Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §39.3.22.pr-39.3.22.2

Usufruct of Land and Useful Action for Rainwater

Passage 6195 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Discusses the applicability of the action for warding off rainwater and the analogous (utilis) action between the heir (owner) and the usufructuary when the usufruct of land is bequeathed.

[IDEM libro decimo ex uariis lectionibus. ] §39.3.22.prSi usus fructus fundi legatus fuerit, aquae pluuiae arcendae actio heredi et cum herede est, cuius praedium fuerit.
[THE SAME in the tenth book of various readings.] If the usufruct of a tract of land has been legacy-bequeathed, the action for warding off rainwater belongs to and lies against the heir whose land it is.
quod si ex opere incommodum aliquod patitur fructuarius, poterit quidem interdum uel interdicto experiri quod ui aut clam. quod si ei non competet, quaerendum est, an utilis ei quasi domino actio aquae pluuiae arcendae dari debeat an uero etiam contendat ius sibi esse uti frui: sed magis est utilem aquae pluuiae arcendae ei actionem accommodare.
But if the usufructuary suffers some disadvantage from the work, he can indeed sometimes proceed even under the interdict "concerning force or stealth." But if this is not available to him, it must be asked whether an analogous action for warding off rainwater should be granted to him as if to the owner, or whether he should rather contend that he has the right to use and enjoy; but it is more preferable to accommodate the analogous action for warding off rainwater to him.
§39.3.22.1Non aliter restituisse rem uidetur is qui opus fecit, quam si aquam coerceat.
The person who constructed the work is not deemed to have restored the thing, unless he restrains the water.
§39.3.22.2Sed et si fructuarius opus fecerit, per quod aqua pluuia alicui noceat, erit quidem actio legitima cum domino proprietatis: an uero etiam utilis in fructuarium actio aquae pluuiae arcendae danda sit, quaesitum est: et magis est ut detur.
But even if the usufructuary has constructed a work by which rainwater does harm to someone, the statutory action indeed lies against the owner of the property; but it has been asked whether an analogous action for warding off rainwater should also be granted against the usufructuary, and it is more preferable that it should be granted.

Notes

  1. §39.3.22.praquae pluuiae arcendae actio heredi et cum herede est, cuius praedium fuerit — The dative `heredi` is a dative of possession (the right of action belongs to the heir), while `cum herede` means "against the heir" (the action lies against the heir). The relative clause `cuius praedium fuerit` modifies `heredi`, indicating that the heir who owns the land at that time has standing as either plaintiff or defendant.
  2. §39.3.22.pran uero etiam contendat ius sibi esse uti frui — `contendat` is in the present subjunctive, governed by the preceding `an` introducing an indirect question. It presents a legal debate on the choice of remedy: whether the usufructuary should bring an analogous action for warding off rainwater (as if an owner) or rather contend for the existence of his usufruct (an action in rem).
  3. §39.3.22.1Non aliter restituisse rem uidetur... quam si — The construction "`non aliter... quam si`" expresses a strict conditional requirement ("not otherwise... than if"). Here it signifies that for the defendant who erected the work to be deemed to have restored the thing (`restituisse rem`), it is not enough to merely remove the work, but he must actually restrain or control the water (`aquam coerceat`) so as not to cause harm.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §39.3.22.pr-39.3.22.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:39.3.22.pr-39.3.22.2

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