What is vacate in legal terms?

Asked by: Rey Reichert  |  Last update: November 15, 2025
Score: 4.9/5 (3 votes)

In civil and criminal legal proceedings , vacate means to set aside or annul a previous judgment or order . Vacate is also used in property law to indicate the surrender or leaving of the premises .

What does vacate mean in law?

va·cat·ing. vt. 1 : to make void. : annul set aside [ a lower court order] 2 a : to make vacant.

What is the meaning of for vacate?

to leave a room, building, chair, etc. so that it is available for other people: Hotel guests are requested to vacate their rooms by noon.

What is the most likely meaning of the word vacate?

: to deprive of an incumbent or occupant. b. : to give up the incumbency or occupancy of. 2. : to make legally void : annul.

Does vacate mean abandon?

Definitions of vacate. verb. leave behind empty; move out of. “You must vacate your office by tonight” synonyms: abandon, empty.

What Does It Mean When A Court Case Is Vacated? - CountyOffice.org

39 related questions found

Is vacating the same as eviction?

A notice to vacate is written when either party decides to end the relationship (for a good or bad reason or none at all). An eviction requires court action to remove the tenant from the property.

What is a rule to vacate?

A notice to vacate is a legal document sent by landlords to tenants stating that they have canceled the rental agreement and want a tenant to move out of the premises by a specific date. All states allow landlords to send a notice to vacate when the tenant: Fails to pay the rent. Damages the property.

Why would a sentence be vacated?

In order to be eligible to file a motion to vacate a conviction or sentence in California, you must show one of the following: A prejudicial error was made, resulting in your inability to understand or defend against deportation or other negative immigration consequences of a “guilty” plea.

Does vacate mean empty?

The word vacate means to leave a position and make it empty. It originates from the Latin word "vacare," which means "to be empty" or "to be free." When someone vacates a place, such as a room or office, they are leaving it so that it is available for someone else or simply empty.

Which of the following is the most accurate definition of vacated?

The word vacate means to leave a place or position previously occupied, but in legal terms, it often refers to invalidating or setting aside a decision or judgment. For instance, if a court decision is vacated, it is declared to be invalid.

What does it mean to vacate a contract?

In summary, "vacate" is a term that can mean either to cancel a legal decision or to leave a property. Both meanings are important in their respective contexts, and knowing how to use the term can help individuals navigate their legal situations more effectively.

What does fully vacate mean?

Full Vacate Date means the date on which all lessees, sub-lessees or occupants (except for Tenant) using or occupying any portion of the Building or Land other than the Exiting Space have fully and legally vacated and surrendered their respective demised premises and removed their personal property and left same in ...

How do you use vacate?

How to Use vacate in a Sentence
  1. Students must vacate their rooms at the end of the semester.
  2. The court vacated the conviction.
  3. The police told everyone to vacate the premises.
  4. She refused to vacate her post even under increased pressure.
  5. The election will fill the congressional seat vacated by the retiring senator.

What does vacant mean in court?

Vacant is a term used to describe both (1) empty, unclaimed, and/or unoccupied real property and (2) an abandoned estate , which refers to an estate that has no heirs or claimants. It is often used in property law .

What is the meaning of the word vacate?

to leave a room, building, chair, etc. so that it is available for other people: Hotel guests are requested to vacate their rooms by noon.

Can a judge vacate his own order?

So long as the court has plenary jurisdiction the judge can issue a new order that effectively vacates the old one or formally vacate or amend.

What does it mean to vacate something in court?

In civil and criminal legal proceedings , vacate means to set aside or annul a previous judgment or order . Vacate is also used in property law to indicate the surrender or leaving of the premises . For examples of its usage, refer to Sears v. Upton (pertaining to a judgment) and Thorpe v.

What is the difference between eviction and vacate?

A notice or demand to vacate is done prior to the filing of an eviction. It is when you would voluntarily leave and would allow you to likely avoid a lawsuit being filed against you. An eviction is a court order and proceeding and something that would appear on your record.

Does vacate mean cancel?

If you did not go to your small claims court date, you can ask the court to cancel (vacate) what the judge decided that day and get a new court date.

Is vacated the same as innocent?

No, Having A Conviction Vacated Doesn't Mean “Acquitted”

Effectively, vacating a conviction is a legal way to have the first trial and subsequent conviction “annulled”- legally speaking, it would be as if they never happened.

What does it mean to vacate a plea?

What Does Vacating a Record Mean? Vacating a conviction for a misdemeanor crime means the court determines you meet certain conditions and orders. If you pled guilty to a crime, your plea will be changed to not guilty and then the charges are dismissed.

Why is a court date vacated?

Postponed, delayed, rescheduled due to an incident or not enough information on hand in order to make a hearing a success. So some times you can sit through a whole hearing and then they are like we will vacate this hearing.

What is a decision to vacate?

A vacated judgment (also known as vacatur relief) is a legal judgment that legally voids a previous legal judgment. A vacated judgment is usually the result of the judgment of an appellate court, which overturns, reverses, or sets aside the judgment of a lower court.

Can a landlord evict one spouse and not the other?

Unfortunately, yes. A landlord can choose to let one person stay in the unit and evict the other one (whether they are married or not).

How to win in eviction court?

How to Fight an Eviction
  1. Prove That Your Landlord Breached the Lease by Failing to Maintain the Property.
  2. Prove That You're a Victim of Discrimination.
  3. Prove That Your Landlord Improperly Served You with Notice of Eviction.
  4. Prove That Your Landlord Has No Justification for Evicting You.