Definition

1. Verb (Law):
   • To formally acknowledge and accept a new landlord or property owner, transferring one's obligations as a tenant to them. This is a specific legal action, often required by law or contract when a property is sold or transferred.

Usage

• This verb is used almost exclusively in formal legal and property contexts. It describes the act by which a tenant agrees to pay rent to and recognize the authority of a new landlord.
• It is typically used in the passive voice ("be attorned to") or with the tenant as the subject.
• Example:

Examples

• Verb:
  • Upon the sale of the estate, all sitting tenants were legally obliged to attorn to the new lord.
  • The court ordered the lessee to attorn and pay rent directly to the mortgagee who had taken possession.
  • He attorned to the new landlord by signing a formal recognition agreement.

Advanced Usage

• "To attorn to (someone)": The standard construction, meaning to formally acknowledge that person as one's new landlord.
  • The tenant must attorn to the bank if it forecloses on the property.
• "To attorn tenant": A legal phrase where "attorn" is used as a transitive verb with the tenant as the object (as seen in the reference context: "he was attorned by the tenants").
  • The new owner sought to attorn the existing tenants to ensure a continuous stream of rental income.

Variants and Related Words

• Attornment (n): The formal act or legal instrument by which a tenant attorns.
  • The transfer of ownership was completed upon the attornment of the tenants.

Synonyms

• Acknowledge (in this specific legal sense).
• Recognize (in this specific legal sense).
• Submit to the authority of (a new landlord).

Notes

• Attorn is a highly specialized term from property law. In everyday language, people would simply say "accept the new landlord" or "agree to pay rent to the new owner." The use of "attorn" implies a formal, legal procedure.

Verb

1. acknowledge a new land owner as one's landlord
   • he was attorned by the tenants