Notice is named from a knowledge being had; and notice ought not to halt, [i.e., be imperfect.].

Explanation

(English-origin maxim.) Legal notice must be complete and definite — a notice that is partial, ambiguous, or otherwise imperfect fails to accomplish its purpose and does not bind the party to whom it is directed.

Where this applies

• A landlord sends a termination notice that references the wrong lease and the wrong address; the court holds the notice defective because legal notice must be complete and unambiguous.
• A government agency mails a tax-lien notice that omits the amount owed and the deadline to respond; the property owner is not bound by it because imperfect notice is no notice at all.
• A plaintiff serves a demand letter that names the defendant but gives no description of the claim or the relief sought; the court treats it as legally insufficient because notice must not halt or be incomplete.