De servitutibus
(Concerning servitudes.)
1 Marcianus libro tertio regularum. Servitutes aut personarum sunt, ut usus et usus fructus, aut rerum, ut servitutes rusticorum praediorum et urbanorum.
1 Marcianus, Rules, Book III. Servitudes are either personal, as use and usufruct; or real, as the servitudes of rustic and urban estates.
2 Ulpianus libro septimo decimo ad edictum. Unus ex dominis communium aedium servitutem imponere non potest.
2 Ulpianus, On the Edict, Book XVII. One of the owners of a house held in common cannot impose a servitude upon it.
3 Paulus libro vicensimo primo ad edictum. Servitutes praediorum aliae in solo, aliae in superficie consistunt.
3 Paulus, On the Edict, Book XXI. Some servitudes are attached to the soil, others to the surface.
4 Papinianus libro septimo quaestionum. Servitutes ipso quidem iure neque ex tempore neque ad tempus neque sub condicione neque ad certam condicionem (verbi gratia ‘quamdiu volam’) constitui possunt: sed tamen si haec adiciantur, pacti vel per doli exceptionem occurretur contra placita servitutem vindicanti: idque et Sabinum respondisse Cassius rettulit et sibi placere. 1Modum adici servitutibus posse constat: veluti quo genere vehiculi agatur vel non agatur (veluti ut equo dumtaxat) vel ut certum pondus vehatur vel grex ille transducatur aut carbo portetur. 2Intervalla dierum et horarum non ad temporis causam, sed ad modum pertinent iure constitutae servitutis.
4 Papinianus, Questions, Book VII. Servitudes cannot be created by direct law from a certain time, or until a certain time, or under a condition, or on a certain contingency; (for example, “as long as I wish”,) nevertheless, if such provisions as these are added, and a party brings suit for the recovery of the servitude, in violation of the terms of the contract, an exception may be interposed on the ground that the claim is contrary to what had been agreed upon, or for fraud, and this Cassius states was the opinion of Sabinus in which he himself concurred. 1It is established that limitations can be added to servitudes; as, for instance, with reference to what kind of transactions shall be permitted, or shall not be permitted upon a roadway, as, for instance, that it must only be traversed by a horse, or that only a certain weight shall be transported, or such-and-such a flock shall be driven over it, or that charcoal shall be carried. 2Where intervals of a certain number of days and hours are mentioned, this does not relate to the question of time, but only to the manner in which a servitude created in accordance with law shall be enjoyed.
5 Gaius libro septimo ad edictum provinciale. Via iter actus ductus aquae isdem fere modis constituitur, quibus et usum fructum constitui diximus. 1Usus servitutium temporibus secerni potest, forte ut quis post horam tertiam usque in horam decimam eo iure utatur vel ut alternis diebus utatur.
5 Gaius, On the Provincial Edict, Book VII. Servitudes granted for a driveway, a pathway, the passage of cattle, and the conduct of water, are created in almost the same manner as those in which we have stated that usufruct is created. 1The enjoyment of servitudes may be limited with reference to time; for example, where a party may make use of the servitude from the third until the tenth hour, or on alternate days.
6 Paulus libro vicensimo primo ad edictum. Ad certam partem fundi servitus tam remitti quam constitui potest.
6 Paulus, On the Edict, Book XXI. A servitude can be either released or created with reference to a certain part of the land.
7 Ulpianus libro tertio decimo ad legem Iuliam et Papiam. Ius cloacae mittendae servitus est.
7 Ulpianus, On the Lex Julia et Papia, Book XIII. The right of building a sewer is a servitude.
8 Paulus libro quinto decimo ad Plautium. Ut pomum decerpere liceat et ut spatiari et ut cenare in alieno possimus, servitus imponi non potest. 1Si praedium tuum mihi serviat, sive ego partis praedii tui dominus esse coepero sive tu mei, per partes servitus retinetur, licet ab initio per partes adquiri non poterat.
8 Paulus, On Plautius, Book XV. A servitude cannot be imposed permitting us to pick apples, or to walk about, or to eat our dinner, on the land of another. 1If I have a servitude in your land, or if I become the owner of part of said land, and you become the owner of part of mine, the servitude will be retained in both parts of the same; although in the beginning, it could not have been acquired with reference to only a part.
9 Celsus libro quinto digestorum. Si cui simplicius via per fundum cuiuspiam cedatur vel relinquatur, in infinito, videlicet per quamlibet eius partem, ire agere licebit, civiliter modo: nam quaedam in sermone tacite excipiuntur. non enim per villam ipsam nec per medias vineas ire agere sinendus est, cum id aeque commode per alteram partem facere possit minore servientis fundi detrimento. verum constitit, ut qua primum viam direxisset, ea demum ire agere deberet nec amplius mutandae eius potestatem haberet: sicuti Sabino quoque videbatur, qui argumento rivi utebatur, quem primo qualibet ducere licuisset, posteaquam ductus esset, transferre non liceret: quod et in via servandum esse verum est.
