Article 1160.
 Obligations derived from quasi-contracts shall be subject to the provisions of Chapter
1, Title XVII, of this Book. (n)
TITLE XVII
EXTRA-CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS
CHAPTER 1
Quasi-contracts
Article 2142. Certain lawful, voluntary and
unilateral acts give rise to the juridical relation of
quasi-contract to the end that no one shall be
unjustly enriched or benefited at the expense of
another. (n)
Article 2143. The provisions for quasi-contracts
in this Chapter do not exclude other quasi-
contracts which may come within the purview of
the preceding article. (n)
SECTION 1
Negotiorum Gestio
Article 2144. Whoever voluntarily takes charge
of the agency or management of the business or
property of another, without any power from the
latter, is obliged to continue the same until the
termination of the affair and its incidents, or to
require the person concerned to substitute him,
if the owner is in a position to do so. This
juridical relation does not arise in either of these
instances:
(1) When the property or business is not
neglected or abandoned;
(2) If in fact the manager has been
tacitly authorized by the owner.
In the first case, the provisions of articles 1317,
1403, No. 1, and 1404 regarding unauthorized
contracts shall govern.
In the second case, the rules on agency in Title
X of this Book shall be applicable. (1888a)
Article 2145. The officious manager shall
perform his duties with all the diligence of a good
father of a family, and pay the damages which
through his fault or negligence may be suffered
by the owner of the property or business under
management.
The courts may, however, increase or moderate
the indemnity according to the circumstances of
each case. (1889a)
Article 2146. If the officious manager delegates
to another person all or some of his duties, he
shall be liable for the acts of the delegate,
without prejudice to the direct obligation of the
latter toward the owner of the business.
The responsibility of two or more officious
managers shall be solidary, unless the
management was assumed to save the thing or
business from imminent danger. (1890a)
Article 2147. The officious manager shall be
liable for any fortuitous event:
(1) If he undertakes risky operations
which the owner was not accustomed to
embark upon;
(2) If he has preferred his own interest to
that of the owner;
(3) If he fails to return the property or
business after demand by the owner;
(4) If he assumed the management in
bad faith. (1891a)
Article 2148. Except when the management
was assumed to save property or business from
imminent danger, the officious manager shall be
liable for fortuitous events:
(1) If he is manifestly unfit to carry on
the management;
(2) If by his intervention he prevented a
more competent person from taking up
the management. (n)
Article 2149. The ratification of the management
by the owner of the business produces the
effects of an express agency, even if the
business may not have been successful.
(1892a)
Article 2150. Although the officious
management may not have been expressly
ratified, the owner of the property or business
who enjoys the advantages of the same shall be
liable for obligations incurred in his interest, and
shall reimburse the officious manager for the
necessary and useful expenses and for the
Article 1160. Obligations derived from quasi-contracts shall be subject to the provisions of Chapter
1, Title XVII, of this Book. (n)
damages which the latter may have suffered in
the performance of his duties.
The same obligation shall be incumbent upon
him when the management had for its purpose
the prevention of an imminent and manifest loss,
although no benefit may have been derived.
(1893)
Article 2151. Even though the owner did not
derive any benefit and there has been no
imminent and manifest danger to the property or
business, the owner is liable as under the first
paragraph of the preceding article, provided:
(1) The officious manager has acted in
good faith, and
(2) The property or business is intact,
ready to be returned to the owner. (n)
Article 2152. The officious manager is
personally liable for contracts which he has
entered into with third persons, even though he
acted in the name of the owner, and there shall
be no right of action between the owner and
third persons. These provisions shall not apply:
(1) If the owner has expressly or tacitly
ratified the management, or
(2) When the contract refers to things
pertaining to the owner of the business.
(n)
Article 2153. The management is extinguished:
(1) When the owner repudiates it or puts
an end thereto;
(2) When the officious manager
withdraws from the management,
subject to the provisions of article 2144;
(3) By the death, civil interdiction,
insanity or insolvency of the owner or
the officious manager. (n)
SECTION 2
Solutio Indebiti
Article 2154. If something is received when
there is no right to demand it, and it was unduly
delivered through mistake, the obligation to
return it arises. (1895)
Article 2155. Payment by reason of a mistake in
the construction or application of a doubtful or
difficult question of law may come within the
scope of the preceding article. (n)
Article 2156. If the payer was in doubt whether
the debt was due, he may recover if he proves
that it was not due. (n)
Article 2157. The responsibility of two or more
payees, when there has been payment of what
is not due, is solidary. (n)
Article 2158. When the property delivered or
money paid belongs to a third person, the payee
shall comply with the provisions of article 1984.
