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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §45.1.116.pr

Validity of a Conditional Stipulation for an Unpaid Balance

Passage 7463 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This section explains that in a conditional stipulation where Maeuius promises to pay what cannot be recovered from Titius, Maeuius is a conditional debtor rather than a co-obligor, meaning he cannot be sued before remedies against Titius are exhausted.

[IDEM libro quarto quaestionum. ] §45.1.116.prDecem stipulatus a Titio postea, quanto minus ab eo consequi posses, si a Maeuio stipularis, sine dubio Maeuius uniuersi periculum potest subire.
[THE SAME, book four of Questions.] If, after having stipulated for ten from Titius, you subsequently stipulate from Maeuius for how much less you might be able to obtain from him, Maeuius can undoubtedly undergo the risk of the whole amount.
sed et si decem petieris a Titio, Maeuius non erit solutus, nisi iudicatum Titius fecerit.
But even if you sue Titius for the ten, Maeuius will not be released unless Titius satisfies the judgment.
PAULUS notat: non enim sunt duo rei Maeuius et Titius eiusdem obligationis, sed Maeuius sub condicione debet, si a Titio exigi non poterit: igitur nec Titio conuento Maeuius liberatur (qui an debiturus sit, incertum est) et soluente Titio non liberatur Maeuius (qui nec tenebatur), cum condicio stipulationis deficit, nec Maeuius pendente stipulationis condicione recte potest conueniri: a Maeuio enim ante Titium excussum non recte petetur.
PAULUS notes: for Maeuius and Titius are not two co-promisors of the same obligation, but Maeuius owes under a condition, 'if it cannot be exacted from Titius'; therefore, Maeuius is neither released by Titius being sued (for it is uncertain whether he will owe), nor is Maeuius (who was not even bound) released when Titius pays, since the condition of the stipulation fails; nor can Maeuius be rightfully sued while the condition of the stipulation is pending, for he will not be rightfully sued before Titius has been exhausted.

Notes

  1. §45.1.116.prquanto minus — Meaning 'by how much less', referring to the deficiency remaining after subtracting what could be recovered from Titius (`eo`) from the original ten (`decem`). It forms a nominal clause serving as the object of `stipularis`.
  2. §45.1.116.prqui nec tenebatur — The phrase `nec tenebatur` ('was not even bound') within the relative clause indicates that Maeuius was a conditional debtor, and as a result of the failure of the condition (`deficit`), no obligation ever arose. Therefore, the technical concept of 'release' (`liberatio`) does not strictly apply to him.
  3. §45.1.116.prante Titium excussum — The preposition `ante` governing the passive participle `excussum` expresses the action 'before Titius is exhausted/sued to execution'. `excutere` here is a technical legal term referring to the exhaustion of remedies against the principal debtor before proceeding against the guarantor.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §45.1.116.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:45.1.116.pr

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