9 Celsus, Digest, Book V. If a right of way through the property of another is merely granted or bequeathed to anyone he will have the right to walk or drive over it, but only in a proper manner, that is to say over any portion of the same; for certain things are tacitly understood to be excepted in ordinary conversation. He will not, however, be permitted to go through the house, or to walk or drive through the vineyards, when he might have done so just as conveniently elsewhere, and with less injury to the land subject to the servitude. For it is settled that in whatever direction he first directs his course, he must afterwards use the same in walking and driving; and that he has no power subsequently to change it. This view was also held by Sabinus, who stated in an argument that it was lawful for a party to direct a water-course wherever he pleased, but after this was done he could not change it; and it is true that this rule should also be observed in the case of a right of way.
10 Idem libro octavo decimo digestorum. Si iter legatum sit, qua nisi opere facto iri non possit, licere fodiendo substruendo iter facere Proculus ait.
10 The Same, Digest, Book XVIII. Where the right to walk through property is bequeathed which cannot be enjoyed unless certain work is performed, Proculus says that the legatee has a right to make a path by excavation, or by substructure.
11 Modestinus libro sexto differentiarum. Pro parte dominii servitutem adquiri non posse volgo traditur: et ideo si quis fundum habens viam stipuletur et partem fundi sui postea alienet, corrumpit stipulationem in eum casum deducendo, a quo stipulatio incipere non possit. pro parte quoque neque legari neque adimi via potest et, si id factum est, neque legatum neque ademptio valet.
11 Modestinus, Differences, Book VI. It is commonly held that a servitude cannot be acquired of a part of the ownership; and therefore, where anyone who has a tract of land stipulates for a right of way and afterwards alienates a portion of said land, he, in this instance, vitiates the stipulation by introducing matters for which, in the beginning, a stipulation could not have been made. A right of way with reference to a part cannot be either bequeathed or revoked, and if this is done, neither the bequest, nor the revocation will be valid.
12 Iavolenus libro quarto epistularum. Non dubito, quin fundo municipum per servum recte servitus adquiratur.
12 Javolenus, Epistles, Book IV. I do not doubt that a servitude of land can be duly acquired through a slave belonging to a municipality.
13 Pomponius libro quarto decimo ad Quintum Mucium. Si tam angusti loci demonstratione facta via concessa fuerit, ut neque vehiculum neque iumentum ea inire possit, iter magis quam via aut actus adquisitus videbitur: sed si iumentum ea duci poterit, non etiam vehiculum, actus videbitur adquisitus.
13 Pomponius, On Quintus Mucius, Book XIV. Where a right of way has been granted, and the place indicated for the same is so narrow that neither a vehicle nor a beast of burden can enter it, it will be held that a pathway rather than a driveway is acquired. But if a beast of burden can be conducted through it but a vehicle cannot, the right of way for cattle is held to be acquired.
14 Paulus libro quinto decimo ad Sabinum. Servitutes praediorum rusticorum etiamsi corporibus accedunt, incorporales tamen sunt et ideo usu non capiuntur: vel ideo, quia tales sunt servitutes, ut non habeant certam continuamque possessionem: nemo enim tam perpetuo, tam continenter ire potest, ut nullo momento possessio eius interpellari videatur. idem et in servitutibus praediorum urbanorum observatur. 1Servitus itineris ad sepulchrum privati iuris manet et ideo remitti domino fundi servientis potest: et adquiri etiam post religionem sepulchri haec servitus potest. 2Publico loco interveniente vel via publica haustus servitus imponi potest, aquae ductus non potest: a principe autem peti solet, ut per viam publicam aquam ducere sine incommodo publico liceat. sacri et religiosi loci interventus etiam itineris servitutem impedit, cum servitus per ea loca nulli deberi potest.
14 Paulus, On Sabinus, Book XV. Servitudes of rustic estates, even though they are attached to corporeal property are, nevertheless, incorporeal, and therefore can never be acquired by use; there may be servitudes of such a kind that they do not admit of certain and continuous possession, for no one can have permanent and continuous possession of a path in such a way that it can be held not to be interrupted for any time. The same rule must be observed with reference to the servitudes of urban estates. 1The servitudes of a path leading to a tomb remains private property, and therefore it can be released to the owner of the land subject to the servitude; and, it can also be acquired even after the tomb has been invested with a religious character. 2Where land belonging to the public or a highway is situated between two estates, a servitude for drawing water may be imposed, but a water-course cannot. It is, however, customary to petition the Emperor to permit the party, “to conduct water across a highway in such a manner as to cause no inconvenience to the public”. The existence of sacred and religious places between two tracts of land prevents the creation of the servitude of a pathway; since no one is entitled to a servitude through places of this kind.
