Legal Definitions - cesser

Cesser refers to two different things:

1. In the past, a cesser was a tenant who didn't pay rent or do what they were supposed to do. This gave the landowner the right to take back the land. It was also called a cessor or cessure.
2. A cesser is also when a right or interest ends. For example, if someone has a long-term lease on a property, there might be a proviso of cesser that says the lease will end if a certain event happens.

Examples:

• Example 1: In the 1800s, if a farmer didn't pay their rent, they could become a cesser and lose their land.
• Example 2: When John's parents died, he inherited their house. But there was a proviso of cesser that said if he didn't live in the house for at least six months out of the year, the house would go to his sister instead.

Example 1 shows how a cesser was a tenant who didn't do what they were supposed to do. Example 2 shows how a proviso of cesser can be used to make sure a property is used in a certain way.