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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §39.5.9.pr-39.5.9.3

Incorporeal Gifts Calculation of Fruits and Transfer to Donee

Passage 6224 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Pomponius discusses how rent-free dwelling and forbearance of debt claim constitute donations without transfer of a physical thing, the rules on calculating gathered fruits, the validity of donations by a filius familias, and the rule that a donation is invalid unless it becomes the property of the donee.

[POMPONIUS libro trigensimo tertio ad Sabinum. ] §39.5.9.prIn aedibus alienis habitare gratis donatio uidetur: id enim ipsum capere uidetur qui habitat, quod mercedem pro habitatione non soluit.
[POMPONIUS in the thirty-third book on Sabinus.]\n\nTo dwell in another's house free of charge is seen as a donation; for he who dwells there is seen to receive this very thing, that he does not pay rent for the dwelling.
potest enim et citra corporis donationem ualere donatio, ueluti si donationis causa cum debitore meo paciscar, ne ante certum tempus ab eo petam. §39.5.9.1Ex rebus donatis fructus perceptus in rationem donationis non computatur: si uero non fundum, sed fructus perceptionem tibi donem, fructus percepti uenient in computationem donationis. §39.5.9.2Quod filius familias patris iussu aut uoluntate donauit, perinde est, ac si pater ipse donauerit aut si mea uoluntate rem meam tu nomine tuo Titio dones. §39.5.9.3Donari non potest, nisi quod eius fit, cui donatur.
For a donation can be valid even without the transfer of a physical thing, as for example if, for the sake of making a donation, I agree with my debtor not to demand payment from him before a certain time.\n\nThe fruit gathered from donated things is not calculated into the account of the donation; but if I donate to you not the land, but the gathering of fruits, the gathered fruits will come into the calculation of the donation.\n\nWhat a filius familias has donated by the order or will of his father is just as if the father himself had donated it, or as if you, by my will, should donate my property in your own name to Titius.\n\nNothing can be donated, unless it becomes the property of him to whom it is donated.

Notes

  1. §39.5.9.prid enim ipsum capere uidetur qui habitat, quod mercedem pro habitatione non soluit — In this construction, the relative clause 'qui habitat' (he who dwells) functions as the subject of the passive verb 'uidetur' with the infinitive 'capere'. The demonstrative pronoun 'id ipsum' (this very thing) acts as the object of 'capere' and cataphorically anticipates the appositive noun clause introduced by 'quod' ('that he does not pay rent...').
  2. §39.5.9.prcitra corporis donationem — The preposition 'citra' governs the accusative and here means 'without' or 'short of'. 'corporis' (genitive of corpus) refers to a physical or corporal thing ('res corporalis') rather than a physical body, denoting donations made through agreements (such as release of debt) without physical delivery of property.
  3. §39.5.9.3nisi quod eius fit, cui donatur — 'eius' is the genitive singular of the demonstrative pronoun 'is' used predicatively with 'fit' to denote ownership ('becomes the property of him'). 'cui' is a relative pronoun whose antecedent is implied in 'eius' (the recipient). The clause means 'unless that which is donated becomes the property of the one to whom it is donated'.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §39.5.9.pr-39.5.9.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:39.5.9.pr-39.5.9.3

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