term:

Revendicate

revendicate vt

-cat·ed
-cat·ing
[back-formation from revendication, from French, from Middle French, probably from revendiguer to revendicate, from re- back + vendiguer to lay claim to something, from Latin vindicare]
in the civil law of Louisiana
: to bring an action to enforce rights in (specific property) esp. for the recognition of ownership and the recovery of possession from one wrongfully in possession
re·ven·di·ca·tion [-ven-də-kā-shən]
n

re·ven·di·ca·to·ry [-ven-də-kə-tōr-ē]
adj

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