki/England" title="England">England</a>, it was abolished by the <a href="/wiki/Law_of_Property_Act_1925" title="Law of Property Act 1925">Law of Property Act 1925</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> During the twentieth century, it was abolished in most <a href="/wiki/Common_law" title="Common law">common law</a> jurisdictions, including the majority of the <a href="/wiki/States_of_the_United_States" class="mw-redirect" title="States of the United States">states of the United States</a>. However, in states where the abrogation has been interpreted to apply only to conveyances made after abrogation, the relevance of the rule today varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and in many states remains unclear.<sup id="cite_ref-Moynihan_1-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Moynihan-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup class="reference nowrap"><span title="Page / location: 190–1">: 190–1 </span></sup> </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="History">History</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rule_in_Shelley%27s_Case&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: History"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The 1366 application of the rule in common law closely followed <a href="/wiki/Occam%27s_razor" title="Occam's razor">Occam's razor</a>, William of Ockham's articulation of the problem-solving principle that "entities should not be multiplied without necessity." The eponymous <a href="/wiki/Lawsuit" title="Lawsuit">litigation</a> was brought about because of a settlement made by <a href="/wiki/Sir_William_Shelley" title="Sir William Shelley">Sir William Shelley</a> (1480–1549), an English judge, on an estate he purchased when <a href="/wiki/Sion_Monastery" class="mw-redirect" title="Sion Monastery">Sion Monastery</a> was dissolved. The decision was rendered by <a href="/wiki/Lord_Chancellor" title="Lord Chancellor">Lord Chancellor</a> <a href="/wiki/Sir_Thomas_Bromley" class="mw-redirect" title="Sir Thomas Bromley">Sir Thomas Bromley</a>, who presided over an assembly of all the judges<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>a<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> on the <a href="/wiki/Court_of_King%27s_Bench_(England)" title="Court of King's Bench (England)">King's Bench</a> to hear the case during <a href="/wiki/Easter_term" title="Easter term">Easter term</a> 1580–81. The rule existed in <a href="/wiki/English_common_law" class="mw-redirect" title="English common law">English common law</a> long before this case was brought to the court, but <i>Shelley's Case</i> gave the law its most famous application. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Summary_of_rule">Summary of rule</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rule_in_Shelley%27s_Case&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Summary of rule"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The Rule in <i>Shelley’s Case</i> provides that a conveyance which attempts to give a person a life estate, with a remainder to that person's heirs, will instead give both the life estate <em>and</em> the remainder to that person. Absent an intervening vested future interest, the life estate and the remainder will merge and the conveyance gives that person the land in fee simple absolute (full ownership without restriction). </p><p>Suppose Joe has a rich relative who considers Joe careless and imprudent, but who wishes to ensure that Joe's children are provided for. The relative might try to deed a house "to Joe for life, and then to Joe's heirs", thus ensuring that Joe and his family could live in the house, but Joe could not sell it to pay gambling debts. The "remaindermen" in this case are Joe's heirs. The Rule in <i>Shelley's Case</i> states that, this language notwithstanding, Joe is the absolute owner of the property. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Issue">Issue</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rule_in_Shelley%27s_Case&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Issue"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>When an owner of land in fee simple died, the lord of the fee was entitled to "incidents of tenure" deriving from the descent to the heir (analogous to the modern day <a href="/wiki/Estate_tax" class="mw-redirect" title="Estate tax">estate tax</a>).<sup id="cite_ref-Moynihan_1-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Moynihan-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup class="reference nowrap"><span title="Page / location: 182">: 182 </span></sup> Large landowners who desired the <a href="/wiki/Life_tenant" class="mw-redirect" title="Life tenant">life tenant</a> (who was perhaps the landowner himself, conveying through a straw party) to avoid the estate tax attempted to create a <a href="/wiki/Future_interest" title="Future interest">future interest</a> in the form of a <a href="/wiki/Remainder_(law)" title="Remainder (law)">remainder</a> in the heirs of that life tenant. It was the intention of the landowner or testator to allow the heirs of the life tenant, once ascertained at the natural expiration of his life estate, to take as purchasers by way of the original executed conveyance, and not by descent, avoiding the tax. </p><p>Thus, in a basic conveyance absent the rule (e.g., "O grants <a href="/wiki/Blackacre" title="Blackacre">Blackacre</a> to B for life, then to B's heirs") there was a life estate in B, and a contingent remainder in B's heirs. The rule converted the contingent remainder in B's heirs into a <a href="/wiki/Vested_remainder" class="mw-redirect" title="Vested remainder">vested remainder</a> in B. </p><p>The rule's effect ended there. After that, the <a