Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §18.4.19.pr

Sale of Conditional Debt versus Conditional Sale of Debt

Passage 2717 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Explains the difference between selling an obligation under a condition and selling a conditional obligation unconditionally, noting that the latter establishes the sale immediately, allowing the buyer to bring an action against the seller.

[IDEM libro uicesimo quinto digestorum. ] §18.4.19.prMultum interest, sub condicione aliqua obligatio ueneat an, cum ipsa obligatio sub condicione sit, pure ueneat.
[THE SAME, Digest, book 25.] is a great difference between whether some obligation is sold under a condition, or whether, when the obligation itself is conditional, it is sold unconditionally.
priore casu deficiente condicione nullam esse uenditionem, posteriore statim uenditionem consistere: nam si Titius tibi decem sub condicione debeat et ego abs te nomen eius emam, confestim ex empto uendito agere potero, ut acceptum ei facias.
In the former case, if the condition fails, there is no sale; in the latter, the sale is established immediately. For if Titius owes you ten under a condition and I buy his debt from you, I will be able to bring an action on purchase and sale immediately, so that you may grant him a release.

Notes

  1. 18.4.19.prdeficiente condicione — An ablative absolute construction with the present participle deficiente, meaning that the condition 'fails' or 'is not fulfilled'.
  2. 18.4.19.prnullam esse uenditionem, posteriore statim uenditionem consistere — An accusative with infinitive (ACI) construction in indirect speech. Following the preceding statement of 'a great difference (Multum interest)', it explains the legal outcome in each case, with a main verb of saying such as 'dicitur' understood.
  3. 18.4.19.pracceptum ei facias — A clause in the subjunctive second person singular, introduced by ut, containing the legal idiom acceptum facere (to record as received, to release). It defines the object of the action (agere potero), meaning the buyer of the debt can sue the seller to release the debtor (Titius).

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §18.4.19.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:18.4.19.pr

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