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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §8.4.16.pr

Obligating an Heir to Impose Servitudes by Will

Passage 1463 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

It describes that a testator can obligate their heir in a will to allow or establish various urban and rustic servitudes for the benefit of a neighbor.

[GAIUS libro secundo rerum cottidianarum siue aureorum. ] §8.4.16.prPotest etiam in testamento heredem suum quis damnare, ne altius aedes suas tollat, ne luminibus aedium uicinarum officiat, uel ut patiatur eum tignum in parietem immittere, uel stillicidia aduersus eum habere, uel ut patiatur uicinum per fundum suum uel heredis ire agere aquamue ex eo ducere.
[GAIUS, book 2 of Everyday Matters or Golden Words] Anyone can also in a will bind his heir not to raise his own building higher, not to obstruct the light of neighboring buildings, or to permit him to insert a beam into the wall, or to have roof-drippings against him, or to permit a neighbor to go, drive, or draw water through his own land or that of the heir.

Notes

  1. §8.4.16.prheredem suum quis damnare — The verb 'damnare' derives from the formulaic expression in wills for imposing an obligation on the heir ('legatum per damnationem'). Here, taking 'ne' and 'ut' clauses, it means to obligate the heir to allow or establish servitudes. 'quis' is the indefinite pronoun 'anyone' acting as the subject of the sentence.
  2. §8.4.16.preum tignum in parietem immittere, uel stillicidia aduersus eum habere — The first 'eum' is the subject of the accusative-with-infinitve construction ('immittere') and refers to the neighbor. In contrast, 'eum' in 'aduersus eum' is the object of the preposition, referring to the 'heir' ('heredem') who is subject to the servitude. The phrase 'stillicidia ... habere' is construed as an infinitive clause dependent on the preceding 'ut patiatur' (i.e., '[ut patiatur eum] stillicidia ... habere').
  3. §8.4.16.prfundum suum uel heredis — The reflexive possessive pronoun 'suum' refers back to the subject of the main clause, the testator ('quis'). Thus, it means either the testator's own land or that of the heir.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §8.4.16.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:8.4.16.pr

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