浅谈押金的法律性质

押金是债的履行的担保，是债务人或第三人为担保债务的履行而向债权人支付一定数额的金钱，在债务人依约履行债务后，债权人应当及时如数退还的一种金钱担保。押金是特殊的权利质押，占有押金就享有押金的所有权。押金在数额上由当事人自由约定。但现实中并不是所有的押金都是合法的，应当考察押金设定的目的和相应的法律依据。

On the Legal Nature of the Deposit

The deposit is the debt fulfillment guarantee, that is, the debtor or the third person pays certain amount for the guarantee to fulfill the debt to the creditor. After the debtor fulfills the debt as agreed, the creditor must return the same amount of guarantee. The deposit is the special right pawns. Holding the deposit means to have the deposit property rights. The deposit can be agreed freely in the amount by the litigant. But in the reality it is not all deposit which is legitimate, it must inspect the purpose of the deposit and the corresponding legal basis.