DE CONDICTIONE OB TURPEM VEL INIUSTAM CAUSAM.
D. 12. 5.
1. Paulus libro decimo ad Sabinum. Omne quod datur aut ob rem datur aut ob causam, et ob rem aut turpem aut honestam; turpem autem, aut ut dantis sit turpitudo, non accipientis, aut ut accipientis dumtaxat, non etiam dantis, aut utriusque.
(1.) Ob rem igitur honestam datum ita repeti potest, si res, propter quam datum est, secuta non est. (2.) Quod si turpis causa accipientis fuerit, etiamsi res secuta sit, repeti potest:2. Ulpianus libro uicensimo sexto ad edictum, ut puta dedi tibi ne sacrilegium facias, ne furtum, ne hominem occidas.
2 Or has come to pass, though the donor notified, ex poenitentia, that he did not desire it to be brought about. D. 12. 4. 5. 1 and 2.
52
in qua specie lulianus scribit, si tibi dedero, ne hominem occidas, condici posse: (1.) Item si tibi dedero, ut rem mihi reddas depositam apud te uel ut instrumentum mihi redderes. (2.) Sed si dedi, ut secundum me in bona causa iudex pronuntiaret, est quidem relatum condictioni locum esse : sed hic quoque crimen contrahit (iudicem enim corrumpere uidetur) et non ita pridem imperator noster constituit litem eum perdere.
3. Paulus libro decimo ad Sabinum. Ubi autem et dantis et accipientis turpitudo uersatur, non posse repeti dicimus : ueluti si pecunia detur, ut male iudicetur.
4. Ulpianus libro uicensimo sexto ad edictum. Idem si ob stuprum datum sit, uel si quis in adulterio deprehensus redemerit se : cessat enim repetitio, idque Sabinus et Pegasus responderunt. (1.) Item si dederit fur, ne proderetur, quoniam says in reference to the last-named example, if I have given you money not to commit a murder, a condiction can be brought for it; (1) and so too if I have given you money to restore to me an article deposited with you, or to deliver up a document. 2. And even if I gave money in order that a judex might pronounce in my favour in a case where I was in the right, it has been laid down that the condiction may be brought: but in this instance the donor also is in fault (for he is considered to corrupt the judex'), and not so very long ago our Emperor decided that the donor lost his suit[LXXXVII].
3. Paulus. But when there is a dishonourable purpose on the part of the giver as well as the receiver, we say that recovery is not possible : when, for instance, money is given to obtain an unfair judgment.
4. Ulpian. So too, if it has been given for prostitution, or in order that a man detected in adultery may buy indemnity2: for recovery is not allowed, and this was the opinion of Sabinus and Pegasus. 1. So too, if a thief has given money not to be informed against, since there is a dishonourable purpose on
tory to D. 4. 2. 7. 1, although at first view it seems so. The explanation is, that an adulterer who freely pays money cannot recover it, although one who nays under the influence of intimidation can ; not, however, by the condictio, but by the actio qtiod metus causa.
utriusque turpitudo uersatur, cessat repetitio. (2.) Quotiens autem solius accipientis turpitudo uersatur, Celsus ait repeti posse : ueluti si tibi dedero, ne mihi iniuriam facias. (3.) Sed quod meretrici datur, repeti non potest, ut Labeo et Marcellus scribunt, sed noua ratione, non ea, quod utriusque turpitudo uersatur, sed solius dantis: illam enim turpiter facere, quod sit meretrix, non turpiter accipere, cum sit meretrix. (4.) Si tibi indicium dedero, ut fugitiuum meum indices uel furem rerum mearum, non poterit repeti quod datum est: nec enim turpiter accepisti, quod si a fugitiuo meo acceperis ne eum indicares, condicere tibi hoc quasi furi possim : sed si ipse fur indicium a me accepit uel furis uel fugitiui socius, puto condictionem locum habere.
5. Julianus libro tertio ad Urseium Ferocem. Si a seruo meo pecuniam quis accepisset, ne furtum ab eo factum both sides, no recovery is possible. 2. But whenever there is a dishonourable purpose on the part of the receiver only, Celsus says recovery is possible, as, for instance, when I have given money to you in order that you may not commit an injury upon me. 3. And money given to a harlot cannot be recovered, as Labeo and Marcellus state; though they say so for a strange reason, not because there is dishonourable purpose on both sides, but because there is on the part of the giver only; for the woman acts disgracefully in being a harlot, but does not receive disgracefully when she is a harlot.
4. If I have given you a reward1 to discover my runaway slave or the stealer of my goods, what has been given cannot be recovered : for you have not received it for a disgraceful purpose. But if you received money from my runaway slave not to discover him, for this I can bring a condiction against you as a thief[88] [89]: and so too if the thief himself received from me a reward for information, or if the accomplice of the thief or runaway did so, I think the condiction can be brought[90].5. Julian. If any one received money from my slave not to give information as to a theft committed by him, whether he
rate, money which was not his own, even if you did not know who was his master.
3 In this case the condiction is ol> turpem causam.
indicaret, siue indicasset siue non, repetitionem fore eius pecuniae Proculus respondit.
