De curatore bonis dando
(Concerning the appointment of a curator of property.)
1 Paulus libro quinquagensimo septimo ad edictum. Si quis sub condicione heres institutus est, cogendus est condicioni parere, si potest, aut, si responderit se non aditurum, etiamsi condicio extiterit, vendenda erunt bona defuncti. 1Quod si nihil facere potest, curator bonis constituendus erit aut bona vendenda. 2Sed si grave aes alienum sit, quod ex poena crescat, per curatorem solvendum aes alienum, sicuti cum venter in possessione sit aut pupillus heres tutorem non habeat, decerni solet.
1 Paulus, On the Edict, Book LVII. Where an heir is appointed under a condition, he should be forced to comply with it, if he can do so; but if he says that he will not accept the estate, even if the condition is fulfilled, the property of the deceased must be sold by his creditors. 1If, however, the heir can do nothing, a curator of the estate should be appointed, or the property sold. 2If there is a considerable amount of indebtedness due from the estate, which may be increased by the addition of a penalty, the debts should be paid by the curator; just as is usually done when a pregnant woman is placed in possession in the name of her unborn child, or the heir is a minor who has no guardian.
2 Ulpianus libro sexagensimo quinto ad edictum. De curatore constituendo hoc iure utimur, ut praetor adeatur isque curatorem curatoresque constituat ex consensu maioris partis creditorum, vel praeses provinciae, si bona distrahenda in provincia sunt: 1Quaeque per eum eosve, qui ita creatus creative essent, acta facta gestaque sunt, rata habebuntur: eisque actiones et in eos utiles competunt: et si quem curatores mitterent ad agendum vel defendendum, uti ius esset: nec ab eo satis, neque de rato neque iudicatum solvi, nomine eius cuius bona veneant exigetur, sed nomine ipsius curatoris qui eum misit. 2Si plures autem constituantur curatores, Celsus ait in solidum eos et agere et conveniri, non pro portionibus. quod si per regiones fuerint constituti curatores, unus forte rei Italicae, alius in provincia, puto regiones eos suas conservare debere. 3Quaeritur, an invitus curator fieri potest: et Cassius scribit neminem invitum cogendum fieri bonorum curatorem, quod verius est. voluntarius itaque quaerendus est, nisi et magna necessitate et imperatoris arbitrio hoc procedat, ut et invitus crearetur. 4Nec omnimodo creditorem esse oportet eum, qui curator constituitur, sed possunt et non creditores. 5Si tres curatores fuerint et unus ex his nihil attigerit, an in eum, qui nihil tetigit, actio danda est? et Cassius existimat modum actori non debere constitui posseque eum cum quo vult experiri. puto Cassii sententiam veriorem: spectandum enim, quid redactum est, non quid ad curatorem unum pervenerit, et ita utimur, nisi invitus factus est: nam si ita est, dicendum non eum conveniendum.
2 Ulpianus, On the Edict, Book LXV. In the appointment of a curator, it is our practice to apply to the Prætor, in order that he may appoint one or more curators with the consent of the majority of the creditors, or to the Governor of the province, if the property is to be sold therein. 1Anything which may have been done or performed by the curator or curators appointed, that is, any acts or deeds, or any business which has been transacted, should be ratified. They are entitled to actions against others, and prætorian actions will lie against them. If the curators appoint anyone to bring a suit, or defend one, as the case may be, the security exacted from him with reference to the ratification of his acts, or the payment of the judgment, shall not be taken in the name of him whose property is sold, but in that of the curator himself, who appointed him. 2But where several curators are appointed, Celsus says that they must sue and be sued together, and not separately. If, however, the said curators are appointed for different districts, one, for instance, for property in Italy, and another for property in a province, I think that they will have control over their respective districts. 3The question arises whether a curator can be appointed against his will. Cassius says that no one can be compelled to become a curator of property against his consent, which is correct. Therefore, one must be found who is willing, unless imperative necessity exists; and the authority of the Emperor must be invoked for a curator to be appointed against his will. 4It is not absolutely essential that the person appointed curator should be a creditor; but those who are not creditors can be appointed. 5If there are three curators, and one of them did not transact any business relating to his office, can an action be granted against him? Cassius thinks that no restriction should be imposed upon a plaintiff under such circumstances, and that any one creditor, who desires to do so, can institute proceedings against him. I think that the opinion of Cassius is perfectly correct, and that what has been obtained from the estate, and not what has come into the hands of one of the curators, should be taken into consideration. This is our practice, unless the curator was appointed against his consent; for, if this is the case, it must be held that an action should not be brought against him.
3 Celsus libro vicensimo quarto digestorum. Si plures eiusdem bonorum curatores facti sunt, in quem eorum vult actor, in solidum ei datur actio tam quam quivis eorum in solidum aget.
3 Celsus, Digest, Book XXIV. Where several curators are appointed for the property of the same person, an action to recover the entire amount will be granted against any one of them that the plaintiff may select; just as each one of them can sue a debtor of the estate for the entire amount he owes.
4 Papirius Iustus libro primo de constitutionibus. Imperatores Antoninus et Verus Augusti rescripserunt bonis per curatorem ex senatus consulto distractis nullam actionem ex ante gesto fraudatori competere.
4 Papirius Justus, On the Constitutions, Book I. The Emperors Antoninus and Verus stated in a Rescript that where property has been sold by a curator under the Decree of the Senate, no action would lie against a fraudulent debtor for any act committed before that time.
5 Iulianus libro quadragensimo septimo digestorum. Si debitor foro cesserit et creditores privato consilio coierint et elegerint unum, per quem bona distrahantur et portio ipsis, quae ex redacto fieret, solveretur, mox exstiterit alius, qui se creditorem dicat: nullam quidem actionem adversus curatorem habebit, sed bona debitoris una cum curatore vendere poterit, ita ut, quae a curatore et a creditore ex bonis contrahantur, omnibus pro portione praestarentur.
5 Julianus, Digest, Book XLVII. If a debtor fails in business, and his creditors assemble and select one by whom his property may be sold, the amount due to each one of them to be paid from the proceeds of the sale, and another person afterwards appears, who alleges that he also is a creditor, he will not be entitled to an action against the curator, but he, along with the curator, can sell the property of the debtor, so that whatever is realized from the sale of the property by the curator and the said creditor may be paid to all the creditors in proportion to their claims.