Legal Definitions - solvit ad diem

In legal history, when someone was sued for not paying a debt, there were specific defenses they could raise. Two related Latin phrases describe common arguments used to prove that a payment *was* made.

solvit ad diem

This Latin legal phrase translates to "he paid on the day." Historically, in a lawsuit where someone was accused of failing to pay a debt, `solvit ad diem` was a defense argument. The person being sued (the defendant) would claim that they had indeed paid the debt precisely on the date it was due, thereby fulfilling their obligation and disputing the claim of non-payment.

• Example 1: Loan Repayment

  Imagine a scenario where Mr. Henderson borrowed $10,000 from a bank, with the final installment due on March 15th. The bank later mistakenly sends him a notice claiming the payment was missed and threatens legal action.

  Mr. Henderson's defense would be `solvit ad diem`. He would present his bank statement showing a transfer of $10,000 to the bank on March 15th, proving he paid the debt exactly when it was due.

• Example 2: Service Contract Payment

  A marketing agency, "Creative Campaigns," completed a project for a client, "Retail Innovations," with the agreed payment of $7,500 due upon project completion on July 1st. Retail Innovations later receives a demand for payment, alleging they never paid.

  Retail Innovations would assert `solvit ad diem` by providing proof, such as a dated payment receipt or a bank transaction record, showing they transferred the $7,500 to Creative Campaigns on July 1st, the exact date the payment was due according to their contract.

solvit ante diem

This Latin legal phrase translates to "he paid before the day." Similar to `solvit ad diem`, this was a historical defense in a debt lawsuit. The defendant would argue that they had paid the debt *before* its official due date, thus fulfilling their obligation ahead of schedule and refuting the plaintiff's claim of non-payment.

• Example 1: Utility Bill

  Ms. Chen receives her monthly electricity bill, which states that the payment of $120 is due by the 20th of the month. Due to an administrative error, the utility company later sends her a notice claiming her payment was late and assessing a penalty.

  Ms. Chen could invoke `solvit ante diem` by showing her online banking records, which clearly indicate she paid the $120 on the 15th of the month, five days before the official due date.

• Example 2: Supplier Invoice

  A manufacturing company, "Precision Parts," received an invoice for raw materials from their supplier, "MetalWorks," for $5,000, with a payment deadline of September 30th. MetalWorks later contacts Precision Parts, claiming the invoice remains unpaid.

  Precision Parts would respond with `solvit ante diem`, providing a copy of their payment confirmation or a bank statement showing they remitted the $5,000 to MetalWorks on September 25th, several days before the invoice's due date.