abandonment | Wex | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute

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class="container-fluid"> <div class="row"> <div title="Definitions Frame"></div> <div id="extracted-content"> <div id="main-content"> <h1 class="title" id="page-title">abandonment</h1>  <h2 class="element-invisible">Primary tabs</h2> <div id="content1"> <article about="/wex/abandonment" class="node-9498 node node-wex-cck en view-mode-full clearfix" typeof="sioc:Item foaf:Document"> <header> <span class="rdf-meta element-hidden" content="abandonment" property="dc:title"></span> </header> <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4fb4872b-7fff-14e6-e87e-c9ec05f54b98">Abandonment is a term that applies to a variety of areas of law. These areas include </span><a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/family_law">matrimonial law</a>, <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/civil_procedure">civil procedure</a>, and <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/real_property">property</a>.聽</p> <h4 dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4fb4872b-7fff-14e6-e87e-c9ec05f54b981120a34e-9083-11ef-b8c7-e9213680cfdc">Matrimonial Law聽</span></h4> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4fb4872b-7fff-14e6-e87e-c9ec05f54b981120a34f-9083-11ef-b8c7-e9213680cfdc">In matrimonial law, abandonment is a form of marital misconduct which occurs when one spouse brings the </span><a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/cohabitation">cohabitation</a> to an end (1) without justification, (2) without consent, and (3) without intention of renewing the marital relationship. There is no abandonment if the separation of parties comes from a mutual agreement.聽</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4fb4872b-7fff-14e6-e87e-c9ec05f54b981120a350-9083-11ef-b8c7-e9213680cfdc">In this context, abandonment has implications for </span><a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/estates_and_trusts">trust and estates</a>, as a <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/decedent">decedent's</a> spouse who abandoned the decedent is not entitled to an <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/intestacy">intestate</a> share of the decedent's <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/estate">estate</a>. The classic case of abandonment arises where one spouse simply leaves the marital abode without consent or justification. However, abandonment can also be established where one spouse forces another to be excluded, such as by changing the locks on the shared home. A defense to abandonment in matrimonial law is justification for the abandonment, such as misconduct by one spouse towards another that forces abandonment.聽</p> <h4 dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4fb4872b-7fff-14e6-e87e-c9ec05f54b981120a351-9083-11ef-b8c7-e9213680cfdc">Civil Procedure聽</span></h4> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4fb4872b-7fff-14e6-e87e-c9ec05f54b981120a352-9083-11ef-b8c7-e9213680cfdc">Abandonment in civil procedure refers to cases that are not actively being </span><a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/litigation">litigated</a>. This <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/doctrine">doctrine</a> is self-executing and applies when a period has passed without a step being taken without either party and is effective without a formal <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/court_order">court order</a>.聽 As such, in order to avoid a <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/dismissal">dismissal</a> on the basis on abandonment, a plaintiff must satisfy three requirements: (1) the plaintiff must take steps towards their lawsuit; (2) the steps must be taken in the proceeding and appear in the record of the suit; and (3) the steps must be taken within the <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/statute_of_limitations">statutory period</a>. The policy considerations of this doctrine aim to balance the rights of litigants to the courts and speedy and efficient resolution of litigation. Abandonment in the civil procedure context is most common in <a href="https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=112183">Louisiana</a>, which has a statutory period of three years. However, other states have measures to give courts authority to dismiss abandoned actions as well. For example, in <a href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/CVP/3404">New York</a>, the statutory period for abandoned cases is one year and shall be dismissed without needing a court order if not restored.