href="/wiki/Merger_doctrine_(property_law)" title="Merger doctrine (property law)">doctrine of merger</a> operated on the two successive freehold estates placed in the same purchaser (B's life estate and B's remainder in fee simple) and converted them into a single fee simple absolute in B. </p><p>B's heirs, necessarily ascertained only at B's death,<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>b<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> could only take B's fee simple by descent and had to pay the tax. </p><p>Thus, a conveyance to B for life, then to B's children, where B has living children C, D, and E, does not violate the rule because the class members are ascertained, and new ascertained members may join the class so long as B, the class member producer, lives (plus nine months if he is male). </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Generalized_rule">Generalized rule</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rule_in_Shelley%27s_Case&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Generalized rule"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Simply stated, the rule deals with remainders in the transfer of <a href="/wiki/Real_property" title="Real property">real property</a> by deed. A <a href="/wiki/Remainder_(law)" title="Remainder (law)">remainder</a> is a right "carved out" of the <i><a href="/wiki/Fee_simple" title="Fee simple">fee simple</a></i> which has some <a href="/wiki/Future_interest" title="Future interest">future interest</a> so that, at some later date, the holder of the remainder (the future interest) would have ownership rights in the property and those future rights would have to be preserved. The rights could not be sold. It has been explained as an attempt to prevent the sale of property once transferred by putting such limiting words in the deed of transfer. </p><p>It is a classic example of <a href="/wiki/Common_law" title="Common law">common law</a> legal reasoning and the logic involved in the interpretation of legal text which is why it continues to be an important teaching tool in the study of the common law. However, while it is an important interpretation tool, it should not be confused with a rule of construction (such as the <a href="/wiki/Doctrine_of_worthier_title" title="Doctrine of worthier title">doctrine of worthier title</a>) as it is a rule of law. The distinction is that a rule of law cannot be overcome by proof of the grantor's intent, while a rule of construction can be. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Analysis">Analysis</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rule_in_Shelley%27s_Case&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Analysis"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Some scholars, such as <a href="/wiki/John_V._Orth" title="John V. Orth">John V. Orth</a>, believe that this explanation (to promote the right to transfer the land) of the origin of the rule is inaccurate. In their view, the rule originated as the courts' response to an estate-planning technique in the 14th century, long before the litigation in <i>Shelley's Case</i>. A tax known as the "relief" had to be paid to the feudal lord (the Crown) when a tenant's heir inherited the land. To avoid this estate tax, if the grant to the land were framed in term of a life estate in the grantee followed by a remainder in the grantee's heirs, then upon the grantee's death his heirs would not inherit the land, but received it as a vested remainder. As a consequence, the heir would take the land without having to pay the relief. The courts could not abide such a transparent attempt to circumvent the tax system, and the rule was invented to deal with this problem by converting these transfers into fees simple absolute so as to allow the relief to be collected upon the grantee's death. Later, when the relief was abolished, the rule continued to survive in the common law due to inertia ("it is the genius of the common law to add, but not to subtract"<sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="margin-left:0.1em; white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Attribution_needed" title="Wikipedia:Attribution needed"><span title="This sentence may contain perspectives and opinions without stating whose they are. (July 2020)">attribution needed</span></a></i>]</sup>), the "promote the right to transfer the land" explanation was concocted to explain the continued existence of the rule. It is not at all uncommon for rules of common law, once their original motivation falls away, to acquire a new justification, and in the process also, sometimes, a new meaning. Many examples of such processes are given in Oliver Wendell Holmes's <i><a href="/wiki/The_Common_Law_(Holmes)" class="mw-redirect" title="The Common Law (Holmes)">The Common Law</a></i>.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>As stated by Lord <a href="/wiki/Edward_Coke" title="Edward Coke">Edward Coke</a> in his argument for the defendant in the case: </p> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1244412712"><blockquote class="templatequote"><p>It is a rule of law, when the ancestor by any gift or conveyance takes an estate in freehold, and in the same gift or conveyance an estate is limited mediately or immediately to his heirs in fee or in tail; that always in such cases <i>the heirs</i> are words of limitation of the [ancestor's] estate and not words of purchase.</p></blockquote> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rule_in_Shelley%27s_Case&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Rule_against_perpetuities" title="Rule against perpetuities">Rule against perpetuities</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Notes">Notes</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rule_in_Shelley%27s_Case&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Notes"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist reflist-lower-alpha"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">In modern terminology, this is an <i><a href="/wiki/En_banc" title="En banc">en banc</a></i> decision.