Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §41.2.12.pr-41.2.12.1

Natural Possession of Usufructuary and Ownership Distinction

Passage 6710 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Ulpianus explains that a usufructuary is deemed to have natural possession, and highlights that ownership and possession are distinct, meaning that initiating a claim for property (rei vindicatio) does not constitute a waiver of possession or bar the use of the interdict uti possidetis.

[ULPIANUS libro septuagensimo ad edictum. ] §41.2.12.prNaturaliter uidetur possidere is qui usum fructum habet.
[ULPIANUS, in the seventieth book on the Edict.] He who has the usufruct is deemed to possess naturally.
§41.2.12.1Nihil commune habet proprietas cum possessione: et ideo non denegatur ei interdictum uti possidetis, qui coepit rem uindicare: non enim uidetur possessioni renuntiasse, qui rem uindicauit.
Property has nothing in common with possession; and therefore, the interdict uti possidetis is not denied to him who has begun to claim the property; for he who has claimed the property is not deemed to have renounced possession.

Notes

  1. §41.2.12.prNaturaliter uidetur possidere — The verb uidetur (passive of uideo) is used in a personal construction (nominative with infinitive) with the subject is, meaning "is deemed to possess." The phrase naturaliter possidere ("to possess naturally") is a technical term indicating factual detentio as opposed to legal possession (possessio civilis).
  2. §41.2.12.1ei... qui coepit — The pronoun ei is a dative of disinterest/reference dependent on the passive verb denegatur ("is denied"). The relative clause qui coepit... ("he who has begun...") refers back to the implied antecedent represented by the dative pronoun ei.
  3. §41.2.12.1possessioni renuntiasse — The perfect active infinitive renuntiasse (from renuntiare, "to renounce") governs the dative case; hence possessioni (possession, dative feminine singular) acts as its object. This infinitive phrase serves as the complement of uidetur ("is deemed").

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §41.2.12.pr-41.2.12.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:41.2.12.pr-41.2.12.1

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

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.