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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §36.4.12.pr

Trusts Involving Municipalities and Entry into Possession

Passage 5704 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

In the case of fideicommissa left to municipalities, while possession of municipal property can be obtained by creditors under the general edict, the municipalities themselves require an extraordinary remedy via praetorian decree and their agent to enter into possession if security is not provided to them.

[MAECIANUS libro duodecimo fideicommissorum. ] §36.4.12.prMunicipiis fideicommissum relinqui posse dubium non est.
[MAECIANUS, book 12 on Fideicommissa] There is no doubt that a fideicommissum can be left to municipia.
sed si non caueatur, aduersus municipes quidem non dubitauimus ex hoc edicto iri in possessionem posse: ipsos uero municipes, si his non caueatur, non idem adsecuturos: sed extraordinario remedio opus erit, uidelicet ut decreto praetoris actor eorum in possessionem mittatur.
But if security is not given, we have not doubted that against the citizens of a municipium, one can enter into possession under this edict; however, the citizens of the municipium themselves, if security is not given to them, will not obtain the same result, but there will be need for an extraordinary remedy, namely, that by a decree of the praetor their agent is placed in possession.

Notes

  1. §36.4.12.priri in possessionem posse — An impersonal passive expression combining the passive infinitive 'iri' (from 'ire') and 'in possessionem', meaning 'to enter into possession' (missio in possessionem). It is used here without a specific subject to denote the action of entering into possession.
  2. §36.4.12.prnon idem adsecuturos — An infinitive clause with 'esse' omitted, modifying the accusative subject 'ipsos uero municipes', which is dependent on 'non dubitauimus' (or 'non dubitamus' understood from context) in indirect speech. It indicates that the citizens themselves will not achieve the same result under the standard edict.
  3. §36.4.12.practor eorum — Since a municipality (municipium) is a corporate body and cannot physically take possession like a natural person, it must be placed in possession through its legal agent (actor). This legal limitation is the direct reason why an 'extraordinary remedy' (extraordinarium remedium) is required instead of the ordinary procedure.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §36.4.12.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:36.4.12.pr

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