6. Ulpianus libro octauo decimo ad Sabinum. Perpetuo Sabinus probauit ueterum opinionem existimantium id, quod ex iniusta causa apud aliquem sit, posse condici: in qua sententia etiam Celsus est.
7. Pomponius libro uicensimo secundo ad Sabinum. Ex ea stipulatione, quae per uim extorta esset, si exacta esset pecunia, repetitionem esse constat.
8. Paulus libro tertio quaestionum. Si ob turpem causam promiseris Titio, quamuis, si petat, exceptione doli mali uel in factum summouere eum possis, tamen si solueris, non posse te repetere, quoniam sublata proxima causa stipulationis, gave information or not, Proculus said, there can be a recovery of the money1.
6. Ulpian. Sabinus constantly defended the opinion of the ancient authorities, who held that there could be a condic- lion for that which was in anyone’s hands for a disgraceful[91] [92] reason. And Celsus takes the same view.
7. Pomponius. When a stipulation has been extorted by violence, and the money exacted, it is certain there can be a recovery.
8.
Paulus. When you have promised something to Titius for a disgraceful reason[93], although you can defeat him by the exception of fraud, or by the exceptio in factum, if he sues for it; yet if you have paid it, you cannot recover it; for when the proximate reason (for payment) is removed, viz. the stipulation,12. 5. 4. 2: 12. 5. 6: 12. 5. 7:12. 5. 9 must be incorrect. I should suggest that in all the passages enumerated there is an implication that the payment was not only disgraceful to the receiver, but made upon constraint. Surely, if the payer willingly paid for a disgraceful cause, he is by the mere fact of his willingness tainted with turpitude, and falls under the rule that when both parties act disgracefully there is no condiction.
9. i] De condictione ob turpem uel iniustam causam. 55 quae propter exceptionem inanis esset, pristina causa, id est turpitudo, superesset: porro autem si et dantis et accipientis turpis causa sit, possessorem potiorem esse et ideo repetitionem cessare, tametsi ex stipulatione solutum est.
9. Idem libro quinto ad Plautium. Si uestimenta utenda tibi commodauero, deinde pretium, ut reciperem, dedissem, condictione me recte acturum responsum est: quamuis enim propter rem datum sit et causa secuta sit, tamen turpiter datum est. (1.) Si rem locatam tibi uel uenditam a te uel mandatam ut redderes, pecuniam acceperis, habebo tecum ex locato uel uendito uel mandati actionem: quod si, ut id, quod ex testamento uel ex stipulatu debebas, redderes mihi, pecuniam tibi which would be void because of the exception, there remains the original reason, viz. something disgraceful: and therefore, if there be a disgraceful reason on the part of both, giver and receiver, the one in possession ought to be preferred, and so there is no recovery even though payment has been made on the ground of the stipulation.
9. Paulus. If I have lent you garments for use, and afterwards pay you a price for their restoration, it has been held that I can properly proceed by the condiction: for although.
the money was given for a purpose, and the purpose was effected, yet the purpose of the gift was disgraceful1. 1. If you have received money to deliver a thing let to you, or sold by you, or put into your charge, I shall have against you an actio ex locato, or ex vendito or mandati[94] [95]: but if I gave you money to deliver to me what you owed on account of a testament or a stipulation, there will[96] be a condiction only for thementions in 12. 5. 2. r: and it is difficult to see why, if it is allowed in these cases, it should be refused in the others. Pothier, however, holds that the condiction was not applicable when a lessee, vendor or agent, any one, in fact, under obligation bonae fidei, and not stricti juris, improperly detained an article: Voet as explicitly states the contrary, and Savigny agrees with Voet.
3 Dumtaxat does not signify that there is no remedy except a condic-
dederim, condictio dumtaxat pecuniae datae eo nomine erit, idque et Pomponius scribit.
money given to you on that account. And so too Pomponius says.
tion; but the arrangement of the sentence shows that Paulus meant that there was a condiction for the money only, and no recovery of interest, sucn as there is in a bonae fidci action. Still, whichever way we take the statement, it is a correct
expression of Roman Law. C. 4. 7. 4. And if there is no recovery of interest, there is a sponsio tertiae partis; since the condictio ob turpem causam is in such a case also a condictio certi.
More on the topic DE CONDICTIONE OB TURPEM VEL INIUSTAM CAUSAM.:
- Condictio ob turpem (vel iniustam) causam
- Condictio ob turpetn vel iniustam causam
- Occidere and mortis causam praebere
- Res Deiectae Vel Effusae
- Beneficium excussionis vel ordinis
- Res Suspensae Vel Positae
- DE CONDICTIONE TRITICARIA.
- DE CONDICTIONE INDEBITI.
- DE CONDICTIONE EX LEGE.
- DE CONDICTIONE FURTIVA.
- DE REBUS CREDITIS SI CERTUM PETETUR ET DE CONDICTIONE.
- Dolus causam dans and dolus incidens
- DE CONDICTIONE CAUSA DATA CAUSA NON SECUTA.
- In pari turpitudine causa est melior possidentis
- 1. The typology of condictiones: classical or post-classical?
- Condictio indebiti
- Condictio sine causa
- Differentiation: Where do Obligations Fit in the Roman View of the Law?