(n)
Article 2159. Whoever in bad faith accepts an
undue payment, shall pay legal interest if a sum
of money is involved, or shall be liable for fruits
received or which should have been received if
the thing produces fruits.
He shall furthermore be answerable for any loss
or impairment of the thing from any cause, and
for damages to the person who delivered the
thing, until it is recovered. (1896a)
Article 2160. He who in good faith accepts an
undue payment of a thing certain and
determinate shall only be responsible for the
impairment or loss of the same or its
accessories and accessions insofar as he has
thereby been benefited. If he has alienated it, he
shall return the price or assign the action to
collect the sum. (1897)
Article 2161. As regards the reimbursement for
improvements and expenses incurred by him
who unduly received the thing, the provisions of
Title V of Book II shall govern. (1898)
Article 2162. He shall be exempt from the
obligation to restore who, believing in good faith
that the payment was being made of a legitimate
and subsisting claim, destroyed the document,
or allowed the action to prescribe, or gave up the
Article 1160. Obligations derived from quasi-contracts shall be subject to the provisions of Chapter
1, Title XVII, of this Book. (n)
pledges, or cancelled the guaranties for his right.
He who paid unduly may proceed only against
the true debtor or the guarantors with regard to
whom the action is still effective. (1899)
Article 2163. It is presumed that there was a
mistake in the payment if something which had
never been due or had already been paid was
delivered; but he from whom the return is
claimed may prove that the delivery was made
out of liberality or for any other just cause.
(1901)
SECTION 3
Other Quasi-Contracts *
Article 2164. When, without the knowledge of
the person obliged to give support, it is given by
a stranger, the latter shall have a right to claim
the same from the former, unless it appears that
he gave it out of piety and without intention of
being repaid. (1894a)
Article 2165. When funeral expenses are borne
by a third person, without the knowledge of
those relatives who were obliged to give support
to the deceased, said relatives shall reimburse
the third person, should the latter claim
reimbursement. (1894a)
Article 2166. When the person obliged to
support an orphan, or an insane or other
indigent person unjustly refuses to give support
to the latter, any third person may furnish
support to the needy individual, with right of
reimbursement from the person obliged to give
support. The provisions of this article apply when
the father or mother of a child under eighteen
years of age unjustly refuses to support him.
Article 2167. When through an accident or other
cause a person is injured or becomes seriously
ill, and he is treated or helped while he is not in a
condition to give consent to a contract, he shall
be liable to pay for the services of the physician
or other person aiding him, unless the service
has been rendered out of pure generosity.
Article 2168. When during a fire, flood, storm, or
other calamity, property is saved from
destruction by another person without the
knowledge of the owner, the latter is bound to
pay the former just compensation.
Article 2169. When the government, upon the
failure of any person to comply with health or
safety regulations concerning property,
undertakes to do the necessary work, even over
his objection, he shall be liable to pay the
expenses.
Article 2170. When by accident or other
fortuitous event, movables separately pertaining
to two or more persons are commingled or
confused, the rules on co-ownership shall be
applicable.
Article 2171. The rights and obligations of the
finder of lost personal property shall be
governed by articles 719 and 720.
Article 2172. The right of every possessor in
good faith to reimbursement for necessary and
useful expenses is governed by article 546.
Article 2173. When a third person, without the
knowledge of the debtor, pays the debt, the
rights of the former are governed by articles
1236 and 1237.
Article 2174. When in a small community a
majority of the inhabitants of age decide upon a
measure for protection against lawlessness, fire,
flood, storm or other calamity, any one who
objects to the plan and refuses to contribute to
the expenses but is benefited by the project as
executed shall be liable to pay his share of said
expenses.
Article 2175. Any person who is constrained to
pay the taxes of another shall be entitled to
reimbursement from the latter.
Article 1160. Obligations derived from quasi-contracts shall be subject to the provisions of Chapter
1, Title XVII, of this Book. (n)