Pleas [i.e., actions] are personal, real, and mixed.

Explanation

(English-origin maxim.) Pleas are classified as personal (affecting the person), real (affecting property), and mixed (affecting both) — the classification determines the procedure and form of the action.

Where this applies

• A wrongful-death lawsuit is a personal plea because it involves injury to a person, while a quiet-title action is a real plea because it involves rights to property.
• A tenant's eviction defense involves a mixed plea — it concerns both the tenant's personal right to occupy and the landlord's real property claim.
• A lawyer classifies her client's case as a real plea because it seeks recovery of a specific parcel of land, not money damages against a person.