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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §14.3.14.pr

Joint Liability for Common Goods and Division of Liability

Passage 2213 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This section explains the joint and several liability of co-owners when another's slave is appointed for common goods, and the division of liability among heirs when the co-ownership ceases after the slave is freed.

[PAULUS libro quarto ad Plautium. ] §14.3.14.prIdem erit et si alienus seruus communi merci praepositus sit: nam aduersus utrumque in solidum actio dari debet et quod quisque praestiterit, eius partem societatis uel communi diuidundo iudicio consequetur.
[PAULUS from the fourth book on Plautius.] The same will hold true also if a slave belonging to another has been appointed for common goods; for an action in solidum (for the whole amount) ought to be granted against both, and whatever each has paid, he will recover that person's share by the action of partnership or for the division of common property.
certe ubicumque actio societatis uel communi diuidundo cessat, quemque pro parte sua condemnari oportere constat, ueluti si is, cuius seruo creditum est, duobus heredibus institutis ei seruo libertatem dederit: nam heredum quisque pro sua parte conueniendi sunt, quia cessat inter eos communi diuidundo iudicium.
Certainly, wherever the action of partnership or for the division of common property ceases to apply, it is clear that each person ought to be condemned in proportion to his own share, as, for example, if the owner, to whose slave credit was given, having appointed two heirs, has granted freedom to that slave; for each of the heirs must be sued for his own share, because the action for the division of common property ceases to lie between them.

Notes

  1. §14.3.14.prconsequetur — The subject of the verb "consequetur" is the preceding "quisque", referring to 'each person who has paid'. Additionally, the demonstrative pronoun "eius" in "eius partem" refers to the other partner or co-owner, meaning that the payer will recover 'that other person's share' (the portion the other should have borne).
  2. §14.3.14.prheredum quisque pro sua parte conueniendi sunt — The predicate "conueniendi sunt" is in the plural despite the singular subject "quisque" (each). This is an instance of "synesis" (agreement according to sense), as "quisque" accompanied by the plural genitive "heredum" (of the heirs) is treated as plural in meaning.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §14.3.14.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:14.3.14.pr

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