Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §28.7.19.pr

Acceptance and Retention of a Fourth by a Second Heir

Passage 4339 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Marcianus discusses a case of conditional institution of heirs where, if the first heir enters upon a suspected (insolvent) inheritance, the second heir may enter upon it of their own free will and retain a fourth.

[IDEM libro octauo institutionum. ] §28.7.19.prSi ita scriptum fuerit 'Titius heres esto: si Titius heres erit, Maeuius heres esto': si Titius suspectam adierit hereditatem, potest Maeuius suo arbitrio adire et quartam retinere.
[THE SAME, in the eighth book of Institutes.] If it should be written as follows: "Let Titius be heir; if Titius shall be heir, let Maeuius be heir": if Titius should enter upon a suspected inheritance, Maeuius can enter upon it of his own free will and retain a fourth.

Notes

  1. §28.7.19.prsuspectam ... hereditatem — A "suspecta hereditas" (suspected inheritance) refers to an estate that is suspected of being insolvent (having more liabilities than assets), where the appointed heir would normally avoid entering upon it to prevent liability.
  2. §28.7.19.prsuo arbitrio — By "of his own free will" (literally "by his own judgment"). In contrast to the primary heir (Titius) who might be compelled by the praetor to enter upon an insolvent inheritance, the substituted or trust heir (Maeuius) is not under compulsion and can choose to enter upon it voluntarily.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §28.7.19.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:28.7.19.pr

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