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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §41.3.32.pr-41.3.32.2

Change of Cause of Possession and Error in Usucapion

Passage 6784 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Based on Pomponius, this section discusses the shift in the cause of possession when a thief purchases the stolen property, the effect of an error concerning the legal possibility of usucapion, and the impossibility of possessing an uncertain share.

[POMPONIUS libro trigensimo secundo ad Sabinum. ] §41.3.32.prSi fur rem furtiuam a domino emerit et pro tradita habuerit, desinet eam pro furtiua possidere et incipiet pro suo possidere.
[POMPONIUS, On Sabinus, book 32] If a thief purchases the stolen thing from its owner and holds it as delivered, he will cease to possess it as stolen and will begin to possess it as his own.
§41.3.32.1Si quis id, quod possidet, non putat sibi per leges licere usucapere, dicendum est, etiamsi erret, non procedere tamen eius usucapionem, uel quia non bona fide uideatur possidere uel quia in iure erranti non procedat usucapio.
If someone does not think that it is permitted for him by law to acquire by usucapion that which he possesses, it must be said that, even if he is in error, his usucapion nevertheless does not proceed, either because he does not seem to possess in good faith, or because usucapion does not proceed for one who is in error on a point of law.
§41.3.32.2Incertam partem possidere nemo potest: ideo si plures sint in fundo, qui ignorent, quotam quisque partem possideat, neminem eorum mera suptilitate possidere Labeo scribit.
No one can possess an uncertain share; therefore, if there are several persons on a piece of land who do not know what share each of them possesses, Labeo writes that by strict interpretation none of them possesses.

Notes

  1. §41.3.32.prpro tradita — The participle `tradita` (perfect passive participle of `tradere`, feminine singular ablative) is governed by the preposition `pro` ("as", "in place of") and agrees in gender and number with the preceding feminine noun `rem furtiuam`. The phrase `pro tradita habere` is an idiomatic expression meaning "to hold or treat as delivered".
  2. §41.3.32.1in iure erranti — The present participle `erranti` (dative of `errans` from `errare`, "to err") is a dative of reference or benefit serving as the logical subject for the subjunctive verb `procedat` ("proceeds for..."). `in iure` ("in law" or "on a point of law") modifies `erranti`, referring to someone who makes an error of law (error iuris) as opposed to an error of fact (error facti).
  3. §41.3.32.2mera suptilitate — This is the ablative of manner or standard, consisting of the feminine noun `suptilitas` ("subtlety", "strictness") and the adjective `mera` ("mere"). It means "by mere subtlety (of legal reasoning)" or "according to a strict interpretation".

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §41.3.32.pr-41.3.32.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:41.3.32.pr-41.3.32.2

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