Distress For Rent Act, 1741

11 G. 2. 19. Eng. the laws against frauds by tenants ineffectual.

If tenants, &c. fraudulently or clandestinely convey away goods to prevent distress for arrears of rent, landlords, &c. may in 20 days seise wherever found, and dispose as if distrained on premises:

WHEREAS the several laws heretofore made for the better securing of rents, and to prevent frauds committed by tenants, have not proved sufficient to obtain the good ends and purposes designed thereby; but the fraudulent practices of tenants, and the mischief intended by the said acts to be prevented, have of late years rather increased, to the great loss and damage of their lessors or landlords: for remedy whereof be it enacted by the King's most excellent Majesty by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal and commons in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, That from and after the first day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and forty two in case any tenant or tenants, any person or persons paying any rent-charge or rent-charges, fee-farmer or fee-farmers, lessee or lessees for life or lives, term of years, at will, sufferance, or otherwise, of any messuages, lands, tenements, or hereditaments, upon the grant, demise, or holding whereof any rent is or shall be reserved due or made payable, shall fraudulently or clandestinely convey away, or carry off or from such premises, his, her, or their goods or chattles to prevent the grantee or grantees of rent-charges, grantor or grantors of fee-farms, landlord or lessor, landlords or lessors, from distraining the same for arrears of rent so reserved due or made payable; it shall and may be lawful to and for every grantee or grantees, landlord or lessor, landlords or lessors within this kingdom, or any person or persons by him, her, or them, for that purpose lawfully impowered, within the space of twenty days next ensuing such conveying away or carrying off such goods or chattles as aforesaid, to take and seize such goods and chattles, wherever the same shall be found, as a distress for the said arrears of rent, and the same to sell, or otherwise dispose of, in such manner, as if the said goods and chattles had actually been distrained by such grantee or grantees, lessor or landlord, lessors or landlords, in and upon such premises for such arrears of rent; any law, custom, or usuage to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.