BOOK III. Pt. I. Ch. I. a § 76. ac si eius solius esset, cui adquirendi facultatem habeat.-1. 1, § 4, de stip. serv.' § 89. ACQUISITION AND LOSS OF POSSESSION. Possession is ACQUIRED corpore et animo (sc. possidendi), i.e., by apprehension of the thing with the will to possess for oneself. As apprehension is accounted not merely the corporal seizure of the thing, but every act by which the thing is subjected to the de facto control of a person, i.e., is grounded upon the possibility of direct and exclusive operation upon the thing. Paul. Et adipiscimur possessionem corpore et animo, neque per se animo aut per se corpore. Quod autem diximus, et corpore et animo adquirere nos debere possessionem, non utique ita accipiendum est, ut qui fundum possidere velit, omnes glebas circumambulet: sed sufficit quamlibet partem eius fundi introire, dum mente et cogitatione hac sit, uti totum fundum usque ad terminum velit possidere.-1. 3, § 1, D. h. t. (= de A. P. 41, 2). : Cels. Si venditorem, quod emerim, deponere in mea domo iusserim, possidere me certum est, quamquam id nemo dum attigerit.-1. 18, § 2 eod.3 1 The functions of a common slave are of such a character that in respect of what one of the two masters can acquire, but the other cannot, it is treated just as though it belonged only to the one for whom he is in the position to acquire it. 2 And we acquire possession by physical control and intention, not by animus alone, nor by corpus alone. But as to our having said that we must acquire possession by both physical control and intention, this must not merely be understood as that he who desires to possess a field must walk round every clod; but it is sufficient for him to enter upon any part of such field, if only he have the intention and idea of possessing the whole field to its boundary. 3 If I have directed a vendor to deposit in my house what I Paul.: : -non est enim corpore et actu necesse adprehendere possessionem, sed etiam oculis et affectu; et argumento esse eas res, quae propter magnitudinem ponderis moveri non possunt, ut columnas nam pro traditis eas haberi, si in re praesenti consenserint; et vina tradita videri, cum claves cellae vinariae emptori traditae fuerint.1. 1, § 21 eod.' If the thing be already under such de facto control, there is no need on the part of the so-called Detentor of new apprehension to acquire possession, but the mere animus possidendia suffices; not, however, invariably. BOOK III. Pt. I. Ch. I. a Breri manu traditio. Cf. Neratius et Proculus (scribunt) solo animo non D. 41, 3, 33, I. posse nos adquirere possessionem, si non antecedat naturalis possessio.-1. 3, § 3 eod.3 Gai. Interdum etiam sine traditione nuda voluntas domini sufficit ad rem transferendam, veluti si rem, quam commodavi aut locavi tibi aut apud te deposui, vendidero tibi: licet enim. ex ea causa tibi non tradiderim, eo tamen, quod patior eam ex causa emptionis apud te esse, tuam efficio.-D. 41, 1, 9, 5.3 Ulp. Si quis rem apud se depositam vel sibi commodatam vel pignori sibi datam emerit, pro have purchased, it is clear that I have possession, although no one has yet touched it. 1 for that it is not necessary to seize the thing by a physical act, but it can be seized even by the sight and the will; and it is proved by those things which cannot be moved from their great weight, as pillars, for these are regarded as delivered if the parties have agreed in sight of the thing; and wine' is regarded as delivered when the keys of the wine-cellar have been handed to the purchaser. Prof. Holland, citing this pas sage, by a lapsus calami, wheat' (p. 142). Nerat. and Procul. (write) that we cannot acquire posses- speaks of sion by mere intention, unless natural custody already exists. 3 Sometimes also the mere desire of the owner without delivery suffices for the transfer of the property, for example, if I sell to you a thing which I have lent or let out to you or have deposited with you; for although I did not deliver it to you upon that ground, nevertheless in that I allow it to be in your hands on the ground of purchase, I make it yours. BOOK III. Pt. I. Ch. I. a See Poste on Gaius, p. 191; Brown, s. 'Adverse Possession'; Walker, in loc. See p. 37. tradita erit accipienda, si post emptionem apud eum remansit.—D. 6, 2, 9, 1.' Illud quoque a veteribus praeceptum est, neminem sibi ipsum causam possessionis mutare posse.-1. 3, § 19, D. h. t.a 2 Iul. Quod vulgo respondetur ipsum sibi causam possessionis mutare non posse' totiens verum est, quotiens quis sciret se bona fide non possidere et lucri faciendi causa inciperet possidere. —D. 41, 3, 33, 1.3 Id. Quod vulgo respondetur causam possessionis neminem sibi mutare posse, sic accipiendum est, ut possessio non solum civilis sed etiam naturalis intelligatur. Et propterea responsum est, neque colonum, neque eum apud quem res deposita aut cui commodata est, lucri faciendi causa pro herede usucapere posse.