Article 654 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 654 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع الثاني: أسباب كسب الملكية أولًا: إحراز المباحات
The article provides that if two movables of different owners become joined so that they cannot be separated without damage and the owners do not agree, the court decides the dispute taking into account the harm done, the parties' circumstances and each one's good faith.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا اتصل منقولان لمالكين مختلفين بحيث لا يمكن فصلهما دون تلف ولم يكن هناك اتفاق بين المالكين قضت المحكمة في النزاع مع مراعاة الضرر الذي وقع وحال الطرفين وحسن نية كل منهما.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 654 explained in plain English
This article deals with the case of two movables (that is, two things that can be moved) joined together, each owned by a different person, so that they have become one thing.
Conditions for the rule to apply:
- Two movables of different owners become joined.
- The joining is such that they cannot be separated without damage.
- There is no agreement between the owners on the rule for this.
The rule: If these conditions are met, the court decides the dispute. The article does not set a ready-made solution, such as giving one of them ownership of the other, but requires the court to take three factors into account:
- The harm that occurred.
- The circumstances of the two parties.
- The good faith of each of them.
In practice, this means the owners may first agree on what they see fit, and if they do not agree, the decision is for the court under these criteria. The article does not specify the result the court reaches; that varies from case to case.
This article differs from Article 653, which concerns real estate, specifically a landowner who encroaches in good faith on part of the adjoining land while building. Article 655 deals with the transfer of ownership and real rights by contract.
Anyone with a dispute of this kind can consult a lawyer who specializes in civil matters.
Practical example
A company in Jeddah sent a metal part it owns to a workshop, and the workshop owner mistakenly used it in assembling a machine he owns, so that it cannot be taken apart without destroying it. If they do not agree on a solution, the court decides the dispute taking into account the harm done, the circumstances of the two parties and each one's good faith.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 654 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
If my property gets mixed with someone else's and they cannot be separated, who owns them?
If there is no agreement between the owners, the court decides the dispute taking into account the harm done, the circumstances of the two parties and each one's good faith.
Can the owners agree on a solution instead of going to court?
Yes. The article applies where there is no agreement between the owners.
More articles on Ownership, Co-Ownership and Partition
- Article 22
The article defines an immovable as a thing fixed in its place that cannot be moved without damage or change in its form, everything else being movable, and treats a movable that its owner assigns to the service or exploitation of his immovable as an immovable by destination.
1- العقار كلُّ شيءٍ ثابتٍ في حيزه لا يمكن نقله منه دون تلفٍ أو تغيُّرٍ في هيئته، وما عدا ذلك فهو منقول. 2- يعدُّ عقارًا بالتخصيص المنقولُ الذي يضعه مالكه في عقا
- Article 26
The article divides the real right into principal rights, such as ownership, usufruct, use, habitation, easement and waqf, and accessory rights, such as mortgage and privilege, together with what the legal provisions so consider.
1- يكون الحقُّ العينيُّ أصليًّا أو تبعيًّا. 2- الحقوق العينية الأصلية هي حق الملكية، وحق الانتفاع، وحق الاستعمال، وحق السكنى، وحق الارتفاق، وحق الوقف، وما يعد ك
- Article 112
The article provides that termination of a contract cannot be asserted against the contracting party's specific successor if he acquired a real right in good faith.
لا يحتج بفسخ العقد تجاه الخلف الخاص للمتعاقد إذا كسب حقًّا عينيًّا بحسن نية.
- Article 131
A building's keeper is liable to compensate for damage caused by the collapse of all or part of the building, unless he proves that it was not due to neglect of maintenance, age of the building or a defect in it.
يكون حارس البناء مسؤولًا عن تعويض الضرر الذي يحدثه تهدّم البناء كله أو بعضه؛ ما لم يثبت أن الضرر لا يرجع سببه إلى إهمال في الصيانة أو قدم في البناء أو عيب فيه.
- Article 133
Anyone threatened with damage from a particular thing may demand that its keeper take measures to avert the danger; if he does not, the threatened person may carry them out with court permission at the owner's expense, or without it in urgency.
لكل من كان مهدَّدًا بضررٍ من شيءٍ معيَّنٍ أن يطالب حارسه باتخاذ ما يلزم من التدابير لدرء خطره، فإذا لم يقم باتخاذ هذه التدابير في وقت مناسب فلمن يهدده الخطر أن
- Article 371
The article allows a partner to give his share in jointly owned property to his partner or to someone else, whether the property is real estate or movable, even if it is divisible.
تصح هبة الشريك حصته في المال الشائع لشريكه أو لغيره عقارًا كان أو منقولًا، ولو كان الموهوب قابلًا للقسمة.
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.