Legal Definitions - de aestimato

Definition: De aestimato (dee es-ti-may-toh) is a Latin term used in Roman law. It means "for the estimation of something in money". It refers to an action that an owner of goods can take against a person who received the goods but failed to either pay the owner an agreed price after finding a purchaser or return the goods to the owner after a certain period.

Example: A traveling merchant sells a piece of jewelry to a second-hand dealer. They agree that the dealer will either pay the merchant an agreed price after finding a purchaser or return the jewelry to the merchant after a certain period. However, the dealer fails to do either of these things. The merchant can then take legal action against the dealer using de aestimato.

This example illustrates how de aestimato was often used by traveling merchants or second-hand dealers who purchased items and then resold them at higher prices or returned them to the owner.