Sale of goods

Aliud est vendere, aliud vendenti consentire. To sell is one thing, to give consent to the seller another.
Ambiguum pactum contra venditorem interpretandum est. An ambiguous agreement is construed against the seller.
Arborum quae in fundo continentur non est separatum corpus a fundo. The trees that are contained on a farm estate (fundus) are not an object separate from the estate. Dig. 19.1.40. • In the example, a buyer has purchased the lumber but is barred from taking the trees while they still stand.
Auctoris dolus emptori non obicitur. The deceit of the seller is not an objection against the buyer. Cf. Dig. 44.4.4.27.
Bis dat qui cito dat. He pays twice who pays promptly.
Bonae fidei emptor quod ad fructus attinet loco domini paene est. A buyer in good faith is virtually in the position of owner as far as the fruits are concerned. Dig. 41.1.48pr. • The passage continues, “Even before he receives (the fruits), they belong to the good-faith buyer as soon as they are harvested.”
Bona ex eo dicuntur quod beant — hoc est, beatos faciunt; beare est prodesse. “Goods” are so called because they gratify — that is, they make people happy; to make happy is to benefit. Dig. 50.16.49.
Bona fides non patitur ut bis idem exigatur. Good faith does not allow payment to be exacted twice for the same thing.
Bona non intelligentur nisi deducto aere alieno. Assets will not be recognized unless debts have been deducted.
Caveat emptor. Let the buyer beware.
Caveat emptor qui ignorare non debuit quod jus alienum emit. Let the buyer beware; for he ought not act in ignorance when he buys what another has right to.
Caveat venditor. Let the seller beware.
Chirographum apud debitorem repertum praesumitur solutum. When the evidence (or voucher) is found in the debtor’s possession, the debt is presumed to be paid.
Creditor qui permittit rem venire pignus dimittit. The creditor who allows property to be sold gives up the pledge.
Cui jus est donandi eidem et vendendi et concedendi jus est. A person who has a right to give has also a right to sell and to grant.
Debitorum pactionibus creditorum petitio nec tolli nec minui potest. The creditors’ suit can be neither quashed nor diminished by the contracts of their debtors.
Dedisse intelligendus est etiam is qui permutavit. Even one who bartered must be understood “to have given.” Dig. 50.16.76.
Ea quae commendandi causa in venditionibus dicuntur, si palam appareant venditorem non obligant. Those things that, by way of commendation, are stated at sales, if they are openly apparent, do not bind the seller.
Emptio consensu peragitur. A purchase is concluded by agreement. Cf. Dig. 18.1.1.2.
Emptio et venditio contrahitur simul atque de pretio convenerit, quamvis nondum pretium numeratum sit ac ne arra quidem data fuerit. The buying and selling is complete as soon as the price is agreed upon, though the price has not yet been paid nor any earnest given. Just. Inst. 3.23.
Emptor emit quam minimo potest; venditor vendit quam maximo potest. The buyer buys for as little as possible; the vendor sells for as much as possible.
Imaginaria venditio non est pretio accedente. It is not an imaginary sale (but a real one) if a price is added (or agreed upon). Dig. 50.17.16.
In contrahenda venditione, ambiguum pactum contra venditorem interpretandum est. In the contract of sale, an ambiguous agreement is to be interpreted against the seller.
In pretio emptionis et venditionis naturaliter licet contrahentibus se circumvenire. In setting the price for buying and selling, it is naturally allowed to the contracting parties to get the better of each other.
In veram quantitatem fidejussor teneatur, nisi pro certa quantitate accessit. Let the surety be held for the true amount unless he agreed for a certain amount.
Merx est quidquid vendi potest. Merchandise is whatever can be sold.
Monopolium dicitur, cum unus solus aliquod genus mercaturae universum emit, pretium ad suum libitum statuens. It is said to be a monopoly when one person alone buys up the whole of one kind of commodity, fixing a price at his own pleasure.
Ne licitatorem venditor apponat. The seller should not appoint a bidder.
Nemo cogitur rem suam vendere, etiam justo pretio. No one is bound to sell his property, even for a just price.
Nominis venditio, etiam ignorante vel invito eo adversus quem actiones mandantur, contrahi solet. Sale of title is regularly concluded even without the knowledge or consent of (the debtor) against whom legal actions proceed. CJ 4.39.3.
