Legal Definitions - per universitatem

Per universitatem is a Latin phrase used in civil law to describe the acquisition or transfer of something as a complete whole, rather than as individual components. It signifies dealing with an entire collection of assets, rights, or obligations as a single, indivisible unit, emphasizing that the whole is transferred or received without separation or selection of its parts.

• Example 1: Inheritance of a Family Estate

  Imagine a situation where a person passes away, leaving behind a comprehensive will that designates their only child as the sole heir to their entire estate. This estate includes a family home, several bank accounts, a portfolio of investments, and all personal belongings.

  How it illustrates the term: The child inherits the estate per universitatem, meaning they receive all assets and liabilities as one complete package. They do not pick and choose individual items like the house or a specific bank account; rather, they succeed to the entirety of the deceased's property and obligations as a single, undivided inheritance.

• Example 2: Acquisition of a Small Business

  Consider a large corporation that decides to acquire a smaller, specialized technology company. The acquisition agreement specifies that the larger corporation will take over all aspects of the smaller company, including its patents, customer contracts, existing debts, physical office space, and employee contracts.

  How it illustrates the term: The larger corporation acquires the smaller company per universitatem. This means they are not just buying specific assets or intellectual property, but rather the entire operational entity, including its assets, liabilities, and ongoing business relationships, as a complete and functioning whole.

• Example 3: Donation of a Historical Archive

  A private collector of historical documents decides to donate their entire archive, comprising thousands of letters, photographs, and rare books spanning several centuries, to a university library. The donation agreement stipulates that the library must accept the entire collection as a single, indivisible gift to be preserved and made accessible to scholars.

  How it illustrates the term: The university library receives the archive per universitatem. They are accepting the entire body of work as one comprehensive historical collection, rather than selecting individual items or categories from it. The donation is treated as a single, complete unit of historical material.