from
Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)
NOMINE POENAE, contracts. The name of a penalty incurred by the lessee to
the lessor, for the non-payment of rent at the day appointed by the lease or
agreement for its payment. 2 Lill. Ab. 221. It is usually a gross sum of
money, though it may be any thing else, appointed to be paid by the tenant
to the reversioner, if the duties are in arrear, in addition to the duties
themselves. Ham. N. P. 411, 412.
2. To entitle himself to the nomine paenae, the landlord must make a
demand of the rent on the very day, as in the case of a reentry. 1 Saund.
287 b, note; 7 Co. 28 b Co. Litt. 202 a; 7 T. R. 11 7. A distress cannot be
taken for a nomine paenae, unless a special power to distrain be annexed to
it by deed. 3 Bouv. Inst. n. 2451. Vide Bac. Ab. Rent, K 4; Woodf. L. & T.
253; Tho. Co. Litt. Index, h.t.; Dane's Ab. Index, h.t.