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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §19.1.24.pr-19.1.24.2

Status Change of Usufructuary and Liabilities from Slave Trades

Passage 2790 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Discusses the contractual position of a usufructuary who undergoes a change of status, the claim for recovery when one in good faith buys another's slave who then trades with the owner's peculium, and the liability limits of a surety in a sale by a slave.

[IULIANUS libro quinto decimo digestorum. ] §19.1.24.prSi seruus, in quo usus fructus tuus erat, fundum emerit et antequam pecunia numeraretur, capite minutus fueris, quamuis pretium solueris, actionem ex empto non habebis propter talem capitis deminutionem, sed indebiti actionem aduersus uenditorem habebis.
[JULIAN, Digest, Book XV.]\n\nIf a slave in whom you had a usufruct bought land, and before the money was paid you underwent a change of status (capitis deminutio), although you paid the price, you will not have an action on purchase on account of such change of status, but you will have an action for recovery of what is not owed against the seller.
ante capitis autem minutionem nihil interest, tu soluas an seruus ex eo peculio quod ad te pertinet: nam utroque casu actionem ex empto habebis. §19.1.24.1Seruum tuum imprudens a fure bona fide emi: is ex peculio quod ad te pertinebat hominem parauit, qui mihi traditus est.
Before the change of status, however, it makes no difference whether you pay or the slave pays out of that peculium which belongs to you; for in either case you will have an action on purchase.\n\nI bought your slave in good faith from a thief, not knowing he was yours; he purchased another slave out of the peculium that belonged to you, and this slave was delivered to me.
posse te eum hominem mihi condicere Sabinus dixit, sed si quid mihi abesset ex negotio quod is gessisset, inuicem me tecum acturum de peculio.
Sabinus said that you can bring a condictio against me for that slave, but if I lost anything by the transaction which he carried out, I in turn would sue you on the peculium.
Cassius ueram opinionem Sabini rettulit, in qua ego quoque sum. §19.1.24.2Seruo uendente hominem fideiussor uenditionis omnia praestare debet, in quae obligaretur, si pro libero fideiussisset: nam et in dominum actio sic datur, ut emptor eadem consequatur, quae libero uendente consequi debuisset, sed ultra peculii taxationem dominus non condemnatur.
Cassius reported Sabinus' opinion as correct, which I also support.\n\nWhen a slave sells another slave, the surety for the sale must make good everything for which he would be liable if he had become surety for a free person; for an action is also granted against the master in such a way that the buyer obtains the same things as he ought to have obtained if a free person had been the seller, but the master is not condemned beyond the limit of the peculium.

Notes

  1. §19.1.24.prcapite minutus fueris — When the usufructuary undergoes a change of status (capitis deminutio), the usufruct (usus fructus) is extinguished. Consequently, they can no longer assert rights under the contract concluded by the slave (actio ex empto). However, for the price already paid, they can seek recovery of the unjust enrichment through the action for money not owed (actio indebiti).
  2. §19.1.24.1posse te eum hominem mihi condicere ... inuicem me tecum acturum de peculio — This is an indirect statement introduced by the verb dixit. The accusative with infinitive clause posse te... (with te as the subject) in the first half is coordinated by the conjunction sed with another accusative with infinitive clause [esse] acturum me... (with me as the subject, where the infinitive esse is omitted). The conditional clause si quid mihi abesset modifying acturum is in the subjunctive due to the indirect discourse.
  3. §19.1.24.2Seruo uendente hominem — An ablative absolute construction ('when a slave sells a slave'), setting up an independent condition distinct from the subject of the main clause (fideiussor).

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §19.1.24.pr-19.1.24.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:19.1.24.pr-19.1.24.2

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