Distrained

To distrain means to seize or take property from a person or entity as a legal remedy, typically to compel the payment of a debt, rent, or other obligation. This action often involves a legal process, and the seized assets are held until the obligation is fulfilled. The property may be sold to recover the amount owed. Distraint is most commonly associated with landlord-tenant disputes regarding unpaid rent, but can be used in other specific situations.

Distrained meaning with examples

• The landlord, faced with months of unpaid rent, distrained the tenant's furniture and personal belongings, providing a formal notice outlining the legal process. This action, while unpleasant, served as a final effort to recoup the significant financial losses incurred through the tenant's failure to pay.
• Following a default on a secured loan, the bank distrained the business's equipment, halting its operations. The sudden seizure of vital machinery created substantial disruptions, leaving the owner scrambling to negotiate a repayment plan or risk permanent asset loss, and bankruptcy
• Because of unpaid taxes, the government distrained the delinquent homeowner's luxury vehicle. This drastic measure was intended to encourage immediate payment and send a strong signal, and that future non-compliance would be met with even harsher penalties, with the risk of the home as well.
• In a complex commercial lease dispute, the property owner distrained the tenant's inventory, effectively shutting down their business. The tenant, disputing the basis of the debt, immediately sought legal intervention to contest the distraint and seek damages, which could potentially involve the loss of contracts.