Burton's Lessee v. Williams et al. was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1818 that dealt with the issue of whether or not an individual could be held liable for debts incurred before they acquired property from another party. The plaintiff, Burton’s Lessee, had purchased land from one John Williams and assumed all of his liabilities as part of the purchase agreement. However, when creditors attempted to collect on those debts after the sale was completed, Burton’s Lessee argued that he should not be responsible since he did not incur them himself and only agreed to assume them as part of his purchase agreement with Williams. The court ultimately sided with Burton’s Lessee and ruled that individuals cannot be held liable for pre-existing debt unless it is explicitly stated in their contract or other legal documents at the time they acquire said property from another party.

In Burton's Lessee v. Williams et al., Chief Justice Marshall delivered the dissenting opinion of the court, arguing that a lessee could not be held liable for damages caused by their tenant if they had no knowledge or control over them. He argued that it was unfair to hold a lessor responsible for acts committed by their tenants without any fault on their part and noted that there were other remedies available to those who suffered losses due to such actions. Furthermore, he maintained that this would lead to an increase in litigation as well as unnecessary costs associated with pursuing legal action against innocent parties. Ultimately, he concluded that holding a lessor accountable for damages caused by tenants would create an unjust burden upon them and should therefore not be allowed under law.