Legal Definitions - res caduca

Res Caduca

In civil law, res caduca refers to a fallen thing or an escheat.

Escheat is the transfer of property to the state when the owner dies without leaving a will or any legal heirs.

Res caduca is the legal term used to describe property that has no owner and has fallen into the possession of the state.

Plural form: res caducae.

Example 1: When a person dies without leaving a will or any legal heirs, their property becomes res caduca and is transferred to the state.

Example 2: In some cases, abandoned property can also be considered res caduca and can be claimed by the state.

These examples illustrate how res caduca refers to property that has no owner and has fallen into the possession of the state.