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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §6.1.52.pr

Fraudulent Loss of Possession and Heir's Enrichment

Passage 1123 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

If a possessor of land fraudulently relinquishes possession before joinder of issue, his heirs are not forced to defend an action in rem, but are liable under an action in factum to the extent of their enrichment.

[IULIANUS libro quinquagensimo quinto digestorum. ] §6.1.52.prCum autem fundi possessor ante litem contestatam dolo malo fundum possidere desiit, heredes eius in rem quidem actionem suscipere cogendi non sunt, sed in factum actio aduersus eos reddi debebit, per quam restituere cogantur, quanto locupletes ex ea re facti fuerunt.
[JULIANUS in the fifty-fifth book of the Digests.] However, when the possessor of a piece of land has ceased to possess the land by fraud before joinder of issue, his heirs are not indeed to be compelled to accept an action in rem, but an action on the case (in factum) must be granted against them, by which they may be compelled to restore to the extent that they have been enriched from that transaction.

Notes

  1. §6.1.52.prin rem quidem actionem suscipere cogendi non sunt — The particle quidem forms a contrast with the following sed ("it is true that... but..."), indicating a concessive context. It points out that while heirs are not compelled to defend an action in rem due to the deceased's fraudulent loss of possession, they are still liable to a different type of action.
  2. §6.1.52.prquanto locupletes ex ea re facti fuerunt — The word quanto functions as an ablative of measure of difference (or degree) modifying the adjective locupletes, defining the extent of the unjust enrichment ("to the extent that they have been enriched"). The phrase facti fuerunt is used instead of facti sunt to emphasize the completed state of enrichment.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §6.1.52.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:6.1.52.pr

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