Estate (Caphiria)

In Caphiria, an Estate (Caphiric Latin: Praedium) is a family consisting of individuals who shared the same family name and who claimed descent from a common ancestor. Similar to the Estates of Urcea, the Estates of Caphiria have evolved into a complex system of kinship groupings, often overlapping and interconnecting. The concept of the Estate is traced back to the classical era where it played a key role in the social structure, forming the basis of the Stratification in Caphiria. In ancient Caphiria, belonging to an Estate was exclusively reserved for the Patricians as they were able to trace their lineage back to the most prominent men. Over time, an Estate became known to describe any major family, although it was still segregated by social class.

Unlike in Ucea, an Estate in Caphiria is a legal concept with its own set of regulations and governance. Additionally, there are two subtypes of Estate with their own respective legal distinctions. The head of an Estate has many common names; patriarch/matriarch, Paterfamilias, etc. but is legally recognized as Potissimus (lit. "most fit").

Types of Estate

Imperial Estate

The apogee of Estates is an Imperial Estate, which are able to directly trace its lineage to a previous Imperator. These Imperial Estates are extremely wealthy and influential, and historically have had more privileges and rights than the rest of society as they were usually prominent politicians and members of society. Competitions for power between these ancient clans have shaped the political landscape of Caphiria for the last two and a half hundred years. Members of Imperial Estates tend to dominate Caphirian politics and policy, publicly and privately. They are viewed as second to only the Imperator and his family, which enjoys the unique title Primum Praedium, or First Estate.

Patrician Estate

Patrician Estates represent the aristocracy of Caphiria. These families have amassed immense political capital in their places of origin and wield significant local influence. Estates of the Patricians will often have complex connections to each other due to historical intermarriages. Members of Patrician Estates are given a percentage of ownership in the Estate and as long as they are active members: are invulnerability to sentences of execution (except capital crimes such as treason, or under direct orders of the Imperator), are able to freely enter government facilities (unless prohibited), are able to access publicly-closed spaces (unless prohibited), and are generally afforded special placement at venues like the theater and markets.

Structure and Governance

The registration and regulation of Estates are managed through the Ministry of Culture, who coordinates with other ministries for verification and other validation purposes. An Estate may be registered as a single family (uno genere) or multi-family (altum radices). In either case, the modern registration process involves an extensive genealogical examination using SNP genotyping and census data from the Censorial Assembly. This allows for a scientifically accurate familial database, portions of which become public data. Prior to the modern era, this registration process was only done with available census and self-reporting data. There is no fee for registration or testing.

Similar to Urcean Estates, every family in an Estate must have a legally declared head of household, which must be the oldest living consanguineous male relative. This usually takes the form of a grandfather with brothers serving as head of household for the entire family, but the household dividing into several upon his death. The headship of household passes ambilineality through the paternal line.

Although Estates are not obligated to formally convene, for matters of dispute resolution or internal conflict any member may call a Distiona Aversus (lit. family discussion of conflict) at which point an Estate vote may occur. Given the sheer number of members in an Estate however, relatively few households appear in person for the vote, so ballots are typically sent by mail before the beginning of the Distiona Aversus. In most cases though, Estates limit voting to the oldest families or members.

Membership

Membership in an Estate is formed by matrimony and inheritance, but unlike the Urcean system, an individual can hold dual membership if both Estates are of the same type. Despite this, an individual cannot serve as the head of two Estates. Individuals typically take their father's Estate membership except in very rare circumstances where the mother's Estate is instead passed on. Upon registration, members of an Estate must demonstrate lineage to at least a single (living or deceased) member.

Individuals who are not members of an Estate, such as immigrants, typically take on their spouse's Estate. It is possible to abjure one's membership in an Estate, but if one abjures his or her membership of an Estate, they cannot join another. If a man abjures his Estate, it is binding on his descendants unless they marry into another Estate.

Estate Fund

Because Estates exist as a separate legal entity, it is possible to transfer assets and equity to and from an Estate. This is known as Collatio Praedium (estate asset bestowal) and is extremely similar to how a discretionary trust functions. The head of the Estate is legally the sole trustee of the Estate Fund with members of the Estate being equal beneficiaries. Estate Funds have many advantages besides tax savings, such as:

• to protect improvident members against creditors – as members have no claim to any specific part of the estate fund, none of the trust fund is vulnerable to attachment by the trustee in bankruptcy of any beneficiary
• to exercise control over young or improvident members
• to create flexibility to react to changes in circumstances
• to protect family assets from forming part of any divorce settlement.