Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §41.3.48.pr

Mistaken Delivery and Usucapion in Sale and Performance

Passage 6800 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Paulus discusses the validity of usucapion in cases of mistaken delivery, explaining the difference in requirements (specifically the timing of good faith) between general performance and a contract of sale.

[IDEM libro secundo manualium. ] §41.3.48.prSi existimans debere tibi tradam, ita demum usucapio sequitur, si et tu putes debitum esse.
[THE SAME, On Manuals, book 2] If, believing that I owe you something, I deliver it to you, usucapion follows only if you also believe that it is owed.
aliud, si putem me ex causa uenditi teneri et ideo tradam: hic enim nisi emptio praecedat, pro emptore usucapio locum non habet.
It is different if I believe that I am bound by a contract of sale and therefore deliver it; for in this case, unless a sale has preceded, usucapion "as purchaser" does not take place.
diuersitatis causa in illo est, quod in ceteris causis solutionis tempus inspicitur neque interest, cum stipulor, sciam alienum esse nec ne: sufficit enim me putare tuum esse, cum soluis: in emptione autem et contractus tempus inspicitur et quo soluitur: nec potest pro emptore usucapere, qui non emit, nec pro soluto, sicut in ceteris contractibus.
The reason for this difference is that in other cases of acquisition, the time of performance is looked at, and it does not matter whether I know or not that the thing belongs to another when I stipulate; for it is sufficient that I believe it to be yours when you perform. In sale, however, both the time of the contract and the time at which performance is made are looked at; and he who did not buy cannot acquire by usucapion "as purchaser," nor can he do so "as on performance," as in other contracts.

Notes

  1. §41.3.48.prexistimans debere — In the infinitive clause led by the nominative participle 'existimans', the subject accusative 'me' of 'debere' is omitted because it is identical with the subject of the main verb 'tradam' (first-person singular).
  2. §41.3.48.praliud, si putem — The verb 'est' is omitted after 'aliud', creating an elliptical structure meaning 'it is another thing (it is different) if I think...'.
  3. §41.3.48.prquo soluitur — The relative pronoun 'quo' refers back to the antecedent 'tempus' (specifically understanding the ablative 'tempore'), meaning 'the time at which performance is made'.
  4. §41.3.48.prnec pro soluto — The phrase 'potest... usucapere' is understood from the preceding clause, functioning as 'nec [potest] pro soluto [usucapere]', meaning 'nor can he acquire by usucapion on the ground of performance'.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §41.3.48.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:41.3.48.pr

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.