聽聽聽</p> <h4 dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4fb4872b-7fff-14e6-e87e-c9ec05f54b981120a353-9083-11ef-b8c7-e9213680cfdc">Property</span></h4> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4fb4872b-7fff-14e6-e87e-c9ec05f54b981120a354-9083-11ef-b8c7-e9213680cfdc">In property law, abandonment refers to the voluntary and intentional discarding of a known right (see</span> <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/abandoned_property">Abandoned Property</a>). Abandonment is a defense to <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/conversion">conversion</a>; therefore, a key inquiry and <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/question_of_fact">question of fact</a> surrounding abandonment is the <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/intent">intention</a> of the original owner, which can differentiate abandonment property from that which is <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/lost_property">lost</a> or misplaced. <a href="https://law.justia.com/cases/illinois/court-of-appeals-second-appellate-district/2002/2011165.html">For example</a>, Illinois has held that abandonment of an <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/easement">easement</a> can be found where nonuse of the easement is accompanied by acts which manifest an intention to abandon, therefore destroying the purpose for which the easement was established, such as an easement for a railroad that ceases to operate on the easement.聽</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4fb4872b-7fff-14e6-e87e-c9ec05f54b981120a355-9083-11ef-b8c7-e9213680cfdc">Also, it should be noted that title to </span><a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/real_estate">real estate</a>, or a <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/fee_simple">fee simple</a>, cannot be lost by abandonment. Lastly, the finder of abandoned property generally has the right to <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/possession">possession</a>, even against the owner of the premise where the abandoned property was found.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4fb4872b-7fff-14e6-e87e-c9ec05f54b981120a356-9083-11ef-b8c7-e9213680cfdc">[Last updated in December of 2021 by the</span><a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/lii/about/lii_staff/wdt"> Wex Definitions Team</a>]</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-7 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"> <ul> <li class="field-label">wex <ul class="field-items"> <li class="field-item even"><a aria-label="category: wex: LIFE EVENTS" datatype="" href="/wex/category/life_events" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" typeof="skos:Concept">LIFE EVENTS</a></li> <li class="field-item odd"><a aria-label="category: wex: standards of tort liability" datatype="" href="/wex/category/standards_of_tort_liability" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" typeof="skos:Concept">standards of tort liability</a></li> <li class="field-item even"><a aria-label="category: wex: family & personal matters" datatype="" href="/wex/category/family_personal_matters" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" typeof="skos:Concept">family & personal matters</a></li> <li class="field-item odd"><a aria-label="category: wex: divorce" datatype="" href="/wex/category/divorce" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" typeof="skos:Concept">divorce</a></li> <li class="field-item even"><a aria-label="category: wex: marriage" datatype="" href="/wex/category/marriage" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" typeof="skos:Concept">marriage</a></li> <li class="field-item odd"><a aria-label="category: wex: PROPERTY" datatype="" href="/wex/category/property" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" typeof="skos:Concept">PROPERTY</a></li> <li class="field-item even"><a aria-label="category: wex: land use & zoning law" datatype="" href="/wex/category/land_use_zoning_law" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" typeof="skos:Concept">land use & zoning law</a></li> <li class="field-item odd"><a aria-label="category: wex: property & real estate law" datatype="" href="/wex/category/property_real_estate_law" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" typeof="skos:Concept">property & real estate law</a></li> <li class="field-item even"><a aria-label="category: wex: trademark law" datatype="" href="/wex/category/trademark_law" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" typeof="skos:Concept">trademark law</a></li> <li class="field-item odd"><a aria-label="category: wex: courts and procedure" datatype="" href="/wex/category/courts_and_procedure" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" typeof="skos:Concept">courts and procedure</a></li> <li class="field-item even"><a aria-label="category: wex: family law" datatype="" href="/wex/category/family_law" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" typeof="skos:Concept">family law</a></li> <li class="field-item odd"><a aria-label="category: wex: property law" datatype="" href="/wex/category/property_law" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" typeof="skos:Concept">property law</a></li> <li class="field-item even"><a aria-label="category: wex: wex definitions" datatype="" href="/wex/category/wex_definitions" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" typeof="skos:Concept">wex definitions</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="page-bottom" aria-hidden="true"> <div class="region region-bottom"> <div id="block-liidfp-2" class="block block-liidfp first last odd"> <div class="gfs"> <div id="div-gpt-ad-bottom" data-google-query-id="CNH77Z7C7d8CFURLAQodp9oMpg"> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function () { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-bottom'); 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