Legal Definitions - common

Common refers to a legal right to use someone else's property for a specific purpose. This can include:

• Common appendant: A tenant's right to graze animals on the landowner's land due to long-standing practice.
• Common appurtenant: A landowner's right to graze animals on another's land due to a written grant relating to the ownership or occupancy of land.
• Common in gross: A right to graze animals on another's land due to a written grant unrelated to ownership or occupancy of land.
• Common in the soil: The right to dig and take away earth from another's land.
• Common of estovers: A tenant's right to take necessary supplies, especially wood, from the lord's estate.
• Common of fishery: A right to fish in waters on another's land.
• Common of pasture: A right to pasture one's cattle on another's land.
• Common of piscary: A right to fish in waters on another's land.
• Common of shack: The right of people occupying land in a common field to release their cattle to graze after harvest.
• Common of turbary: The right to dig turf (for use as fuel in a house) from another's land.
• Common without stint: A right to graze an unlimited number of cattle.

Additionally, common can refer to a tract of land set aside for the general public's use.

An example of common appendant would be a farmer who has the right to graze their animals on a neighboring landowner's property because it has been a long-standing practice.

An example of common of estovers would be a tenant who has the right to take wood from the lord's estate to use as fuel for their home.

An example of common of pasture would be a rancher who has the right to graze their cattle on a neighboring landowner's property.

An example of a tract of land set aside for the general public's use would be a park or nature reserve.

These examples illustrate how common refers to a legal right to use someone else's property for a specific purpose, whether it be grazing animals, taking necessary supplies, or using a tract of land for public use.