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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §3.5.24.pr

Excessive Expenses and Limit of Recovery in Management

Passage 596 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

In the management of another's affairs, if more than necessary is spent, the manager can only recover the amount that ought to have been properly paid.

[IDEM libro uicensimo septimo ad edictum. ] §3.5.24.prSi quis negotia aliena gerens plus quam oportet impenderit, reciperaturum eum id, quod praestari debuerit.
[THE SAME, On the Edict, book twenty-seven] If anyone in managing the affairs of another should spend more than is proper, he will recover that which ought to have been paid.

Notes

  1. §3.5.24.prreciperaturum eum id — This is an accusative with infinitive construction (accusativus cum infinitivo) where the auxiliary 'esse' with the future active participle 'reciperaturum' is omitted. This indirect speech format is common in juristic styles, omitting the main governing verb (such as 'ait' or 'respondit') to present the legal rule as an objective statement.
  2. §3.5.24.prquod praestari debuerit — The relative pronoun 'quod' refers to the antecedent 'id'. The subjunctive 'debuerit' reflects the context of the hypothetical condition (impenderit) or the subjective evaluation in indirect speech (what is deemed to have been due). It sets a substantive legal limit: even if one spent more than proper (plus quam oportet), they can only recover the amount that legally 'ought to have been paid' as necessary or useful expenses.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §3.5.24.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:3.5.24.pr

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