Legal Term: NOMINE POENAE,

Definition: contracts. The name of a penalty incurred by the lessee to the lessor, for the non-payment of rent at the day appointed by the lease or agreement for its payment. 2 Lill. Ab. 221. It is usually a gross sum of money, though it may be any thing else, appointed to be paid by the tenant to the reversioner, if the duties are in arrear, in addition to the duties themselves. Ham. N. P. 411, 412.

2. To entitle himself to the nomine paenae, the landlord must make a demand of the rent on the very day, as in the case of a reentry. 1 Saund. 287 b, note; 7 Co. 28 b Co. Litt. 202 a; 7 T. R. 11 7. A distress cannot be taken for a nomine paenae, unless a special power to distrain be annexed to it by deed. 3 Bouv. Inst. n. 2451. Vide Bac. Ab. Rent, K 4; Woodf. L. & T. 253; Tho. Co. Litt. Index, h. t.; Dane s Ab. Index, h. t.

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