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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §39.6.13.pr-39.6.13.1

Gifts of Another's Property, Usucapion, and Donor's Intent

Passage 6263 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Julian's view on the donation of another's property mortis causa and its usucapio is presented, followed by Marcellus's notes on the various intentions of the parties (questions of fact) in such donations.

[IULIANUS libro septimo decimo digestorum. ] §39.6.13.prSi alienam rem mortis causa donauero eaque usucapta fuerit, uerus dominus eam condicere non potest, sed ego, si conualuero.
[JULIANUS, from the seventeenth book of the Digests.] If I donate a third party's property mortis causa and it is acquired by usucapio, the true owner cannot sue for its return, but I can, if I recover.
§39.6.13.1MARCELLUS notat: in mortis causa donationibus etiam facti quaestiones sunt.
MARCELLUS notes: in donations mortis causa there are also questions of fact.
nam et sic potest donari, ut omnimodo ex ea ualetudine donatore mortuo res non reddatur: et ut reddatur, etiamsi prior ex eadem ualetudine donator decesserit, si tamen mutata uoluntate restitui sibi uoluerit.
For it can be donated in this way, so that if the donor dies of that illness, the property is in no way to be returned; and so that it is returned, even if the donor dies first of the same illness, provided that, having changed his mind, he wished it to be restored to him.
sed et sic donari potest, ut non aliter reddatur, quam si prior ille qui acceperit decesserit.
But it can also be donated in this way, so that it is not returned otherwise than if the recipient dies first.
sic quoque potest donari mortis causa, ut nullo casu sit eius repetitio, id est nec si conualuerit quidem donator.
In this way also it can be donated mortis causa, so that in no case is there a recovery of it, that is, not even if the donor recovers.

Notes

  1. §39.6.13.prsed ego, si conualuero — The verb `condicere possum` (I can sue for return) is understood from the preceding `condicere non potest`, meaning "but I can, if I recover." When the donor recovers, the donation mortis causa ceases to have effect or becomes revocable, allowing the donor to bring a condictio for its return against the recipient, whereas the true owner can no longer sue because the recipient has acquired ownership by usucapio.
  2. §39.6.13.1prior — A comparative adjective meaning "first" or "prior (to the other party)," agreeing in gender, number, and case with the subject (the donor `donator` or the recipient `ille qui acceperit`). It illustrates various forms of agreement in donations mortis causa where the sequence of survivorship (who dies first) conditions the duty to return.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §39.6.13.pr-39.6.13.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:39.6.13.pr-39.6.13.1

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

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