appropriation

In law, the setting aside of money or other property to be applied exclusively to one use.

In English civil law, a debtor who owes separate amounts to the same creditor is entitled when making a payment on account to allocate the money as he or she likes in respect of the different debts. If the money is paid in without making any such stipulation the creditor can appropriate it as he or she chooses. If there has been no selection by either, the law generally gives preference to earlier rather than later debts.