Legal Definitions - primer fine

Definition: Primer fine (prim-uhr or prI-muhr fIn) is a fee that was payable to the Crown in the past when someone sued out a writ of praecipe to begin a conveyance by fine. It is a Latin term that means "first fine".

Example: In medieval England, when a person wanted to transfer ownership of land to another person, they had to go through a legal process called a "fine". This involved paying a fee to the Crown, as well as other fees to lawyers and court officials. The fee paid to the Crown was called the primer fine.

Explanation: The example illustrates how primer fine was used in medieval England. When someone wanted to transfer ownership of land, they had to pay a fee to the Crown, which was called the primer fine. This fee was payable when someone sued out a writ of praecipe to begin a conveyance by fine. The term "primer fine" comes from the fact that it was the first fee paid in the process of transferring ownership of land.