Pro-Tanto

Pro tanto is a Latin phrase which means “only to that extent” and is often used to denote partial fulfillment of an actual or potential obligation — often in the form of partial payment — toward a claim asserted in a lawsuit.

Prot tanto is commonly used in eminent domain cases, to describe a partial payment made for the taking by the government without prejudice to the right of the petitioner to bring an action for the full amount that he claims is due. So if a local government paid the owner of a property seized in an eminent domain case, pro tanto, the landowner would still have the option to counter-claim.