Legal Definitions - vacantia bona

Definition: Vacantia bona refers to property that has no owner or has been abandoned. It can also refer to property that is not disposed of by a deceased person's will and to which no relative is entitled under intestacy laws.

Examples:

• Ownerless property
• Goods that have been abandoned
• Property that belonged to a deceased person who had no heirs willing and able to make a claim

The examples illustrate that vacantia bona refers to property that has no clear owner or has been abandoned. This property can be claimed by the finder or escheated to the Crown as a penalty to the owner for failing to pursue the thief and recover the goods.