15 Pomponius libro trigensimo tertio ad Sabinum. Quotiens nec hominum nec praediorum servitutes sunt, quia nihil vicinorum interest, non valet, veluti ne per fundum tuum eas aut ibi consistas: et ideo si mihi concedas ius tibi non esse fundo tuo uti frui, nihil agitur: aliter atque si concedas mihi ius tibi non esse in fundo tuo aquam quaerere minuendae aquae meae gratia. 1Servitutium non ea natura est, ut aliquid faciat quis, veluti viridia tollat aut amoeniorem prospectum praestet, aut in hoc ut in suo pingat, sed ut aliquid patiatur aut non faciat.
15 Pomponius, On Sabinus, Book XXXV. Whenever servitudes are neither personal nor real, then, because the neighbors have no interest in them, they are not valid; as for instance, one which states that you shall neither walk nor stand on your own property. Therefore, if you grant me as a servitude that you will not have the right to use and enjoy the crops from your own land, this is void. It would be otherwise, however, if you granted me a servitude providing that you should have no right to draw water on your own land, for the purpose of diminishing my supply of water. 1The nature of servitudes is not such that a person should be compelled to do anything whatever, (as for instance, to move shrubbery in order to give a more pleasant view, or, for the same purpose, to paint something on his own land), but he should only tolerate something, or agree not to perform some act.
16 Iulianus libro quadragensimo nono digestorum. Ei, qui pignori fundum accepit, non est iniquum utilem petitionem servitutis dari, sicuti ipsius fundi utilis petitio dabitur. idem servari convenit et in eo, ad quem vectigalis fundus pertinet.
16 Julianus, Digest, Book XLIX. Where a man has received real property as security, it is not unjust that he should be granted a prætorian action to enforce a servitude to which it is subject; just as an action of this kind will be granted for the recovery of the land itself. It is established that the same rule must be observed with respect to a party who holds land under a perpetual lease.
17 Pomponius libro singulari regularum. Viae itineris actus aquae ductus pars in obligationem deduci non potest, quia usus eorum indivisus est: et ideo si stipulator decesserit pluribus heredibus relictis, singuli solidam viam petunt: et si promissor decesserit pluribus heredibus relictis, a singulis heredibus solida petitio est.
17 Pomponius, Rules. A share in a right of way, or a pathway, or a driveway for cattle, or a water-course, cannot be made the subject of an obligation, because the use of these things is undivided; and therefore where a stipulator dies leaving several heirs, anyone of them can bring an action for the entire right of way; and if the party promising dies leaving several heirs, an action can be brought for the entire right against any one of them individually.
18 Paulus libro trigensimo primo quaestionum Papiniani notat. In omnibus servitutibus, quae aditione confusae sunt, responsum est doli exceptionem nocituram legatario, si non patiatur eas iterum imponi.
18 Paulus, Questions, Book XXXI. Papinianus states in a note that it has been established that in all instances where servitudes have been extinguished by the entry of the heir, a legatee will be barred by an exception on the ground of fraud, if he does not permit the servitudes to be again imposed.
19 Labeo libro quarto posteriorum a Iavoleno epitomatorum. Ei fundo, quem quis vendat, servitutem imponi, et si non utilis sit, posse existimo: veluti si aquam alicui dedere ducere non expediret, nihilo minus constitui ea servitus possit: quaedam enim debere habere possumus, quamvis ea nobis utilia non sunt.
19 Labeo, Last Works, Abridged by Javolenus, Book IV. I think that where anyone sells land, a servitude can be imposed upon it, even if it is not useful to him; for example, where a party would have no interest in a water-course, such a servitude can nevertheless be created, as there are certain things which we can have, even though they are of no advantage to us.
20 Iavolenus libro quinto ex posterioribus Labeonis. Quotiens via aut aliquid ius fundi emeretur, cavendum putat esse Labeo per te non fieri, quo minus eo iure uti possit, quia nulla eiusmodi iuris vacua traditio esset. ego puto usum eius iuris pro traditione possessionis accipiendum esse ideoque et interdicta veluti possessoria constituta sunt.
20 Javolenus, On the Last Works of Labeo, Book V. As often as a right of way or any other right attaching to land is purchased, Labeo is of the opinion that security should be given that nothing will be done by you to prevent the purchaser from availing himself of his right, because there can be no open delivery of a right of this description. I think that the use of such a right must be considered as equivalent to delivery of possession; and therefore interdicts corresponding to those relating to possession have been established.