De arboribus caedendis
(Concerning the interdict which has reference to the cutting of trees.)
1 Ulpianus libro septuagensimo primo ad edictum. Ait praetor: ‘Quae arbor ex aedibus tuis in aedes illius impendet, si per te stat, quo minus eam adimas, tunc, quo minus illi eam arborem adimere sibique habere liceat, vim fieri veto’. 1Hoc interdictum prohibitorium est. 2Si arbor aedibus alienis impendeat, utrum totam arborem iubeat praetor adimi an vero id solum, quod superexcurrit, quaeritur. et Rutilius ait a stirpe excidendam idque plerisque videtur verius: et nisi adimet dominus arborem, Labeo ait permitti ei, cui arbor officeret, ut si vellet succideret eam lignaque tolleret. 3Arboris appellatione etiam vites continentur. 4Non solum autem domino aedium, sed etiam ei qui usumfructum habet competit hoc interdictum, quia et ipsius interest arborem istam non impendere. 5Praeterea probandum est, si arbor communibus aedibus impendeat, singulos dominos habere hoc interdictum et quidem in solidum, quia et servitutium vindicationem singuli habeant. 6Ait praetor: ‘si per te stat, quo minus eam adimas, quo minus illi eam arborem adimere liceat, vim fieri veto’. prius itaque tibi datur adimendi facultas: si tu non facias, tunc vicino prohibet vim fieri adimere volenti. 7Deinde ait praetor: ‘Quae arbor ex agro tuo in agrum illius impendet, si per te stat, quo minus pedes quindecim a terra eam altius coerceas, tunc, quo minus illi ita coercere lignaque sibi habere liceat, vim fieri veto’. 8Quod ait praetor, et lex duodecim tabularum efficere voluit, ut quindecim pedes altius rami arboris circumcidantur: et hoc idcirco effectum est, ne umbra arboris vicino praedio noceret. 9Differentia duorum capitum interdicti haec est: si quidem arbor aedibus impendeat, succidi eam praecipitur, si vero agro impendeat, tantum usque ad quindecim pedes a terra coerceri.
1 Ulpianus, On the Edict, Book LXXI. The Prætor says: “If a tree projects from your premises over those of your neighbor, and you are to blame for not removing it, I forbid force to be employed to prevent him from doing so and keeping it as his own.” 1This interdict is prohibitory. 2Where a tree projects over the house of a neighbor, the question arises whether the Prætor can order the entire tree to be removed, or only that portion of it which projects above the building? Rutilius says that it should be taken out by the roots, and this is held to be correct by many authorities. Labeo asserts that if the owner does not remove the tree, he who is injured by it can, if he wishes to do so, cut it down and carry away the wood. 3Vines are also included under the term trees. 4This interdict lies not only in favor of the owner of the house, but also in favor of the usufructuary of the same, for the reason that it is to his interest, also, that the tree should not project above the building. 5Moreover, the opinion should be adopted, that if a tree projects over a house owned in common by several persons, each of the joint-owners will be entitled to the benefit of the interdict, and indeed, for the entire amount, because each one of them has a right to bring an action to recover servitudes. 6The Prætor says: “If you are to blame for not removing it, I forbid force to be employed to prevent him from doing so.” Therefore, authority to remove the tree is first granted to you, and if you fail to do so, then the Prætor forbids you to employ violence in order to prevent your neighbor from removing it. 7The Prætor also says: “Where a tree on your premises projects over those of your neighbor, and you are to blame for not trimming it up to a height of fifteen feet from the ground, I forbid force to be employed to prevent your neighbor from trimming it up to the height aforesaid, and removing the wood for his own use.” 8What the Prætor says, the Law of the Twelve Tables intended to establish; namely, that the branches of trees should be cut off within fifteen feet of the ground, in order that the shade of the tree may not injure the land of a neighbor. 9There is a difference between the two Sections of the interdict, for if the tree projects over a neighboring house, it must be entirely cut down; but if it projects over land, it need only be trimmed to the height of fifteen feet from the ground.
2 Pomponius libro trigensimo quarto ad Sabinum. Si arbor ex vicini fundo vento inclinata in tuum fundum sit, ex lege duodecim tabularum de adimenda ea recte agere potes ius ei non esse ita arborem habere.
2 Pomponius, On Sabinus, Book XXXIV. If a tree on the premises of a neighbor is made to project over your land by the force of the wind, according to the Law of the Twelve Tables, you can bring an action against your neighbor to compel him to remove it, on the ground that he has no right to have a tree in that condition.