Legal Definitions - distrein

Definition: Distrein is a verb that means the same as DISTRAIN. It is the act of forcing a person, usually a tenant, to perform an obligation, such as paying overdue rent, by seizing and detaining their personal property. It can also refer to the seizure of goods by distress, which is a legal remedy that allows the rightful owner to recover property wrongfully taken.

Examples:

• When the tenant failed to pay rent for three months, the landlord had to distrein their personal property to recover the overdue rent.
• The farmer had to distrain his neighbor's cattle that had trespassed on his land and caused damage to his crops.

These examples illustrate how distrein is used to force someone to fulfill their obligation or to recover property that was wrongfully taken. In the first example, the landlord had to use distrein to recover the rent that was owed to them. In the second example, the farmer had to use distrein to recover damages caused by his neighbor's cattle.