To: Anon, From HRH Sunbutt.

by Snow

From HRH Sunflower, RE: Letter 64

Author's Note:

Letter 64: Here.

Dear Applejack,

When I granted the land upon which Ponyville was founded to your great grandfather, I had no idea what a prosperous and special town Ponyville would grow to become. So imagine my surprise when I learn of your response to the march of progress and a citizen of that very town seeking to develop just beside you.

On paper, this is a reprimand for spiteful useage of resources.
In actuality, I find it hilarious.

Amusingly, most of Ponyville is actually still owned by the Apple Family, including I believe Mr. Rich's family home. The tennants pay taxes for that land on your behalf, which is why it doesn't come up, but your family actually doesn't have the authority to sell land granted by the crown without going through the crown in the process. Since the settlers of Ponyville didn't bother talking to me about it for the most part after Town Hall was established... Well, technically you could order the Guard to evict a significant portion of town.

I will not be telling you which portions, but odds are decent you just bought back your own land to spite a squatter.

All that said, if you do act on this knowledge it'll only really work once, so I suggest you sit on it for a rainy day.

Regards,
HRH Celestia

PS. I would also be disappointed in you and your entire family if they were to abuse this fact without significant reason.

---

To my most faithful student, Twilight Sparkle,

It is often comforting to know your friends are a force to be contended with, and that is an interesting story.

Your loving mentor,
Princess Celestia

Comments

[Snow]

9889898
The original writer for Friendship is Magic's name is Lauren Faust.

[Snow]

9889889
Well before.

[Mitril]

9889900
I know but isn't it a little weird, especially in fanficts where her name is spoken and she is an alicorn or god?

I would love a reaction of ponies to learning what Faustian bargain means

Actually Twilight would strike a deal like that for knowledge

[artofwar77]

It is often comforting to know your friends are a force to be contended with...

True.

And Celestia's probably got some pretty epic friends, herself.

[True Edge]

Hm, interesting little bit of info that's almost medieval, here. During the middle ages, a large, land owning farming family, like the Apples, would indeed have been the Lord's/owners of any village that grew up on their lands.

[WorldWalker128]

Wow.

[Kadigan]

All that said, if you do act on this knowledge it'll only really work once, so I suggest you sit on it for a rainy day.

I'd say whatever they paid for that land? is nothing for the worth this tidbit of knowledge could one day provide. Whatever they paid, they came out on top.

It was probably agreed amongst the citizens that this would be how it'd work - and I assume most Apples had no clue about it, and just wanted to help out by divvying up the land... but still.

Though, I'd have to assume that some sort of adverse possession laws* exist in Equestria?

* In normal speak it basically means that if you squat on a piece of land for a significantly long period of time - say, a few decades - and act as if you had a title to said land (for example by exercising the rights you'd have based on such title, like building and settling), if the rightful owner of the land does nothing to remove you in that time -- a new title of ownership is created (if you go to court for it) and you end up actually becoming the owner of said land, legally. So, you'd think most families living there are rightful owners already - assuming Equestria has such a law.

As an aside, similar laws exist for movable property as well, with shorter timeouts. If someone uses something that's yours and you don't contest it, it may actually become theirs after some years, because hey - a thing belongs to the one exercising ownership rights over it. Except for IP, apparently. ;]

[Detsella Morningdew]

9905811
There are probably exceptions to those rules in this case, due to the Crown being the one giving the land to them in the first place (and the Crown probably not wanting it changing hooves all that much - they actually have to ask the Crown to sell it).