Votum Captandae Mortis Aliena Law and Legal Definition
Votum captandae mortis aliena is a Latin maxim meaning one person’s earnest desire for the death of another. During ancestor’s life time a heir is not at liberty to do anything to the ancestor’s property. For example: sale of spes successionis. Spes successionis means a person's expectation of inheriting land under the will of a testator who is still alive. Any act on spes successionis clearly shows the expectation of ancestor’s death.