Non dubitatur, etsi specialiter venditor evictionem non promiserit, re evicta, ex empto competere actionem. It is certain that even if the vendor has not given a special guarantee, an action ex empto lies against him, if the purchaser is evicted.
Non pretii numeratio sed conventio perficit emptionem. Not the payment of the price but the agreement completes the purchase. Dig. 18.1.2.1.
Nul charter, nul vente, ne nul done vault perpetualment, si le donor n’est seise al temps de contracts de deux droits, sc. del droit de possession et del droit de properite. No grant, no sale, no gift, is valid forever unless the donor, at the time of the contract, is seised of two rights, namely, the right of possession and the right of property.
Nulla emptio sine pretio esse potest. There can be no sale without a price.
Oportet quod certa sit res quae venditur. A thing, to be sold, must be definite.
Perfecta emptione, periculum ad emptorem respiciet. When a purchase has been completed, the risk falls upon the buyer. Dig. 18.6.8pr.
Periculum rei venditae, nondum traditae, est emptoris. The purchaser assumes the risk for a thing sold, but not yet delivered.
Permutatio ex re tradita initium obligationi praebet. Barter provides the beginning of obligation once something is delivered. Dig. 19.4.1.2.
Permutatio vicina est emptioni. Bartering is a neighbor to buying. Dig. 19.4.2.
Pretia rerum non ex affectione nec utilitate singulorum sed communiter funguntur. The prices of things apply generally and are not determined by individuals’ attachment or use. Dig. 9.2.33pr.
Pretium succedit in locum rei. The price takes the place of the thing sold.
Principalis debet semper excuti antequam perveniatur ad fideijussores. The principal should always be exhausted before resorting to the sureties.
Prius in usuras id quod solvitur, deinde in sortem accepto feretur. What is paid applies first to the interest, then to the principal. CJ 8.42.1.
Quum fundus fundo servit, vendito quoque fundo, servitutes sequuntur. When an estate is servient to another estate, and one estate or the other is sold, the servitudes continue. Dig. 8.4.12.
Rei propriae emptio non potest consistere. There can be no purchase of one’s own property. Cf. Dig. 50.17.45pr.
Res bona fide vendita propter minimam causam inempta fieri non debet. A thing sold in good faith should not become unsold for a trivial cause. Dig. 18.1.54.
Si donationis causa venditionis simulatus contractus est, emptio in sui deficit substantia. If there is a pretended contract for sale by way of a gift, the purchase is lacking in substance. CJ 4.38.3.
Sine pretio nulla venditio. There is no sale without a price. Dig. 18.1.2.1.
Sive tota res evincatur, sive pars, habet regressum emptor in venditorem. If the property is taken from the purchaser by eviction, whether whole or in part, he has an action against the vendor. Dig. 21.2.1.
Solutionem adseveranti probationis onus incumbit. The burden of proving a payment rests on the one asserting it. CJ 8.42.25.
Solutio pretii emptionis loco habetur. The payment of the price stands in the place of a sale.
Solvendo esse nemo intelligitur nisi qui solidum potest solvere. No one is understood to be in a state of solvency except the one who can pay all that he owes. Dig. 50.16.114.
Subrogatio est transfusio unius creditoris in alium eadem vel mitiori conditione. Subrogation is the substituting one creditor in the place of another in the same or a better condition.
Tantum bona valent, quantum vendi possunt. Things are worth as much as they can be sold for.
Traditio est de manu in manum datio. Delivery of possession is the giving from hand to hand.
Tutor rem pupilli emere non potest. A tutor cannot purchase the property of his ward.
Vendens eandem rem duobus falsarius est. A vendor is fraudulent if he sells the same thing to two (separate) buyers.
Venditiones, donationes, transactiones quae per potentiam extortae sunt praecipimus infirmari. Sales, gifts, or any transactions extorted by force we regard as impaired. CJ 2.19.12.
Venditorem dicere vitia oportet. The seller should declare the flaws. Cf. Cic. De Off. 3.51.
Venditor nominis tenetur praestare debitum subesse, non vero debitorem locupletem esse. The seller of a debt is bound to warrant that the debt is due, but not that the debtor is a person of means (able to pay).