Google is almighty and somewhat infallible, but I don’t think it’s perfect and I’m sure there’s a legal precedent for the phrase I’m looking for; “This is all in good fun, but is not legally binding, and cannot be used for anything,” . . . or something to that effect.
Here’s what I’ve got: A couple of acres of land for a retirement cabin, a 9-year old niece who’s really into princesses, a plastic crown (for me), and a knucklehead brother-in-law. Just for fun, I want to send my niece a certificate making her the “Royal Princess of The Eastern Acres,” so she can have some fun with it. The problem is, is that I don’t want her father (who is dumb enough) or her uncle (who is cunning enough) to think this is some sort of “share in ownership” in those acres years from now. I can see “Dumb” and “Dumber” trying to convince other family members that they have a stake in financial decision-making if I pass away, or eventually sell the land or cabin.
I realize that any court would laugh Dumb and Dumber right out onto the street, but I don’t even want it to get to a court. I’m hoping there’s a Latin, legal phrase I can print right onto the certificate that clears up any confusion (one you translate the Latin).
El Google is giving me things like:
“legitimum scriptum non solum pro fun”
“gravissime computari noluisse credatur”
“Nos erant 'iustus, non est hic, ludificatio circa gravi documento”
El Google is the Digital Oracle, but is just a machine. Is there something that’s been used before, and actually recognized by the legal system?
Why not just say it in English? IANAL but I’m pretty sure that a sentence in a contract doesn’t become more legally binding simply because it’s been translated into Latin. I think the real question is what legal verbiage should be added to achieve the OP’s desire to indicate that the document is not binding. Whether the words are Latin or not is not important; whether they are legally valid is what matters.
Well, I’d say two things: first, if the niece takes any interest in this document at all, she’s going to wonder about those unintelligible words and either she or one of her friends will type them into Google translate, so she’s going to know what they mean anyway. Second, suppose there is some legally binding English formula that can be used in this situation. Translating into another language may render it invalid.
These. And admittedly, with my newfound Kingdom, I have a bit of megalomania-in-jest going on (constrained to those borders). I wanted something that would sound pretentious enough, would be an inside joke, and would keep her uncle (my other brother-in-law) in the dark.
Well, these aren’t contracts*. And if I say it in English, it takes away from the whole “Princess of the Realm” thing for the kid. Do I really expect someone to try to hold up a ‘Royal Declaration’ to scrutiny in a New Mexico court? Not really, but you haven’t met my brothers-in-law. It’s just hidden icing on the cake.
*The tongue-in-cheek Latin just makes sure any Judge 80 years from now sees that it’s not a contract. That being said, GreenWyvern, what would a change from “contract” to “proclamation” be? “Hic proclamus iocus est, et non vinculum juris.”?
Tripler
Now selling Citizenship for a modest fee (comes with a free drink package!).
Aside: In the Kingdom of Uganda (a tiny little enclave within Uganda; apparently that’s how they chose to resolve the whole democracy-with-a-king thing), the citizenship law is that anyone who is within the few-blocks area of the Kingdom is a citizen, for as long as they remain in that area.
This seems to be the crux of the issue. YOU say it’s not a contract. If your BILs say that it IS a contract, you want to be able to convince a judge that it’s not. If you just add a note to the end of an otherwise legally binding contract saying “this is not a contract” (in any language), does that invalidate the whole thing? I don’t know, but I certainly wouldn’t rely on it doing so without advice from a lawyer.
BTW, why would writing this in Latin keep her uncle “in the dark”? Is he incapable of using Google translate?
Now that the Revolution has cooled off, we’re going to establish some basic criteria for citizenship. First thing is to keep the livestock from the National Forest off the land so I can plant some trees. I may need some Latin phrases to curse at the elk and cattle while I shake my fist at them. They shall not remain in the area, but their flesh will serve our feasts well.
Aaah, I’m ruling this little kingdom of mine with a comical iron fist. The more “profound” it sounds, the better. There’s some sanity, but c’mon. . . wouldn’t you want to have a little megalomania and get away with it?
Tripler
Bibere cervisiam, longo vivas tempore, beati eritis.