Which legal principle applies when someone cannot claim a property right due to their own previous actions?

Estoppel is a legal principle that prevents a person from asserting a claim or right that contradicts their prior actions or statements. This principle is rooted in the idea of fairness and relies on the notion that people should not be allowed to change their position to the detriment of others who have relied on their previous conduct.

For example, if an individual has represented a property as belonging to someone else or has accepted a situation that implies a certain understanding of property rights, they cannot later claim a right to that property. This notion reinforces legal stability and protects parties who have relied on the established behavior or representations of others.

Escheat, eviction, and exclusion each pertain to different legal contexts. Escheat relates to the state’s right to claim unclaimed property, eviction concerns the removal of a tenant from leased premises, and exclusion refers to the right to deny entry or access to individuals. However, none of these concepts directly address the issue of denying a property right due to one's own prior actions in the way that estoppel does.