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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §39.2.45.pr

Undefended Negatory Action and Possession for Demolition

Passage 6169 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This text explains that in an undefended action regarding the right to have a building, possession is transferred to the claimant not for immediate demolition, but to allow demolition only if the other party fails to bring a counter-action within a certain period.

[SCAEUOLA libro duodecimo quaestionum a quo fundus petetur si rem nolit. ] §39.2.45.prAedificatum habes: ago tibi ius non esse habere: non defendis.
[SCAEUOLA in the twelfth book of Questions: From whom land is claimed if he does not want the property.] You have erected a building: I bring an action [asserting] that you have no right to have [it]: you do not defend [the action].
ad me possessio transferenda est, non quidem ut protinus destruatur opus (iniquum enim est demolitionem protinus fieri), sed ut id fiat, nisi intra certum tempus egeris ius tibi esse aedificatum habere.
Possession must be transferred to me, not indeed so that the structure should be demolished immediately (for it is unjust for demolition to take place immediately), but so that this may happen, unless within a certain time you bring an action [asserting] that you have the right to have the building.

Notes

  1. §39.2.45.prago tibi ius non esse habere — The verb ago ('I bring an action') is followed by the accusative and infinitive clause tibi ius non esse habere ('that you have no right to keep [it]'), expressing the content of the plaintiff's claim (actio negatoria). The object of habere is understood from the context as aedificatum.
  2. §39.2.45.prsed ut id fiat — The demonstrative pronoun id refers back to the demolition indicated by the preceding demolitionem or destruatur. The contrasting structure non quidem ut... sed ut... clarifies that the transfer of possession is not for immediate destruction, but to enable demolition only if the other party fails to bring a counter-action within the specified time.
  3. §39.2.45.prnisi intra certum tempus egeris — egeris is in the future perfect indicative (or perfect subjunctive). Together with the conditional conjunction nisi, it forms the condition 'unless you have brought an action [asserting your right] within a certain period'.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §39.2.45.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:39.2.45.pr

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