TAGATAC VS JIMENEZ considering that they had a contract of sale (note: but
such sale is voidable for the fraud and deceit by Feist).
53 OG 3792 The disputable presumption that a person found in FACTS: possession of a thing taken in the doing of a recent Trinidad Tagatac bought a car for $4,500 in the wrongful act is the taker and the doer of the whole act US. After 7 months, she brought the car to the does NOT apply in this case because the car was not Philippines. stolen from Tagatac, and Jimenez came into possession of the car two months after Feist swindled Tagatac. Warner Feist, who pretended to be a wealthy man, offered to buy Trinidad’s car for P15,000, Jimenez was a purchaser in good faith for he was not and Tagatac was amenable to the idea. Hnece, a aware of any flaw invalidating the title from the seller of the car deed of sale was exceuted. In addition, when Jimenez acquired the car, he had no Feist paid by means of a postdated check, and knowledge of any flaw in the title of the person from whom the car was delivered to Feist. However, PNB he acquired it. It was only later that he became fully aware refused to honor the checks and told her that that there were some questions regarding the car, when Feist had no account in said bank. he filed a petition to dissolve Tagatac’s search warrant Tagatac notified the law enforcement agencies of which had as its subject the car in question. the estafa committed by Feist, but the latter was The contract between Feist and Tagactac was a voidable not apprehended and the car disappeared. contract, it can be annulled or ratified Meanwhile, Feist managed succeeded in having . . . The fraud and deceit practiced by Warner L. Feist the car’s registration certificate (RC) transferred earmarks this sale as a voidable contract (Article 1390). in his name. He sold the car to Sanchez, who was Being a voidable contract, it is susceptible of either able to transfer the registration certificate to his ratification or annulment. (If the contract is ratified, the name. action to annul it is extinguished -Article 1392) and the Sanchez then offered to sell the car to defendant contract is cleansed from all its defects (Article 1396); if Liberato Jimenez, who bought the car for the contract is annulled, the contracting parties are P10,000 after investigating in the Motor Vehicles restored to their respective situations before the contract Office. and mutual restitution follows as a consequence (Article 1398). Tagatac discovered that the car was in California Car Exchange’s (place where Jimenez displayed Being a voidable contract, it remains valid and binding the car for sale), so she demanded from the until annulled manager for the delivery of the car, but the latter However, as long as no action is taken by the party refused. entitled, either that of annulment or of ratification, the Tagatac filed a suit for the recovery of the car’s contract of sale remains valid and binding. When plaintiff- possession, and the sheriff, pursuant to a warrant appellant Trinidad C. Tagatac delivered the car to Feist by of seizure that Tagatac obtained, seized and virtue of said voidable contract of sale, the title to the car impounded the car, but it was delivered back to passed to Feist. Of course, the title that Feist acquired Jimenez upon his filing of a counter-bond. was defective and voidable.
Nevertheless, at the time he sold the car to Felix Sanchez,
The lower court held that Jimenez had the right of his title thereto had not been avoided and he therefore ownership and possession over the car. conferred a good title on the latter, provided he bought the ISSUE: W/N Jimenez was a purchaser in good faith and car in good faith, for value and without notice of the defect thus entitled to the ownership and possession of the car. in Feist's title (Article 1506, N.C.C.). There being no proof YES on record that Felix Sanchez acted in bad faith, it is safe to assume that he acted in good faith. HELD: NB: ART. 1506. Where the seller of goods has a voidable title It must be noted that Tagatac was not unlawfully deprived thereto, but his title has not been avoided at the time of the sale, of his car the buyer acquires a good title to the goods provided he buys them in good faith, for value, and without notice of the seller’s In this case, there is a valid transmission of ownership defect of title. from true owner [Tagatac] to the swindler [Feist], case of bouncing checks. But absent the stipulation above noted, delivery of the thing sold will effectively transfer EDCA PUBLISHING VS SPS. SANTOS ownership to the buyer who can in turn transfer it to G.R. No. 80298, April 26, 1990 another.
FACTS: Actual delivery of the books having been made, Cruz
acquired ownership over the books which he could then On October 5, 1981, a person identifying himself as Prof. validly transfer to the private respondents. The fact that Jose Cruz ordered 406 books from EDCA Publishing. he had not yet paid for them to EDCA was a matter EDCA Subsequently prepared the corresponding invoice between him and EDCA and did not impair the title and delivered the books as ordered, for which Cruz issued acquired by the private respondents to the books. a personal check covering the purchase price of said books. Subsequently on October 7, 1981, Cruz sold 120 Leonor Santos took care to ascertain first that the books of the books to Leonor Santos who, after verifying the belonged to Cruz before she agreed to purchase them. seller’s ownership from the invoice he showed her, paid The EDCA invoice Cruz showed her assured her that the him P1,700. books had been paid for on delivery. By contrast, EDCA was less than cautious — in fact, too trusting in dealing Upon verification by EDCA, it was discovered that Cruz with the impostor. Although it had never transacted with was not employed as professor by De La Salle College him before, it readily delivered the books he had ordered and that he had no more account or deposit with Phil. (by telephone) and as readily accepted his personal Amanah Bank, the bank where he allegedly drawn the check in payment. It did not verify his identity although it payment check. Upon arrest of Cruz by the police, it was was easy enough to do this. It did not wait to clear the revealed that his real name was Tomas dela Pena and check of this unknown drawer. Worse, it indicated in the that there was a further sale of 120 books to Sps. Santos. sales invoice issued to him, by the printed terms thereon, that the books had been paid for on delivery, thereby EDCA, through the assistance of the police forced their vesting ownership in the buyer. way into the store of Sps. Santos and threatened Leonor with prosecution for buying stolen property. The 120 Santos did not need to go beyond that invoice to satisfy books were seized and were later turned over to EDCA. herself that the books being offered for sale by Cruz actually belonged to him; yet she still did. Although the This resulted to Sps. Santos filing a case for recovery of title of Cruz was presumed under Article 559 by his mere the books after their demand for the return of the books possession of the books, these being movable property, was rejected. Leonor Santos nevertheless demanded more proof ISSUE: W/N EDCA may retrieve the books from Santos. before deciding to buy them. NO (W/N EDCA has been unlawfully deprived of the NB: Law on Property books because the heck issued by Cruz in payment thereof was dishonored. NO.) Art. 559. The possession of movable property acquired in good faith is equivalent to a title. Nevertheless, one who has lost any HELD: movable or has been unlawfully deprived thereof, may recover it from the person in possession of the same. EDCA argues that because Cruz, the impostor acquired no title to the books, the latter could not have validly If the possessor of a movable lost or of which the owner has transferred such to Sps. Santos. Its reason is that as the been unlawfully deprived has acquired it in good faith at a public payment check bounced for lack of funds, there was a sale, the owner cannot obtain its return without reimbursing the price paid therefor. failure of consideration that nullified the contract of sale between it and Cruz.
However, upon perusal of the provisions on the Law on
Sales, a contract of sale is consensual and is perfected once agreement is reached between the parties on the subject matter and the consideration. As provided in Art. 1478- Ownership in the thing sold shall not pass to the buyer until full payment of the purchase only if there is a stipulation to that effect. Otherwise, the rule is that such ownership shall pass from the vendor to the vendee upon the actual or constructive delivery of the thing sold even if the purchase price has not yet been paid.
Non-payment only creates a right to demand payment or
to rescind the contract, or to criminal prosecution in the