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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §19.2.27.pr-19.2.27.1

Rent Deductions for Inconvenience and Fear of Danger

Passage 2848 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Discusses whether tenants can immediately deduct rent for minor inconveniences and the limits of what they must tolerate during repairs. It also addresses whether a tenant who moves out due to fear owes rent, distinguishing based on whether the fear was well-founded.

[ALFENUS libro secundo digestorum. ] §19.2.27.prHabitatores non, si paulo minus commode aliqua parte caenaculi uterentur, statim deductionem ex mercede facere oportet: ea enim condicione habitatorem esse, ut, si quid transuersarium incidisset, quamobrem dominum aliquid demoliri oporteret, aliquam partem paruulam incommodi sustineret: non ita tamen, ut eam partem caenaculi dominus aperuisset, in quam magnam partem usus habitator haberet.
[ALFENUS, Digest, book 2] It is not proper for tenants immediately to make a deduction from the rent if they should use some part of the apartment slightly less conveniently; for a tenant is on this condition, that, if any unforeseen emergency should occur because of which it is necessary for the owner to demolish something, he should bear some very small part of the inconvenience; not to such an extent, however, that the owner should have laid open that part of the apartment in which the tenant had a major part of his use.
§19.2.27.1Iterum interrogatus est, si quis timoris causa emigrasset, deberet mercedem necne.
He was asked again whether, if someone had moved out for fear, he owed the rent or not.
respondit, si causa fuisset, cur periculum timeret, quamuis periculum uere non fuisset, tamen non debere mercedem: sed si causa timoris iusta non fuisset, nihilo minus debere.
He replied that if there had been a reason why he feared danger, although there had truly been no danger, nevertheless he did not owe the rent; but if the reason for fear had not been just, he owed it nonetheless.

Notes

  1. §19.2.27.prHabitatores non... oportet — The impersonal verb `oportet` governs the accusative subject `habitatores` and the infinitive phrase `deductionem ... facere`. The negative `non` modifies the entire verbal expression, meaning 'it is not proper for tenants to immediately make a deduction.'
  2. §19.2.27.prea enim condicione habitatorem esse — An accusative and infinitive construction (`habitatorem` as subject accusative, `esse` as infinitive) in indirect discourse, presenting an implicit principle or understanding regarding the nature of the lease contract ('for [it is understood that] a tenant exists on this condition').
  3. §19.2.27.prtransuersarium — A substantivized neuter singular of the adjective *transversus* ('transverse', 'athwart'). Here used in a legal/architectural sense to mean an 'unforeseen obstacle' or 'sudden contingency' that requires structural intervention or repair.
  4. §19.2.27.prnon ita tamen, ut... — A consecutive (result) clause of limitation introduced by `ut` with the pluperfect subjunctive `aperuisset`. It sets a limit to the tolerable inconvenience, indicating it must not extend to a severe breach such as the owner 'laying open' (demolishing walls or roofs to expose to the elements) the primary part of the dwelling.
  5. §19.2.27.1si... deberet mercedem necne — An indirect double question introduced by `si` (meaning 'whether') and ending with `necne` ('or not'), serving as the object of `interrogatus est`. The verb `deberet` is in the imperfect subjunctive due to the sequence of tenses in indirect discourse.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §19.2.27.pr-19.2.27.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:19.2.27.pr-19.2.27.1

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