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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §16.3.20.pr

Involuntary Loss of Deposit and Liability on Recovery

Passage 2425 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This section discusses the liability of a depositary who loses a deposited object without willful default, explaining that while there is no duty to provide security for its potential recovery, the depositary becomes liable again if the object returns to their possession.

[PAULUS libro octauo decimo ad edictum. ] §16.3.20.prSi sine dolo malo rem depositam tibi amiseris, nec depositi teneris nec cauere debes, si deprehenderis eam reddi: si tamen ad te iterum peruenerit, depositi teneris.
[PAULUS, On the Edict, Book 18] If you have lost the thing deposited with you without willful default, you are neither liable to an action of deposit nor are you bound to give security that it will be returned if it is found; if, however, it comes into your possession again, you are liable to an action of deposit.

Notes

  1. §16.3.20.prdepositi teneris — depositi is a genitive of the action or liability, modifying the passive verb teneris (second-person singular present of teneor, 'to be held liable' or 'to be bound'), meaning 'to be held liable to an action of deposit'.
  2. §16.3.20.prcauere debes, si deprehenderis eam reddi — cauere means 'to give security' or 'to guarantee'. The conditional clause si deprehenderis... (in the future perfect or perfect subjunctive, 'if it should be found') sets the condition under which the obligation arises, while the accusative with infinitive clause eam reddi ('that it will be returned') functions as the substance of what must be guaranteed (cauere).

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §16.3.20.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:16.3.20.pr

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