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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §6.1.15.pr-6.1.15.3

Loss of Property and Possessor Liability from Default

Passage 1086 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

The text discusses the scope of liability when a possessor delivers damaged property or sells it out of necessity, the handling of land assigned to soldiers, and whether the price of a deceased slave or animal must be paid based on the existence of delay.

[ULPIANUS libro sexto decimo ad edictum. ] §6.1.15.prItem si uerberatum tradidit, Labeo ait etiam iniuriarum competere actionem petitori. §6.1.15.1Si quis rem ex necessitate distraxit, fortassis huic officio iudicis succurretur, ut pretium dumtaxat debeat restituere.
[ULPIANUS, in the sixteenth book on the Edict.]\n\nLikewise, if he delivered up a beaten [slave], Labeo says that an action for damages (iniuriae) is also available to the plaintiff.\n\nIf someone sold the property out of necessity, perhaps he will be assisted by the office of the judge, so that he only ought to restore the price.
nam et si fructus perceptos distraxit, ne corrumpantur, aeque non amplius quam pretium praestabit. §6.1.15.2Item si forte ager fuit qui petitus est et militibus adsignatus est modico honoris gratia possessori dato, an hoc restituere debeat? et puto praestaturum. §6.1.15.3Si seruus petitus uel animal aliud demortuum sit sine dolo malo et culpa possessoris, pretium non esse praestandum plerique aiunt: sed est uerius, si forte distracturus erat petitor si accepisset, moram passo debere praestari: nam si ei restituisset, distraxisset et pretium esset lucratus.
For even if he sold the gathered fruits to prevent them from spoiling, he will likewise not pay anything more than the price.\n\nLikewise, if by chance the property claimed was land and it was assigned to soldiers, a small amount having been given to the possessor by way of gratuity, must he restore this? And I think he must make it good.\n\nIf the slave claimed or another animal died without fraud or fault on the part of the possessor, most authorities say that the price does not have to be paid. But it is more correct that, if by chance the plaintiff would have sold it if he had received it, it must be paid to the one who suffered delay; for if he had restored it to him, the plaintiff would have sold it and gained the price.

Notes

  1. §6.1.15.pruerberatum — The participle `uerberatum` (beaten) is in the accusative without an explicit noun, referring contextually to the slave (`seruus`) who was claimed as the object.
  2. §6.1.15.1officio iudicis — The dative `huic` (to this person) is the object of the impersonal passive `succurretur` (relief will be given). `officio iudicis` is an ablative of means or cause, meaning 'by the office of the judge'.
  3. §6.1.15.3moram passo — The participle `passo` (having suffered), agreeing with the accusative noun `moram` (delay), is used substantively in the dative masculine, referring to 'the one who suffered the delay' (the plaintiff). It depends on the passive infinitive `praestari`.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §6.1.15.pr-6.1.15.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:6.1.15.pr-6.1.15.3

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