term:

Escheat

escheat n

[Anglo-French eschete reversion of property, from Old French escheoite accession, inheritance, from feminine past participle of escheoir to fall (to), befall, ultimately from Latin ex- out + cadere to fall]
1 : escheated property
2 : the reversion of property to the state upon the death of the owner when there are no heirs
vt : to cause to revert by escheat
vi
: to revert by escheat
es·cheat·able adj

Source: Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law ©1996. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Published under license with Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.