4 The offence of discovery of stolen goods occurs when a person's
premises are searched in the presence of witnesses, and the stolen
property is found thereon; this makes him liable, even though innocent
of theft, to a special action for receiving stolen goods. To introduce
stolen goods is to pass them off to a man, on whose premises they are
discovered, provided this be done with the intent that they shall be
discovered on his premises rather than on those of the introducer. The
man on whose premises they are found may sue the latter, though innocent
of theft, in an action for the introduction of stolen goods. There is
also an action for refusal of search, available against him who prevents
another who wishes to look in the presence of witnesses for stolen
property; and finally, by the action for nonproduction of stolen goods,
a penalty is imposed by the praetor's edict on him who has failed to
produce stolen property which is searched for and found on his premises.
But the lastnamed actions, namely, those for receiving stolen goods, for
introducing them, for refusal of search, and for nonproduction, have now
become obsolete: for the search for such property is no longer made in
the old fashion, and accordingly these actions went out of use also.
It is obvious, however, that any one who knowingly receives and hides
stolen property may be sued by the action for simple theft.
5 The penalty for theft detected in the commission is four times the
value, and for simple theft twice the value, of the property stolen,
whether the thief be a slave or a free person.
6 Theft is not confined to carrying away the property of another with
the intent of appropriation, but comprises also all corporeal dealing
with the property of another against the will of the owner. Thus, for
a pawnee to use the thing which he has in pawn, or to use a thing
committed to one's keeping as a deposit, or to put a thing which is lent
for use to a different use than that for which it was lent, is theft; to
borrow plate, for instance, on the representation that the borrower
is going to entertain his friends, and then to carry it away into the
country: or to borrow a horse for a drive, and then to take it out of
the neighbourhood, or like the man in the old story, to take it into
battle.
7 With regard, however, to those persons who put a thing lent for use to
a different purpose than the lender contemplated, the rule is that they
are guilty of theft only if they know it to be contrary to the will of
the owner, and that if he had notice he would refuse permission; but
if they believe that he would give permission, it is not theft: and the
distinction is just, for there is no theft without unlawful intention.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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