The Statute of Uses (1536) is a statute passed by Henry VIII which converted all English equitable estates that were created through "use" into legal estates. Thus, a grant of property to A under common law with the equitable title going to B would result in A losing title and B possessing the full title to the land.

The purpose of the rule was to eliminate loopholes in property law that allowed possessors of land to avoid paying taxes on their property by holding it in equity.

Section 1 – Where any person or persons stand to be seized, or at any time hereafter shall happen to be seized, of any…lands, tenements, rents, services, reversions, remainders, or other hereditaments, to the use, confidence, or trust of any other person or persons, or any body politique, by reason of any contract, agreement, will or otherwise...in every such case, all and every such person and persons, and bodies politique, that have, or hereafter shall have any such use, confidence or trust, in fee simple, fee tayle, for terme of life or years, or otherwise…or any use, confidence or trust, in remainder or reverter, shall from henceforth stand and be seized, deemed, and adjudged in lawfull seizin...[etc....of and in such like estate, as they had or shall have, in use, trust or confidence...

What are called executory interests today are interests that would have been void at law prior to the Statute of Uses.

See also

• Quia Emptores (1290)
• Statute of Wills (1540)

External link

• examples of Statute

Real property law | Acts of the Parliament of England | Legal history | 1535 in law