De migrando
(Concerning the interdict having reference to the removal of tenants.)
1 Ulpianus libro septuagensimo tertio ad edictum. Praetor ait: ‘Si is homo, quo de agitur, non est ex his rebus, de quibus inter te et actorem convenit, ut, quae in eam habitationem qua de agitur introducta importata ibi nata factave essent, ea pignori tibi pro mercede eius habitationis essent, sive ex his rebus est et ea merces tibi soluta eove nomine satisfactum est aut per te stat, quo minus solvatur: ita, quo minus ei, qui eum pignoris nomine induxit, inde abducere liceat, vim fieri veto’. 1Hoc interdictum proponitur inquilino, qui soluta pensione vult migrare: nam colono non competit. 2Cui rei etiam extra ordinem subveniri potest: ergo infrequens est hoc interdictum. 3Si tamen gratuitam quis habitationem habeat, hoc interdictum utile ei competet. 4Si pensio nondum debeatur, ait Labeo interdictum hoc cessare, nisi paratus sit eam pensionem solvere. proinde si semenstrem solvit, sexmenstris debeatur, inutiliter interdicet, nisi solverit et sequentis sexmenstris, ita tamen, si conventio specialis facta est in conductione domus, ut non liceat ante finitum annum vel certum tempus migrare. idem est et si quis in plures annos conduxerit et nondum praeterierit tempus. nam cum in universam conductionem pignora sunt obligata, consequens erit dicere interdicto locum non fore, nisi liberata fuerint. 5Illud notandum est praetorem hic non exegisse, ut in bonis fuerit conductoris, nec ut esset pignori res illata, sed si pignoris nomine inducta sit. proinde et si aliena sint et si talia, quae pignoris nomine teneri non potuerint, pignoris tamen nomine introducta sint, interdicto hoc locus erit: quod si nec pignoris nomine inducta sint, nec retineri poterunt a locatore. 6Hoc interdictum perpetuum est et in successores et successoribus dabitur.
1 Ulpianus, On the Edict, Book LXXIII. The Prætor says: “I forbid force to be employed to prevent your tenant from leaving, and taking with him the slave in question, if the latter does not constitute a part of the property which, in accordance with the agreement between yourself and the plaintiff, should be held by way of pledge to secure the rent; whether the said property has been taken or brought inta your house, born there, or made there; but if he forms part of the same, I forbid you to prevent your tenant from taking him away with him, when he departs; provided he has paid you the rent out of said property, or has furnished you security for it, or you are to blame for its not having been paid.” 1This interdict was introduced for the benefit of a lessee who wishes to depart after having paid his rent. It does not lie in favor of a tenant on a farm. 2Relief can also be given to a lessee by extraordinary proceedings, and therefore this interdict is not frequently employed. 3Still, it will lie in favor of one who has a gratuitous lodging. 4If the rent is not yet due, Labeo says that this interdict cannot be employed, unless the tenant is ready to pay it. Hence, if he has paid it for half the year, and owes it for the other half, he cannot have recourse to the interdict unless he pays the rent for the remaining six months. This, however, is only the case where a special agreement was made when the house was rented, providing that the lessee should not be permitted to leave before the end of the year, or before a specified time has elapsed. The same rule applies where anyone rents a house for several years, and the term has not yet expired; for where property is pledged for the entire amount of the rent, the result will be that the interdict will not be available, unless the articles pledged have been released. 5It must, however, be noted that the Prætor does not require the property to belong to the lessee, nor that it should have been expressly pledged, but that it must be brought into the house as pledged. Hence this interdict will apply, even if the property belongs to another, if it has been brought into the house for the purpose of being pledged, and is such as cannot be given in pledge. If it has not been brought in for that purpose it cannot be retained by the lessor. 6This interdict is perpetual, and is granted for and against heirs.
2 Gaius libro vicesimo sexto ad edictum provinciale. Hoc interdictum inquilino etiam de his rebus, quae non ipsius sint, sed forte commodatae ei vel locatae vel apud eum depositae sunt, utile esse non dubitatur.
2 Gaius, On the Provincial Edict, Book XXVI. There is no doubt that this interdict will lie in favor of a lessee, even with reference to property which does not belong to him, but which has been lent to, hired by, or deposited with him.