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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §45.1.115.pr-45.1.115.2

Penalty Stipulations for Non-Appearance and Absence of Dates

Passage 7462 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Papinianus discusses the validity and timing of conditions being fulfilled in stipulations for appearance or delivery with alternative monetary penalties, drawing on opinions of Pegasus, Sabinus, and Mucius regarding how the formulation of the stipulation affects default remedies.

[PAPINIANUS libro secundo quaestionum. ] §45.1.115.prIta stipulatus sum: 'te sisti in certo loco: si non steteris, quinquaginta aureos dari spondes?' si dies in stipulatione per errorem omissus fuerit, cum id ageretur, ut certo die sisteres, inperfecta erit stipulatio, non secus ac si quod pondere numero mensura continetur sine adiectione ponderis numeri mensurae stipulatus essem, uel insulam aedificari non demonstrato loco, uel fundum dari non adiecto nomine.
[PAPINIANUS, book two of Questions.] I stipulated thus: 'That you be produced in a certain place; if you do not appear, do you promise that fifty gold pieces shall be given?' If the date was omitted in the stipulation through error, although it was intended that you should appear on a certain day, the stipulation will be incomplete, not otherwise than if I had stipulated for something contained in weight, number, or measure without the addition of the weight, number, or measure, or that an apartment building be built without the place being pointed out, or that an estate be given without its name being added.
quod si ab initio id agebatur, ut quocumque die sisteres et, si non stetisses, pecuniam dares, quasi quaelibet stipulatio sub condicione concepta uires habebit, nec ante committetur, quam fuerit declaratum reum promittendi sisti non posse.
But if from the beginning it was intended that you should appear on any day whatsoever and, if you did not appear, you should give the money, it will have force just as any stipulation formulated under a condition, nor will the condition be fulfilled before it has been declared that the promisor cannot appear.
§45.1.115.1Sed et si ita stipulatus fuero: 'si in Capitolium non ascenderis' uel 'Alexandriam non ieris, centum dari spondes?' non statim committetur stipulatio, quamuis Capitolium ascendere uel Alexandriam peruenire potueris, sed cum certum esse coeperit te Capitolium ascendere uel Alexandriam ire non posse.
But also, if I stipulate thus: 'If you do not ascend to the Capitol, or do not go to Alexandria, do you promise that one hundred shall be given?' the stipulation will not be fulfilled immediately, although you might have been able to ascend to the Capitol or arrive at Alexandria, but only when it has begun to be certain that you cannot ascend to the Capitol or go to Alexandria.
§45.1.115.2Item si quis ita stipuletur: 'si Pamphilum non dederis, centum dari spondes?' Pegasus respondit non ante committi stipulationem, quam desisset posse Pamphilum dari.
Likewise, if anyone should stipulate thus: 'If you do not give Pamphilus, do you promise that one hundred shall be given?' Pegasus answered that the stipulation is not fulfilled before it has ceased to be possible for Pamphilus to be given.
Sabinus autem existimabat ex sententia contrahentium, postquam homo potuit dari, confestim agendum et tamdiu ex stipulatione non posse agi, quamdiu per promissorem non stetit, quo minus hominem daret, idque defendebat exemplo penus legatae.
Sabinus, however, thought that according to the intention of the contracting parties, after the slave could have been given, action should be brought immediately, and that an action on the stipulation cannot be brought as long as it is not due to the promisor that he did not give the slave; and he defended this by the example of bequeathed provisions.
Mucius etenim heredem, si dare potuisset penum nec dedisset, confestim in pecuniam legatam teneri scripsit, idque utilitatis causa receptum est ob defuncti uoluntatem et ipsius rei naturam.
For Mucius wrote that the heir, if he could have given the provisions and did not give them, is immediately held for the bequeathed money, and this was accepted for the sake of utility because of the deceased's will and the nature of the thing itself.
itaque potest Sabini sententia recipi, si stipulatio non a condicione coepit, ueluti 'si Pamphilum non dederis, tantum dare spondes?', sed ita concepta sit stipulatio: 'Pamphilum dari spondes? si non dederis, tantum dari spondes?' quod sine dubio uerum erit, cum id actum probatur, ut, si homo datus non fuerit, et homo et pecunia debeatur.
Therefore, Sabinus' opinion can be accepted if the stipulation did not begin with a condition, such as 'If you do not give Pamphilus, do you promise that so much shall be given?', but the stipulation was formulated thus: 'Do you promise that Pamphilus shall be given? If you do not give him, do you promise that so much shall be given?' This will be undoubtedly true when it is proved to have been intended that, if the slave is not given, both the slave and the money are owed.
sed et si ita cautum sit, ut sola pecunia non soluto homine debeatur, idem defendendum erit, quoniam fuisse uoluntas probatur, ut homo soluatur aut pecunia petatur.
But even if it was so provided that only the money is owed if the slave is not released, the same must be defended, since it is proved to have been the intention that either the slave be released or the money be sued for.

Notes

  1. §45.1.115.prte sisti — An accusative with infinitive (AcI) construction consisting of the accusative `te` and the passive present infinitive `sisti` (to be produced/appear), serving as the object of the main verb `stipulatus sum`.
  2. §45.1.115.prnec ante committetur — The verb `committere` (passive `committi`) is a technical legal term in the context of conditional stipulations meaning that the condition is fulfilled and the liability (such as a penalty) is incurred.
  3. §45.1.115.2tamdiu ex stipulatione non posse agi, quamdiu per promissorem non stetit, quo minus — An impersonal construction `per aliquem stat, quo minus...` meaning 'it is due to someone that ... not'. Here, negated by `non stetit`, it means 'as long as it was not due to the promisor (i.e., there was no default or delay on his part) that he did not perform'.
  4. §45.1.115.2si non dederis, tantum dare spondes? — This contrasts a pure conditional stipulation starting directly with a condition (`si...`, where the condition is not fulfilled until performance becomes impossible) with a construction containing a primary obligation followed by a conditional penalty. In the latter case, since the penalty can be claimed upon delay (mora) even while performance is still possible, Sabinus's view is applicable.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §45.1.115.pr-45.1.115.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:45.1.115.pr-45.1.115.2

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