Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §44.3.11.pr

Inability of an Heir's Ignorance to Cure Defective Possession

Passage 7255 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

The text explains that since an heir succeeds to all rights of the deceased, their own ignorance cannot cure the defects in the deceased's possession, thus barring usucapion and the defense of long possession.

[IDEM libro secundo definitionum. ] §44.3.11.prCum heres in ius omne defuncti succedit, ignoratione sua defuncti uitia non excludit, ueluti cum sciens alienum illum illo uel precario possedit: quamuis enim precarium heredem ignorantem non teneat nec interdicto recte conueniatur, tamen usucapere non poterit, quod defunctus non potuit.
[THE SAME, Definitions, book two] Since an heir succeeds to all the rights of the deceased, he does not by his own ignorance exclude the defects of the deceased; as, for example, when the deceased possessed a thing knowing it to belong to another, or possessed it by precarium from him. For although the precarium does not bind an ignorant heir, nor can he be properly sued by interdict, nevertheless he will not be able to acquire by usucapion what the deceased could not.
idem iuris est, cum de longa possessione quaeritur: neque enim recte defendetur, cum exordium ei bonae fidei ratio non tueatur.
The same rule of law applies when a question is raised concerning long possession; for it will not be properly defended, since the principle of good faith does not protect its beginning for him.

Notes

  1. §44.3.11.prillum illo uel precario — illum refers to the object possessed (accusative singular masculine), while illo refers to the other person from whom the possession is held (ablative, in the sense of ab illo). Thus, sciens alienum ("knowing it to belong to another") modifies illum, and precario relates to illo. This illustrates both the cases where the deceased possessed in bad faith and where they possessed by precarium.
  2. §44.3.11.prexordium ei bonae fidei ratio non tueatur — exordium is the accusative meaning "the beginning (of possession)" and serves as the direct object of tueatur. ei is the dative referring to the heir, expressing reference ("for him") or possession. bonae fidei ratio ("the principle of good faith") is the subject, forming a causal clause introduced by cum ("since").

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §44.3.11.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:44.3.11.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.