Page 143 - Latent Defect or Excessive Price?Exploring Early Modern Legal Approach to Remedying Defects in Goods Exchanged for Money - Bruijn

EARLY MODERN CASTILIAN LAW
under distress of his property, an orchard, which he had given as security for payment.288 The auction of the orchard was ordered by Castañeda, because Cazorla refused to pay for a mule Castañeda had sold him.
First, Cazorla claims that the price asked for the animal is excessive.
'I oppose the execution of my property demanded by Francisco de Castañeda junior for the amount of around 5000 maravedís, which he says I owe him, as is more precisely stated in the said writ of execution... you must declare to replace and revoke \[vid. the execution\] and absolve me and free me from what is contrariwise demanded and put into execution... ; because your majesty knew that the said execution stems from an obligation ... \[scan 32\] about a black mule which he sold me... for 24500 maravedís and for the sale on credit of which he charged me 9500 maravedís more than it is worth in cash; because your majesty knew that before and at the time that the said Castañeda sold me the said mule, it was not worth according to a just and common estimation more than 15000 maravedis'.289
The mule being worth no more than 15000 and Cazorla having bought for 34000 maravedís results in a lesion for more than half the mule's 'just and common' price. The similarities in language with the legal doctrine of the time leaves little doubt that here an objective price estimation is meant.
That the assessment takes place in an objective manner can also be inferred from the appointment of witnesses to determine the just value of the mule. The parties themselves have no role in the assessment of the mule's just price.
'For the following questions the witnesses must be examined which are or may be presented from the side of Juan de Cazorla... (iii) similarly, whether the witnesses know that the said mule was not worth before and after the time of the sale according to a just and common estimation more than 15000 maravedís and whether for the sale on credit the said Francisco de Castañedo charged to the said Juan Cazorla for the said mule 9500 maravedís more than it was worth'.290
Secondly, Cazorla claims that the orchard, pledged as security for payment of the mule and sold in auction by Castañeda, was taxed at too low a price. Cazorla, therefore,
288 Pl. civ., F. Alonso (f.), caja 971, 7, sc. 10: 'por especial y expressa ypoteca / obli- | gamos a la paga e seguridad desta dicha | debda un arboleda que nos savemos e | tenemos por nuestra e como nuestra'.
289 Pl. civ., F. Alonso (f.), caja 971, 7, scs. 31-32: 'me opongo a una execucion | en mis bienes hecha a pedimiento | de Francisco de Castañeda postero | por quantia de cinco mill y tantos maravedís | que dize le devo como todo mas lar- | gamente consta por la dicha execucion | ... deve declarar reponer e rrevocar | absolviendome y dandome por libre | de lo en contrario pedido y execu- | tado... | lo otro porque vuestra merced sabia que | la dicha execucion proviene de una | obligacion... | \[sc. 32\] por una mula que me vendio negra | ... | por veynte e quatro mill e quinientos maravedís | y por vender me la fiada me cargo nue- | ve mill y quinientos maravedís mas de lo que | valia de contado porque vuestra merced | sabia que antes e al tiempo quel | dicho Castañeda me vendiese la dicha | mula no valia a justa e comun | estimacion mas de quinze mill maravedis'.
290 Pl. civ., Fernando Alonso (f), caja 971, 7, sc. 34: 'por las preguntas siguientes | an de ser examinados los testigos que | son o fueren presentados | por parte de Juan de Cazorla | ... | (iii) yten si saben los testigos que la dicha mula | no valia antes y al tiempo de | la venta a justa e comun estima- | cion mas de quinze mill maravedis | y por vender la fiada el dicho Francisco | de Castañeda la cargo al dicho Juan | Cazorla en la dicha mula nueve | mill e quinientos maravedis mas de | lo que valia'.
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