The law courts recognize many ways to transfer property: sale, lease, barter, gift, dedication, deposit, loan, or pledge, all of which were matters of contract. "Sale" is always the delivery of the purchase (in the case of real estate, symbolized by a staff, a key, or deed of conveyance) in return for the purchase money, receipts being given for both. Credit, if given, is treated as a debt, and secured as a loan by the seller to be repaid by the buyer, for which he must give a bond.
The law courts do not recognize claims unsubstantiated by documents or the oaths of witnesses. A buyer must trust a seller's title to be genuine in order to retain goods from that seller and avoid prosecution by the law court. If a buyer recieves a slave from someone who is not the slave's master, he will be charged with theivery along with the seller. If goods are stolen and the rightful owner reclaims them, he has to prove his property rights by identifying the seller and showing the deed of sale or witnesses to it's striking. Otherwise, he again would be considered a thief. This is to prevent the transfer of goods between criminals or the exploitation of stolen property.
A man who obtained an article abroad might find that the item belongs to another person in deed or charter. In this case, the buyer must restore the property to the former owner without recompense. If the man is found to have knowingly purchased property that belonged to a feudal holding, or to a ward in chancery, he must return it and forfeit what he gave for it was well as punishment.
