XII. Where Lands are Leased, by a Written Contract, for a Term of Years.
Where the use of land is granted by an instrument in writing, for a certain term of years, he who received said land shall restore the same to the owner, at the expiration of said term, and shall do so without unnecessary delay, according to the conditions of the contract.
XIII. Where he who Rents Land under Contract, Cultivates a Greater Area than he has a Right to do, under the Conditions of the Same.
Whoever rents land under a lease, shall occupy as much of said land as the owner permits him to use, and no more. If, however, he should cultivate more land than he is entitled to under his contract, or should bring in others for that purpose, or his sons and grandsons, inmates of his house, should cultivate lands not included in his lease; or he should occupy any fields without the permission of the owner; or should, without authority, cut down any grove, for the purpose of having tillable land, or meadows, or to build fences out of the timber; he shall lose everything which he has appropriated without permission; and it shall rest in the discretion of the owner whether he shall increase the rent, or shall at once take possession of the land not included in the lease. And where only arable land is rented to any person and no woodland or pasture is included, no lessee shall have the right to use said woodland or pasture without the consent of the owner thereof.
XIV. Where a Dispute Arises Between Landlord and Tenant, Concerning Arable Lands, or Forests, which are Leased.
Where any dispute arises between the parties to a lease, concerning the quantity of land granted under said lease the lessor, if he is living, and if he is dead, his heirs, shall make oath that said lessor did not lease a larger tract of land than is designated by them. And after they have made oath as aforesaid, they shall attach their seals to the same in the presence of witnesses, to the end that no cause for dispute may arise thereafter. If, however, said parties should not be worthy of credit, or should be unwilling to make oath as aforesaid, or should have any doubt concerning the amount of land so leased, they shall not make oath and imperil their souls, but they shall divide each of the whole number of aratra received by themselves, as heirs of their parents, into fifty arepennes: so that every portion occupied or cultivated shall include said fifty arepennes; nor shall they presume to occupy any more than said portion measured and allotted to them, unless with the consent of the owner or owners of said land. Any tenant who occupies more than said quantity of land, shall pay double the amount of rent of the tract he illegally entered upon.
XV. Both Tenants must Pay the Rent for Land which has been Sublet.
Where a landlord receives a tenant on his land, and it afterward happens that the latter sublets a third of the same to another party, both shall be considered tenants of the landlord, and shall pay rent to him in proportion to the amount of land they occupy.
XVI. Where Goths have Appropriated any of the Third Part of Land Belonging to Romans, they shall Restore the Entire Amount to the Romans, under Order of Court.
Judges, governors, and other authorities, in all cases where Romans have been deprived of their lands, shall take them from those who occupy them, and restore them to the Romans, in order that the royal treasury may sustain no loss; provided, however, that the period of fifty years shall not have elapsed, so that, by limitation of time, the rights of the Romans to said lands may not have been lost.