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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §22.1.9.pr-22.1.9.1

Stipulations Exceeding Lawful Interest and Default Without Fault

Passage 3169 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This chunk discusses the validity of stipulations for double that exceed the limit of lawful interest, conditions for raising interest to the lawful rate upon default, and the absence of fault in delay when the creditor dies with no successor.

[IDEM libro undecimo responsorum. ] §22.1.9.prPecuniae faenebris, intra diem certum debito non soluto, dupli stipulatum in altero tanto supra modum legitimae usurae respondi non tenere: quare pro modo cuiuscumque temporis superfluo detracto stipulatio uires habebit.
[THE SAME, Opinions, Book 11] In the case of interest-bearing money, where the debt is not paid within a certain day, I answered that a stipulation for double, to the extent of as much again, exceeding the limit of lawful interest, does not hold; therefore, after the excess is deducted, the stipulation will have effect in proportion to any period of time.
§22.1.9.1Usurarum stipulatio, quamuis debitor non conueniatur, committitur.
A stipulation for interest, even if the debtor is not sued, becomes enforceable.
nec inutilis legitimae usurae stipulatio uidetur sub ea condicione concepta 'si minores ad diem solutae non fuerint': non enim poena, sed faenus uberius iusta ratione sortis promittitur.
Nor does a stipulation for lawful interest seem invalid when conceived under the condition 'si minores ad diem solutae non fuerint'; for it is not a penalty, but a higher rate of interest that is promised on a just calculation of the principal.
si tamen post mortem creditoris nemo fuit cui pecunia solueretur, eius temporis inculpatam esse moram constitit: ideo si maiores usurae prioribus petantur, exceptio doli non inutiliter opponetur.
If, however, after the death of the creditor there was no one to whom the money could be paid, it is established that the delay during that time is without fault; therefore, if the higher interest is demanded instead of the former, a plea of fraud will not be uselessly opposed.

Notes

  1. §22.1.9.prPecuniae faenebris — Genitive noun phrase at the beginning. Contextually, it is understood as qualifying the 'debito' in the ablative absolute 'debito ... non soluto' (the debt of interest-bearing money) or as indicating the object of the stipulation (stipulatum).
  2. §22.1.9.prnon tenere — Intransitive use of the verb tenere, meaning 'not to hold' or 'to be void / without legal force.' It acts as the infinitive in the accusative-and-infinitive construction dependent on respondi.
  3. §22.1.9.1committitur — The passive form of committo is used as a legal term meaning that a conditional stipulation or penal clause 'becomes enforceable' or 'is incurred' upon the fulfillment of the condition. It indicates that the obligation arises automatically (e.g., by the arrival of the due date) even without a judicial summons (conueniatur) of the debtor.
  4. §22.1.9.1constitit — Perfect tense (third-person singular impersonal) of the verb consto, meaning 'it is established' or 'it is settled law.' It takes the accusative-and-infinitive clause 'inculpatam esse moram' (that the delay was faultless) as its subject.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §22.1.9.pr-22.1.9.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:22.1.9.pr-22.1.9.1

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