-D. 41, 5, 2, 1. As regards the animus possidendi- (1) persons naturally incapable of will, as furiosi and infantes, cannot acquire juristic possession by their own act alone. Paul. Furiosus, et pupillus sine tutoris auctoritate, non potest incipere possidere, quia affectionem tenendi non habent, licet maxime corpore suo rem contingant; sicuti si quis dormienti aliquid in manu ponat. . . . Ofilius quidem et 1 If a man purchase property deposited with him or lent or pledged to him, there will be constructive delivery if it remain with him after the purchase. 2 It has also been laid down by the old writers' that no one can for himself vary his possessory title. 3 The common dictum, that no one can of himself change the ground of his possession, is always true when a person knows that he does not possess in good faith, and his possession begins to be directed to the obtaining of an advantage. The common dictum, that no one can of himself change his title to possession, must be understood as that not only civil possession, but natural is meant. And therefore the opinion has also been given, that neither the tenant nor depositary nor borrower can as quasi-heir make a title by usucapion, with intent to benefit. Nerva filius, etiam sine tutoris auctoritate possi- BOOK III. Pt. I. Ch. I. D. 41, 1, 13. (2) In the acquisition of possession by representatives," the animus possidendi must always be a §§ 20, 76. Cf. present on the part of him who is to acquire the possession; except the case of the acquisition of possession ex peculiari causa' by slaves and filiifamilias (i.e., in things falling to the peculium) for See § 149. the master or paterfamil., and the possession of the tutor and curator for the ward. Paul. v. 2, § 1: Possessionem adquirimus et animo et corpore, animo utique nostro, corpore vel nostro vel alieno.2 Id.: Procurator, si quidem mandante domino rem emerit, protinus illi adquirit possessionem, quodsi sponte emerit, non nisi ratam habuerit dominus emptionem.-1. 42, § I eod." Imp. Sever. Per liberam personam ignoranti quoque adquiri possessionem et, postquam scientia intervenerit, usucapionis condicionem inchoari posse, tam ratione utilitatis quam iuris pridem receptum est.-C. 7, 32, 1. 1 A madman, and a ward without the authorisation of his guardian, cannot begin to possess, because they have not the disposition to detain, although they even physically touch the object; just as if a man place anything in the hand of one asleep. . . . Ofil., however, and Nerva the younger assert that a ward can begin to possess even without the sanction of his guardian; for that possession is matter of fact, not of law; which view may be entertained if they are of such an age as to be capable of discretion. ... We obtain possession by both animus and corpus; animus only our own, corpus either our own or that of another person. 3 An agent, if he purchase a thing by the commission of the principal, from that moment acquires possession for him, but if he make the purchase of his own free will, he does not, unless the principal confirms the purchase. That possession can also be acquired through a freeman for BOOK III. Pt. I. Ch. I. a Constitutum Item adquirimus possessionem per servum aut filium qui in potestate est; et quidem earum rerum, quas peculiariter tenent, etiam ignorantes, sicut Sabino et Cassio et Iuliano placuit: quia nostra voluntate intelliguntur possidere, qui eis peculium habere permiserimus. Igitur ex causa peculiari et infans et furiosus adquirunt possessionem et usucapiunt.-1. 1, § 5, D. h. t.' Pap. Quaesitum est, cur ex peculii causa per servum ignorantibus possessio quaereretur. Dixi, utilitatis causa iure singulari receptum, ne cogerentur domini per momenta species et causas peculiorum inquirere.-1. 44, § 1 eod. (3) He that possesses anything' suo nomine' can make another person possessor thereof without the necessity of apprehension on the part of the latter, by the fact that, with his knowledge and will-upon the ground of a contract containing an obligation for detention--the possessor exercises the actual control henceforth in the name of such person." Cels. Quod meo nomine possideo, possum alieno nomine possidere; nec enim muto mihi causam possessionis, sed desino possidere et alium a person not cognizant of it, and that after notice thereof his usucapion may commence, has been accepted upon principles as well of utility as of law. 1 Moreover, we acquire possession by a slave or a son that is under our power; and indeed of those things which they possess as their separate property, even without our privity, as was the opinion of Sabin. and Cass. and Jul.; because they are considered to possess by our consent, for we have allowed them to have separate property. Accordingly, both an infant and a madman acquire possession and make a title by usucapion in respect of peculium. "The question was raised, why possession should be acquired for us without our privity by a slave in respect of his peculium. I replied, that it was allowed for the sake of convenience, by virtue of privileged right, that masters should not he obliged constantly to investigate the composition and titles of peculia. |