Legal Definitions - contra formam feoffmenti

Definition: Contra formam feoffmenti is a Latin term that means "contrary to the form of the feoffment." It refers to a writ that was used in the past to command a landowner to stop demanding more services from a tenant than those included in the tenant's deed to the land.

Example: Before the statute of quia emptores terrarum was made, a man infeoffed another by deed to do certain service. If the feoffor or his heirs distrain him to do other service than is comprised in the deed, then the tenant shall have this writ, commanding him not to distrain him to do other service than is comprised in the deed.

This means that if a landowner tries to demand more services from a tenant than what was agreed upon in the deed, the tenant can use the writ of contra formam feoffmenti to stop the landowner from doing so.