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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §7.1.27.pr-7.1.27.5

Scope of Usufructuary Rights and Liability for Public Burdens

Passage 1198 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

The text discusses the rights and duties of a usufructuary concerning mature crops at the vesting of a legacy, the scope of shop leases, the training of unskilled slaves, the liability for public burdens or servitudes on the land, and the compliance with restrictive covenants on purchased slaves.

[ULPIANUS libro octauo decimo ad Sabinum. ] §7.1.27.prSi pendentes fructus iam maturos reliquisset testator, fructuarius eos feret, si die legati cedente adhuc pendentes deprehendisset: nam et stantes fructus ad fructuarium pertinent.
[ULPIANUS in the eighteenth book on Sabinus.] If the testator had left unharvested fruits which were already ripe, the usufructuary shall take them, if he found them still unharvested at the vesting day of the legacy; for even standing crops belong to the usufructuary.
§7.1.27.1Si dominus solitus fuit tabernis ad merces suas uti uel ad negotiationem, utique permittetur fructuario locare eas et ad alias merces, et illud solum obseruandum, ne uel abutatur usufructuarius uel contumeliose iniurioseue utatur usu fructu.
If the owner was accustomed to use the shops for his own wares or for business, it will certainly be permitted to the usufructuary to lease them even for other wares, and only this is to be observed, that the usufructuary neither abuses the property nor uses the usufruct insultingly or wrongfully.
§7.1.27.2Si serui usus fructus legatus est, cuius testator quasi ministerio uacuo utebatur, si eum disciplinis uel arte instituerit usufructuarius, arte eius uel peritia utetur.
If the usufruct of a slave is bequeathed, whom the testator used as it were for unskilled service, and the usufructuary has instructed him in disciplines or an art, he shall use his art or skill.
§7.1.27.3Si quid cloacarii nomine debeatur uel si quid ob formam aquae ductus, quae per agrum transit, pendatur, ad onus fructuarii pertinebit: sed et si quid ad collationem uiae, puto hoc quoque fructuarium subiturum: ergo et quod ob transitum exercitus confertur ex fructibus: sed et si quid municipio, nam solent possessores certam partem fructuum municipio uiliori pretio addicere: solent et fisco fusiones praestare.
If anything is owed on account of the sewer, or if anything is paid on account of the channel of an aqueduct which passes through the land, it will belong to the burden of the usufructuary; but also if anything is owed for road contribution, I think that the usufructuary will bear this too; consequently, also what is contributed from the crops on account of the transit of an army; but also if anything is owed to the municipality, for possessors are accustomed to deliver a certain part of the crops to the municipality at a lower price; they are also accustomed to pay taxes in kind to the treasury.
haec onera ad fructuarium pertinebunt.
These burdens will belong to the usufructuary.
§7.1.27.4Si qua seruitus imposita est fundo, necesse habebit fructuarius sustinere: unde et si per stipulationem seruitus debeatur, idem puto dicendum.
If any servitude is imposed on the estate, the usufructuary will have to tolerate it; hence, even if a servitude is owed by stipulation, I think the same must be said.
§7.1.27.5Sed et si seruus sub poena emptus sit interdictis certis quibusdam, an si usus fructus eius fuerit legatus, obseruare haec fructuarius debeat? et puto debere eum obseruare: alioquin non boni uiri arbitratu utitur et fruitur.
But even if a slave has been bought under a penalty with certain prohibitions, if his usufruct has been bequeathed, should the usufructuary observe these? And I think he ought to observe them; otherwise, he does not use and enjoy according to the judgment of an honorable man.

Notes

  1. 7.1.27.prdie legati cedente — Ablative absolute. Formed from the legal term `dies cedit` (the vesting of a right), referring to the moment when the right to the legacy is legally acquired.
  2. 7.1.27.2ministerio uacuo — Ablative, serving as the object of `utebatur` (from `utor`). It denotes unskilled general service or service without any specific trade or training.
  3. 7.1.27.3fructuarium subiturum — Accusative with infinitive construction introduced by `puto` ('I think'), consisting of the subject accusative `fructuarium` and the future active infinitive `subiturum [esse]` (from `subire`, meaning 'to undergo' or 'to bear').
  4. 7.1.27.5interdictis certis quibusdam — Ablative absolute. It indicates that certain restrictive conditions or prohibitions (e.g., not to be freed, or not to reside in a certain place) were imposed during the sale of the slave.
  5. 7.1.27.5boni uiri arbitratu — Ablative of manner, consisting of `arbitratus` (judgment, decision) and the genitive `boni uiri` (of an honorable man). It represents a legal standard of fairness or reasonable conduct, equivalent to 'according to the judgment of an honorable person.'

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §7.1.27.pr-7.1.27.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:7.1.27.pr-7.1.27.5

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