Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §7.9.4.pr

Actions on Stipulation and Defenses after Consolidation

Passage 1340 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Discusses whether an action brought on a stipulation after a usufructuary acquires ownership through merger is void of right based on the decision of an honest man, or whether the defendant must plead a defense on the facts.

[UENULEIUS libro duodecimo stipulationum. ] §7.9.4.prSi fructuarius proprietatem adsecutus fuerit, desinit quidem usus fructus ad eum pertinere propter confusionem: sed si ex stipulatu cum eo agatur, aut ipso iure inutiliter agi dicendum est, si uiri boni arbitrium huc usque porrigitur, aut in factum excipere debebit.
[VENULEIUS in the twelfth book of Stipulations.] If the usufructuary has acquired the ownership, the usufruct indeed ceases to belong to him by reason of merger; but if an action is brought against him on the stipulation, it must either be said that the action is brought ineffectually by operation of law, if the decision of an honest man extends so far, or he will have to plead a defense on the facts.

Notes

  1. 7.9.4.prex stipulatu cum eo agatur — The verb agatur is an impersonal passive ('if an action is brought'). The pronoun eo in cum eo ('against him') refers to the usufructuary (fructuarius) mentioned in the preceding clause.
  2. 7.9.4.pruiri boni arbitrium — Refers to the 'decision of an honest man' (arbitrium viri boni), which serves as the standard for returning property in the usufructuary security (cautio usufructuaria). Whether this judgment extends (porrigitur) to exempting the return when the usufruct is extinguished by merger is the condition for whether the action is void by operation of law (ipso iure).
  3. 7.9.4.prin factum excipere — The verb excipere means to plead or raise an exception (exceptio). The phrase in factum refers to an exception based on the facts (exceptio in factum), i.e., the fact that the defendant became the owner by merger. The subject of debebit is the usufructuary (fructuarius).

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §7.9.4.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:7.9.4.pr

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.