What about unjust enrichment, the proceeds of which have been passed down from generation to generation?
In
contract law,
unjust enrichment occurs when one person is enriched at the expense of another in circumstances that
the law sees as unjust.[1] Where an individual is unjustly enriched, the law imposes an obligation upon the recipient to make
restitution, subject to defences such as
change of position.
Liability for an unjust (or unjustified) enrichment arises irrespective of wrongdoing on the part of the recipient. The concept of unjust enrichment can be traced to Roman law and the maxim that
"no one should be benefited at another's expense": nemo locupletari potest aliena iactura or nemo locupletari debet cum aliena iactura.
Unjust enrichment - Wikipedia