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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §2.14.32.pr

Extension of Pactum de Non Petendo to Guarantors

Passage 398 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Explains that extending the covenant not to sue from the principal debtor to the guarantor prevents the debtor from being indirectly sued on mandate via recourse, meaning the defense does not benefit the guarantor if no action on mandate exists (such as in a guarantee with donor intent).

[PAULUS libro tertio ad Plautium. ] §2.14.32.prQuod dictum est, si cum reo pactum sit, ut non petatur, fideiussori quoque competere exceptionem: propter rei personam placuit, ne mandati iudicio conueniatur.
[PAULUS, On Plautius, book 3] The rule that if an agreement has been made with the principal debtor that he not be sued, the defense is also available to the guarantor, was established for the sake of the person of the principal debtor, so that he may not be sued in an action on mandate.
igitur si mandati actio nulla sit, forte si donandi animo fideiusserit, dicendum est non prodesse exceptionem fideiussori.
Therefore, if there is no action on mandate, for instance if he became a guarantor with the intention of making a gift, it must be said that the defense does not benefit the guarantor.

Notes

  1. §2.14.32.prQuod dictum est — Quod is a relative pronoun implying its antecedent, and the entire clause up to exceptionem serves as the subject or a topic of the main verb placuit. The phrase competere exceptionem within it is an accusative with infinitive construction dependent on dictum est.
  2. §2.14.32.prne mandati iudicio conueniatur — The subject of the subjunctive passive verb conueniatur is the principal debtor (reus). If the creditor sues the guarantor (fideiussor) and the latter pays, the guarantor would seek recourse against the principal debtor through a counter-action on mandate (actio mandati contraria), resulting in the principal debtor being sued. To preserve the efficacy of the covenant not to sue (non petere) between the principal debtor and the creditor and to prevent the debtor from being indirectly sued, the guarantor is allowed the defense (exceptio).

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §2.14.32.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:2.14.32.pr

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