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Living people have no heirs. B's children and B's heirs are not the same set of individuals. If B has children, they will become B's heirs only if they survive B, which is not guaranteed. It is important not to confuse "heirs presumptive" (which children probably are, under most <a href="/wiki/Intestacy" title="Intestacy">intestacy</a> statutes) and "heirs" (which children might become provided they survive the ancestor whose property to which they are entitled, absent contrary intent expressed in a will).</span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rule_in_Shelley%27s_Case&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239543626"><div class="reflist reflist-columns references-column-width reflist-columns-2"> <ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-Moynihan-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Moynihan_1-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Moynihan_1-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Moynihan_1-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Moynihan_1-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Moynihan_1-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Moynihan, Cornelius (2002), <i>Introduction to the Law of Real Property</i> (3rd ed.), St Paul: West Group.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Y. B. 40 Ed. 3, f9, 18</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">1 Co.Rep. 93b (1581)</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Law of Property Act 1925 (15 & 16 Geo. 5 c.20), s. 131</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFOrth2003" class="citation journal cs1"><a href="/wiki/John_V._Orth" title="John V. Orth">Orth, John V.</a> (Autumn 2003). "The Mystery of the Rule in <i>Shelley's Case</i>". <i><a href="/wiki/The_Green_Bag_(1997)" title="The Green Bag (1997)">The Green Bag</a></i>. 2d. <b>7</b>: 45. 7 Green Bag 2d 45.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+Green+Bag&rft.atitle=The+Mystery+of+the+Rule+in+Shelley%27s+Case&rft.ssn=fall&rft.volume=7&rft.pages=45&rft.date=2003&rft.aulast=Orth&rft.aufirst=John+V.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ARule+in+Shelley%27s+Case" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Further_reading">Further reading</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rule_in_Shelley%27s_Case&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Further reading"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1235681985">.mw-parser-output .side-box{margin:4px 0;box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #aaa;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em;background-color:var(--background-color-interactive-subtle,#f8f9fa);display:flow-root}.mw-parser-output .side-box-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{padding:0.25em 0.9em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-image{padding:2px 0 2px 0.9em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-imageright{padding:2px 0.9em 2px 0;text-align:center}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .side-box-flex{display:flex;align-items:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{flex:1;min-width:0}}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .side-box{width:238px}.mw-parser-output .side-box-right{clear:right;float:right;margin-left:1em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-left{margin-right:1em}}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1237033735">@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox{display:none!important}}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox img[src*="Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg"]{background-color:white}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox img[src*="Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg"]{background-color:white}}</style><div class="side-box side-box-right plainlinks sistersitebox"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1126788409">.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul{line-height:inherit;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol li,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul li{margin-bottom:0}</style> <div class="side-box-flex"> <div class="side-box-image"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Wikisource-logo.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/38px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="38" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/57px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/76px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="410" data-file-height="430" /></a></span></div> <div class="side-box-text plainlist"><a href="/wiki/Wikisource" title="Wikisource">Wikisource</a> has the text of the <a href="/wiki/Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica_Eleventh_Edition" title="Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition">1911 <i>Encyclopædia Britannica</i></a> article "<span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Shelley%27s_Case,_Rule_in" class="extiw" title="wikisource:1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Shelley's Case, Rule in">Shelley's Case, Rule in</a></span>".</div></div> </div> <ul><li>Lawrence W. Waggoner, <i>Estates in land and future interests in a nutshell</i> 2nd ed. (West Publishing: St. Paul, 1993), ch. 11</li> <li>David A. 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