Forced Sale — Who Can Be Expropriated and How
La Vente forcée — Qui peut être exproprié et comment
Lavant fòse — Ki moun ki ka ekspropriye epi kijan
Lesson Content
Titre XXXIII — Of Expropriation, or Forced Sale, and of the Order Among Creditors (Articles 1483–1490)
The penultimate title of the Loi Civile addresses the ultimate enforcement mechanism: the forced sale of a debtor's immovable property to satisfy their creditors. This is the nuclear option of debt collection — when all other remedies have failed, the law allows a creditor to compel the sale of the debtor's land and buildings.
Article 1483 establishes what can be sold: (1) immovable property and its accessories belonging to the debtor; (2) the usufruct of such property belonging to the debtor.
Article 1484 protects undivided estates: personal creditors of a co-heir cannot force the sale of that co-heir's share while the estate remains undivided. They must first provoke partition or licitation (sale of the whole).
Article 1485 protects minors and interdicted persons: their movable property must be exhausted before their immovables can be pursued.
Article 1486 provides an exception: if the debt is common to a major and a minor or interdicted person (or proceedings began before interdiction), the sale of jointly held immovables can proceed.
Article 1487 addresses married couples. For community property, only the husband is sued. For the wife's separate property, both spouses must be joined. If the husband refuses, the wife can be authorized by the court. If both are minors (or the wife alone is), the court appoints a tutor for the wife.
Article 1488: if hypothecated property is insufficient, the creditor can pursue the debtor's other non-hypothecated property.
Article 1489: immovables in different jurisdictions must be sold successively unless they form part of a single operation — in which case, proceedings go to the court where the headquarters or highest-revenue portion is located.
Article 1490: hypothecated and non-hypothecated property forming a single operation can be sold together at the debtor's request, with price apportionment at adjudication.
Titre XXXIII — De l'Expropriation ou Vente forcée (Articles 1483–1490)
Article 1483 : le créancier peut faire vendre les immeubles et l'usufruit du débiteur.
Article 1484 : pas de vente forcée d'une part indivise dans une succession.
Article 1485 : les mobiliers des mineurs ou interdits sont discutés avant leurs immeubles.
Article 1486 : exception pour dette commune à un majeur et un mineur.
Article 1487 : pour la communauté, on poursuit le mari seul ; pour les biens propres de la femme, les deux conjointement.
Article 1488 : insuffisance des biens hypothéqués = poursuite des autres biens.
Article 1489 : vente successive des immeubles situés dans différents arrondissements, sauf exploitation unique.
Article 1490 : biens hypothéqués et non hypothéqués d'une même exploitation vendus ensemble sur requête du débiteur.
Tit XXXIII — Sou Ekspwopryasyon oswa Lavant fòse (Atik 1483–1490)
Atik 1483 : kreyansye a ka fè vann imèb ak izifwi debitè a.
Atik 1484 : pa gen lavant fòse yon pòsyon ki pa divize nan yon siksesyon.
Atik 1485 : mobilye minè oswa entèdi yo diskite anvan imèb yo.
Atik 1486 : eksepsyon pou dèt ki komen ant yon majè ak yon minè.
Atik 1487 : pou kominote, yo pouswiv mari a sèl ; pou byen pwòp madanm nan, toude ansanm.
Atik 1488 : byen ipoteke pa sifi = pouswiv lòt byen yo.
Atik 1489 : lavant siksesif pou imèb nan diferan awondisman, sof eksplwatasyon inik.
Atik 1490 : byen ipoteke ak non-ipoteke nan yon menm eksplwatasyon vann ansanm sou demand debitè a.