Nemo dat quod non habet

Meaning:

This legal maxim means “no one can transfer better title than he himself has”.

Details:

The legal maxim “Nemo dat quod non habet” means “no one can transfer better title than he himself has” and it is applied as a rule in sale of goods. The maxim of “caveat emptor”, which means buyer beware applies to this legal maxim. Whenever any good or property is sold by a person who is not the owner of the property but sells the property without any authorisation, the buyer of the property cannot acquire a better title than who is possessed by the seller. Any person who is not the owner of the property or title-holder cannot transfer the title.