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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §8.6.7.pr

Loss of Intermittent Servitudes by Non-Use

Passage 1493 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This text explains how the period is calculated for losing a water right or right of way by non-use when it is established seasonally or at certain intervals. While double the period is required for alternate years or months, the normal statutory period applies for daily cycles, such as alternate days or specific hours.

[PAULUS libro tertio decimo ad Plautium. ] §8.6.7.prSi sic constituta sit aqua, ut uel aestate ducatur tantum uel uno mense, quaeritur quemadmodum non utendo amittatur, quia non est continuum tempus, quo cum uti non potest, non sit usus.
[PAULUS, from the thirteenth book on Plautius.] If a water right is established in such a way that it is drawn only in summer or only for one month, it is asked how it is lost by non-use, because there is no continuous time in which, when one cannot use it, there is non-use.
itaque et si alternis annis uel mensibus quis aquam habeat, duplicato constituto tempore amittitur.
Therefore, even if someone has water in alternate years or months, it is lost by double the established time.
idem et de itinere custoditur.
The same rule is observed also concerning a right of way.
si uero alternis diebus aut die toto aut tantum nocte, statuto legibus tempore amittitur, quia una seruitus est: nam et si alternis horis uel una hora cottidie seruitutem habeat, Seruius scribit perdere eum non utendo seruitutem, quia id quod habet cottidianum sit.
If, however, it is on alternate days, or for the whole day, or only by night, it is lost by the time established by law, because it is a single servitude; for even if one has a servitude on alternate hours or for one hour daily, Servius writes that he loses the servitude by non-use, because what he has is daily.

Notes

  1. §8.6.7.prquo cum uti non potest, non sit usus — The relative pronoun 'quo' (referring to 'tempus') introduces a clause within which a 'cum' clause is nested. It refers to the logical difficulty that periods during which one cannot physically or legally exercise the right (e.g., winter or non-allocated months) cannot be continuously counted as 'non-use' for the calculation of prescriptive loss.
  2. §8.6.7.prduplicato constituto tempore — Ablative of means or cause. It indicates that in cases where periods of non-usability intervene regularly (such as alternate years or months), the calendar prescriptive period is extended to 'double the established time' so that the sum of the actual usable periods equals the normal prescriptive period.
  3. §8.6.7.prquia id quod habet cottidianum sit — The subjunctive present 'sit' expresses a reported or subjective reason based on Servius's writing. It means that even if the right is restricted to alternate hours or one hour daily, as long as it can be exercised every day (cottidie), it is deemed a 'daily' (cottidianum) servitude, and thus the normal continuous prescriptive period applies to the calculation of non-use.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §8.6.7.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:8.6.7.pr

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