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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §46.3.21.pr

Stipulation for a Deficiency and Mutual Release

Passage 7676 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Discusses how a stipulation with Seius for the deficiency of Titius's debt affects the release of both parties during litigation, and explains the conditional nature of Seius's liability.

[PAULUS libro decimo ad Sabinum. ] §46.3.21.prSi decem stipulatus a Titio deinde stipuleris a Seio, quanto minus ab illo consecutus sis: etsi decem petieris a Titio, non tamen absoluitur Seius: quid enim, si condemnatus Titius nihil facere potest? sed et si cum Seio prius egeris, Titius in nullam partem liberatur: incertum quippe est, an omnino Seius debiturus sit: denique si totum Titius soluerit, nec debitor fuisse uidebitur Seius, quia condicio eius deficit.
[PAULUS in the tenth book on Sabinus.] If, having stipulated for ten from Titius, you then stipulate from Seius for "whatever less you may obtain from the former": even if you sue Titius for the ten, Seius is nevertheless not released; for what if Titius, having been condemned, is unable to pay anything? But even if you sue Seius first, Titius is not released to any extent; for indeed it is uncertain whether Seius will owe anything at all. Finally, if Titius pays the whole, Seius will not even be deemed to have been a debtor, because his condition fails.

Notes

  1. §46.3.21.prquanto minus ab illo consecutus sis — An indirect question clause serving as the object of the verb stipuleris. It represents the content of a conditional stipulation (stipulatio) for the deficiency, literally "how much less you have obtained from him (Titius)".
  2. §46.3.21.prnihil facere potest — The verb facere here means to perform an obligation, specifically to pay (soluere). Thus, it indicates a state in which the subject, condemnatus Titius (Titius, having been condemned), has no means to make payment.
  3. §46.3.21.prcondicio eius deficit — Since Seius's liability is a conditional obligation depending on the deficiency of Titius's payment, if Titius pays the whole amount, the condition "fails" (deficit), and Seius is retrospectively deemed never to have been a debtor.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §46.3.21.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:46.3.21.pr

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