Legal Definitions - aestimatio

aestimatio (es-tə-may-shee-oh) is a Latin term used in Roman law. It refers to an agreement between two parties where the owner of goods hands them over to another person with the understanding that the other person will sell the goods for the highest possible price. The owner of the goods will receive an agreed-upon price for whatever goods are sold, and the remaining goods will be returned to the owner. The plural form of aestimatio is aestimationes (es-tə-may-shee-oh-neez).

An example of aestimatio would be if a farmer gave their crops to a merchant to sell at the market. The merchant would then sell the crops for the highest possible price and return any unsold crops to the farmer. The farmer would receive an agreed-upon price for the crops that were sold.

Another example would be if a person gave their antique furniture to a consignment shop to sell. The consignment shop would sell the furniture for the highest possible price and return any unsold furniture to the owner. The owner would receive an agreed-upon price for the furniture that was sold.

These examples illustrate the concept of aestimatio because they show how one person entrusts their goods to another person to sell for the highest possible price. The owner of the goods receives an agreed-upon price for the goods that are sold, and the remaining goods are returned to the owner.