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Story
November 14, 1891
The Breckenridge News
Hardinsburg, Cloverport, Breckinridge County, Kentucky
What is this article about?
Article discusses how Singhalese inheritance laws lead to excessive litigation over tiny property shares, with examples from Emerson Tenant and Rev. R. Spence Hardy illustrating complex claims and resulting quarrels and crime.
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Full Text
A Complicated Lawsuit.
If the besetting sin of the Singhalese is their inordinate love of litigation, this certainly is fostered by their very troublesome law of inheritance, which results in such minute subdivisions of property that the one hundred and ninety-ninth share of a field, or the fiftieth of a small garden (containing, perhaps, a dozen palms and a few plantains), become a fruitful source of legal contention, of quarrels and of crime. Emerson Tenant mentions a case in which the claim was for the two thousand five hundred and twentieth share in the produce of ten cocoa palms.
To illustrate this sort of litigation the Rev. R. Spence Hardy quoted an intricate claim on disputed property, in which the case of the plaintiff was as follows:
"By inheritance through my father I am entitled to one-fourth of one-third of one-eighth. Through my mother I am further entitled to one-fourth of one-third of one-eighth. By purchase from one set of co-heirs I am entitled to one ninety-ninth; from another set also one ninety-ninth, and from a third one ninety-ninth more. Finally, from a fourth set of co-heirs I have purchased one one hundred and forty-fourth of the whole."
There is a nice question to solve ere a landowner can begin to till his field or reap its produce!—National Review.
If the besetting sin of the Singhalese is their inordinate love of litigation, this certainly is fostered by their very troublesome law of inheritance, which results in such minute subdivisions of property that the one hundred and ninety-ninth share of a field, or the fiftieth of a small garden (containing, perhaps, a dozen palms and a few plantains), become a fruitful source of legal contention, of quarrels and of crime. Emerson Tenant mentions a case in which the claim was for the two thousand five hundred and twentieth share in the produce of ten cocoa palms.
To illustrate this sort of litigation the Rev. R. Spence Hardy quoted an intricate claim on disputed property, in which the case of the plaintiff was as follows:
"By inheritance through my father I am entitled to one-fourth of one-third of one-eighth. Through my mother I am further entitled to one-fourth of one-third of one-eighth. By purchase from one set of co-heirs I am entitled to one ninety-ninth; from another set also one ninety-ninth, and from a third one ninety-ninth more. Finally, from a fourth set of co-heirs I have purchased one one hundred and forty-fourth of the whole."
There is a nice question to solve ere a landowner can begin to till his field or reap its produce!—National Review.
What sub-type of article is it?
Curiosity
Family Drama
Crime Story
What themes does it cover?
Family
Misfortune
Social Manners
What keywords are associated?
Singhalese Litigation
Inheritance Law
Property Subdivision
Legal Contention
Inheritance Claims
What entities or persons were involved?
Emerson Tenant
Rev. R. Spence Hardy
Where did it happen?
Singhalese
Story Details
Key Persons
Emerson Tenant
Rev. R. Spence Hardy
Location
Singhalese
Story Details
The Singhalese love of litigation stems from their inheritance law causing minute property subdivisions, leading to quarrels and crime. Examples include claims for tiny shares like the 2520th of ten cocoa palms' produce and an intricate plaintiff claim combining inheritance and purchases for various fractions of property.