Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §8.4.17.pr

Walls Built by Precarium and the Extinction of Servitudes

Passage 1464 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

The text discusses the applicability of interdicts, the usucapion of freedom from a servitude, and the extinction of a servitude by donation when a neighbor builds a wall by precarium either on another's land or on their own land subject to a servitude.

[PAPINIANUS libro septimo quaestionum. ] §8.4.17.prSi precario uicinus in tuo maceriam duxerit, interdicto 'quod precario habet' agi non poterit, nec maceria posita donatio seruitutis perfecta intellegitur, nec utiliter intendetur ius sibi esse inuito te aedificatum habere, cum aedificium soli condicionem secutum inutilem faciat intentionem.
[PAPINIANUS, book 7 of Questions] If a neighbor has constructed a stone wall on your land by precarium (permissive occupancy), it will not be possible to bring an action under the interdict 'quod precario habet'; nor, by the erection of the stone wall, is a donation of a servitude understood to be completed; nor will it be usefully claimed that he has a right to keep a structure built against your will, since the building, having followed the condition of the soil, makes the claim useless.
ceterum si in suo maceriam precario, qui seruitutem tibi debuit, duxerit, neque libertas usucapietur et interdicto 'quod precario habet' utiliter cum eo agetur. quod si donationis causa permiseris, et interdicto agere non poteris et seruitus donatione tollitur.
But if one who owed a servitude to you has constructed a stone wall on his own land by precarium, freedom [from the servitude] will not be acquired by usucapion, and an action will be usefully brought against him under the interdict 'quod precario habet.' If, however, you permitted this for the sake of a donation, you will not be able to bring an action under the interdict, and the servitude is extinguished by the donation.

Notes

  1. §8.4.17.prin tuo, in suo — Ellipsis of 'fundo' (land) or 'solo' (ground). In Latin, the neuter (or masculine singular) of possessive pronouns is often used alone to mean 'on your land' or 'on his own land' when the context is clear.
  2. §8.4.17.printerdicto 'quod precario habet' agi non poterit — 'agi' is the passive infinitive of the intransitive verb 'agere' (to bring an action), used impersonally here to mean 'it will not be possible to bring an action (by means of this interdict).' The ablative 'interdicto' denotes the instrument.
  3. §8.4.17.prsoli condicionem secutum — 'secutum' is the perfect participle (neuter singular nominative) of the deponent verb 'sequor' (to follow), modifying the subject 'aedificium' (building). It expresses cause: 'since the building has followed the condition of the soil.' This refers to the Roman legal maxim 'superficies solo cedit' (what is attached to the land goes with the land).
  4. §8.4.17.prlibertas usucapietur — This refers to 'libertatis usucapio' (usucapion of freedom). It is the acquisition of 'freedom' from the burden of a servitude by the owner of the servient tenement maintaining a state contrary to the servitude for a statutory period. Here, because the wall is built by precarium (permissive occupancy), such usucapion does not run.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §8.4.17.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:8.4.17.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.