or USUCAPTIO. A term of Roman law used to denote a mode of ac-qulsition of property. It corresponds very nearly to the term “prescription.” But the prescription of Roman law differed from that of the English law, in thls: that no mala fide possessor (i. e., person in possession knowingly of the property of another) could, by however long a period, acquire title by possesslon merely. The two essential requlsites to usucapio were justa causa (i. e., title) and bona fides, (i. e., lgnorance.) The term “usucapio” is sometimes, hut erroneous-ly, wrltten “usucaptio” Brown. See Pavey v. Vance, 56 ohio St. 162, 46 N. E. 898
Source: Black's Law Dictionary 2nd Ed (1910)
