exceptio non numeratae pecuniae

English

Etymology

Latin phrase.

exceptio (“an exception”) + non (“not (having)”) + numero - atis ("to count") + pecunia (“money”).

Phrase

exceptio non numeratae pecuniae

1. (law) An exception whereby a defendant can claim that the plaintiff has not paid the money to him and that therefore the obligation is not owing.
   • COHEN v LOUIS BLUMBERG (PTY), LTD AND ANOTHER 1949 (2) SA 849 (W)

     In my opinion a defendant in an action for provisional sentence on a mortgage bond who has renounced the benefit of the exceptio non numeratae pecuniae is not debarred either in the provisional case or in the principal case from raising the defence that he did not receive the money in respect of which he had acknowledged his indebtedness. The benefit of the exception is to enable a defendant to place upon the plaintiff the onus of proving that the money was paid; by renouncing the benefit, the defendant takes the onus of proof upon himself.

See also

A list of common exceptions under exceptio