Legal Definitions - forestaller

Definition: A forestaller is a person who engages in the act of forestalling, which can refer to several actions:

1. Preventing an event or result from happening
2. Intercepting or obstructing a person on a royal highway (historical usage)
3. Preventing a tenant from entering a property (historical usage)
4. Intercepting a deer reentering a forest (historical usage)
5. Buying goods for the purpose of reselling them at a higher price (historical usage)

Historically, forestalling was considered an indictable offense, particularly in the case of buying goods for the purpose of reselling them at a higher price. This was seen as a restraint of trade, as it resulted in higher prices for goods in many parts of the country.

For example, a forestaller might bid against a traditional buyer in a smaller town, obtain grain, and then resell it in a larger town where it could command a higher price. This practice did not harm allocative efficiency, as it effectively reallocated scarce goods to their most highly valued uses. However, it was still considered objectionable and prohibited.