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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §37.4.12.pr-37.4.12.1

Accrual of Unclaimed Shares and Conflicting Prior Wills

Passage 5740 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This fragment regulates the accrual and distribution of shares when some co-heirs do not claim the possession of goods, and determines the conditions for a passed-over son to claim the possession of goods when a prior lawful will of disinheritance conflicts with a subsequent incomplete will.

[GAIUS libro quarto decimo ad edictum prouinciale. ] §37.4.12.prSi duobus filiis et ex altero filio duobus nepotibus bonorum possessio competat et alter ex nepotibus non petat, pars eius fratri adcrescit.
[GAIUS in the fourteenth book on the Provincial Edict.]\n\nIf the possession of goods is available to two sons and to two grandsons by one of the sons, and one of the grandsons does not claim it, his share accrues to his brother.
si uero ex filiis alter non petat, tam fratri quam nepotibus id prodest: namque tunc duo semisses fiunt, ex quibus alterum filius, alterum nepotes consequuntur. §37.4.12.1Si prius testamentum exstet iure factum, quo filius exheredatus est, sequens inperfectum, in quo praeteritus sit filius, posteriore testamento praeteritus recte petet bonorum possessionem, si remoto quoque filio potiores sunt in ea hereditate posteriore testamento scripti heredes: et ita ius habet, ut, cum is, contra quem filius petit bonorum possessionem, amoto filio possit optinere hereditatem, filius quoque recte uideatur petere bonorum possessionem, si uero ille non possit optinere hereditatem, filius quoque excludatur.
But if one of the sons does not claim, this benefits both his brother and the grandsons; for then two halves are made, of which the son obtains one and the grandsons the other.\n\nIf there exists a prior will lawfully made, by which a son was disinherited, and a subsequent incomplete one, in which the son was passed over, the one passed over in the later will will rightfully claim the possession of goods, if, even with the son being removed, the heirs instituted in the later will are more powerful in that inheritance; and he has this right in such a way that, when the person against whom the son claims the possession of goods could obtain the inheritance if the son were removed, the son also is deemed rightfully to claim the possession of goods, but if that person cannot obtain the inheritance, the son also is excluded.

Notes

  1. 37.4.12.prfratri — Meaning "to his brother", but in the first sentence it refers to the other grandson (his brother), whereas in the second sentence it refers to the other son (his brother), changing its referent according to the context.
  2. 37.4.12.1remoto quoque filio — An ablative absolute construction (remoto filio) with the conjunction quoque inserted. Here it carries a concessive nuance, meaning "even with the son being removed (or out of consideration)."
  3. 37.4.12.1et ita ius habet, ut... si uero... filius quoque excludatur — A long structure where a cum-clause and a si uero-clause are contrasted within an ut-clause (consecutive). It defines the scope of "ius habet" in the main clause, explaining that "he has the right in such a way that..."

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §37.4.12.pr-37.4.12.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:37.4.12.pr-37.4.12.1

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