Pro donato
(Concerning Possession on the Ground of Donation.)
1Paulus, On the Edict, Book LIV. He to whom property has been delivered as a gift acquires it by usucaption, because of the donation. It is not sufficient to think that this was the case, but it is necessary for the donation actually to be made. 1If a father makes a donation to his son whom he has under his control, and then dies, the son cannot acquire the property given by usucaption, for the reason that the donation is void. 2Ad Dig. 41,6,1,2Windscheid: Lehrbuch des Pandektenrechts, 7. Aufl. 1891, Bd. I, § 176, Note 6.Where a donation is made between husband and wife, usucaption does not take place. Moreover, Cassius says that if a husband should give property to his wife, and a divorce should then take place, usucaption cannot be acquired because the wife cannot, herself, change the title to possession. He states that the rule is different, and that she can obtain the property by usucaption after the divorce, if the husband has allowed her to use the property just as if he was understood to have donated it to her. Julianus, however, thinks that a wife is in possession of property donated by her husband.
3Pomponius, On Quintus Mucius, Book XXIV. When a husband makes a donation to his wife, or a wife to her husband, and the property donated belongs to another, the opinion of Trebatius is, if the party who made the donation does not become any poorer by doing so, the possessor can acquire the property by usucaption, is correct.
4The Same, On Sabinus, Book XXXII. If a father makes a donation to his daughter, who is under his control, and has disinherited her, and the heir ratines the donation, she can begin to acquire it by usucaption from the day when the ratification was made.
5Scævola, Opinions, Book V. Where anyone has begun to acquire a slave by usucaption, as a gift, and manumits him, the act of manumission is void, because he has not yet obtained the ownership of the slave. The question arose whether he had ceased to acquire him by usucaption. The answer was that with reference to the person in question, he seemed to have relinquished possession, and hence usucaption was interrupted.
6Hermogenianus, Epitomes of Law, Book II. When sale has been made which is, in fact, a donation, the property delivered is acquired by usucaption, as a purchase, and not as a gift.