Carefully prepared complete summary for Comparative Property Law Lectures 2-5. The summary is written in detail and covers full information given on the lecture and in the book, including cases and examples.
LECTURE 2: Possession and Protection of property rights in civil law
Functions of possession
› “Possession reflects the right of ownership” (publicity function)
› Therefore:
Function in proving ownership
Transfer function in a traditio system
Acquisition by prescription
› But also:
Mere protection of the status quo (preservation of peace)
Function of proving ownership
› “Possession reflects the right of ownership”
› Possession is the starting point for proceedings about the right of
ownership
› Art. 2256 Code civil: “One is always presumed to possess for oneself,
and in the capacity of an owner, where it is not proved that one has
started possession by possessing for another.”
› § 1006 BGB: “It is presumed in favour of the possessor of a movable
thing that he is the owner of the thing. ”
Transfer function in a traditio system
› To become owner, one has to acquire possession
› § 929 BGB: “For the transfer of the ownership of a movable thing, it is
necessary that the owner delivers the thing to the acquirer.”
› Art. 3:90 BW: “The delivery required for the transfer of movable objects
takes place by providing the acquirer with possession.”
Acquisition by prescription
› The law has to be in keeping with the factual situation’
› Art. 2258 Code civil: “Acquisitive prescription is a way to acquire a thing
or a right through possession, without requiring to show a title for
acquisition.”
› § 937 BGB: “A person who has a movable thing in his proprietary
possession for ten years acquires the ownership.”
Protection of the status quo
› Preservation of peace
› Preventing people from taking justice into their own hands
› Art. 2278 Code civil: “Possession is protected, regardless of the
substance of the right, against disturbance which affects of threatens it.”
,› § 859 BGB: “The possessor may ward off unlawful interference by use of
force.”
Possession in French law
› Art. 2255 Cc:
Possession is the detention or enjoyment of a thing or of a right
which we hold or exercise by ourselves, or by another who holds and
exercises it in our name
› Possession
Factual relation between a person and an object;
on the basis of which this person can perform, either personally or
through a third party;
acts with respect to this object;
which, through its external manifestation;
correspond with the exercise of ownership;
› Two elements: corpus and animus
› Corpus Objective side of possessionThe factual exercise of
prerogatives corresponding to the right of ownership
› AnimusSubjective side of possessionThe intention to conduct
oneself as the true owner
Not required: the belief to be the owner (animus domini ≠ opinio
domini)
› Possession = corpus + animus
› Detention = corpus without animus
He who holds an object for another is détenteur précaire
The détenteur acknowledges the right of ownership of someone
else
Only the possessor can obtain ownership by way of acquisitive
prescription
Possession in German law
› § 854 BGB:
Possession of an object is acquired by obtaining actual control of
the object
› Possession (Besitz) = actual control (corpus)
› Very broad definition of possession:
The existence of the animus is not required to qualify as possessor
But can be relevant sometimes
› Eigenbesitzer (§ 872 BGB):
A person who possesses an object as belonging to himself
› Fremdbesitzer
, A person who possesses an object as belonging to someone else.
Only the Eigenbesitzer can acquire by way of acquisitive
prescription
Protection of possession in French law
› Possessory actions based on art. 2278 Code civil: “Possession is
protected, regardless of the substance of the right, against disturbance
which affects of threatens it.”
› Three types of possessory actions (old 1264 CPC)
See Casebook,p. 108-111
Complainte
La dénonciation de nouvel oeuvre
La réintégration
NB: 1264 et seq CPC were abolished in 2017
› General remarks
› Possessory actions only apply to immovables
See Harzhouz v Kherif, p. 110
› Protection of possession, but:
Sometimes the détenteur is also a possessor with regard to his
limited proprietary right (so called ‘right-possession’)
- See also the extension in Cornillie v Pierson, p. 113
and
Since 1975 the détenteur précaire is also protected.
- See 2278 CC, second sentence: “Protection is also granted to
a person who holds a thing for another”
- But only: “against any other person than the one from
whom he derives his rights.”
› Protection requires disturbance/ trouble
Facts and actions which are contrary to possession and which
imply a disputation of the possessor’s right;
The ‘trouble’ must be a voluntary act, contesting the possession
- See Pelletier v SCI, p. 112
- Protection requires possession for at least one year
Exception for (action en réintégration) (art. 1264 old Cc)
Action is open within one year after the disturbance occurred
(prescription period)
› Complainte (old 1264 CPC)Actual interference
› Trouble de fait: factual contestation of the possessione.g. walking over
someone else’s land
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