Obligation - General Provisions Flashcards
An obligation is a juridical necessity _______, _____ or _______.
to give; to do; not to do
What is a tie of law or a juridical bond by virtue of which one is bound in favor of another to render something — and this may consist in giving a thing, doing a certain act, or not doing a certain act?
Obligation
What is the type of obligation that gives the obligee or creditor the right to enforce the performance of a prestation?
Civil obligation
What is the right that grants parties to enforce performance called?
Right of action or right
What is the type of obligation that does not grant parties the right of action?
Natural obligation
Known as passive subject of an obligation.
Obligor or debtor
Known as active subject of an obligation.
Obligee or creditor
In case of the voluntary fulfillment of obligor in a prestation under natural obligation, should the same be able to recover what he has already delivered or rendered?
He may not.
Does the law require obligations arising from contracts any form for their validity and binding force?
No.
What’s the only source of obligation that gives the latter form?
Contracts
What is an act or omission of one party in violation of the legal right or rights of another, causing injury to the latter?
Wrong (cause of action)
What are the essential requisites of an obligation?
- Obligor
- Obligee
- Prestation
What are the essential elements of a cause of action?
- a legal right of a plaintiff/creditor
- a legal obligation of a defendant/debtor
- the cause of action or wrong
If the complaint fails to state a cause of action because one of the elements of a cause of action is absent, what will it become vulnerable to?
Motion to dismiss
What happens when the cause of action stated is unclear or flawed?
Court will ask for further explanation or clarification. Motion to dismiss will not be approved.
Cause of action is approved based on which of the two: correctness of facts or completeness of facts or elements?
Completeness of facts or elements
When does cause of action arise?
When the last element occurs: that is, the transgression of rights
Define cause of action.
An act or omission of one party in violation of the legal right or rights of another, causing injury to the latter
What springs forth from cause of action?
Right of action
Obligation of a person cannot exist without what?
Corresponding right of another person
Facts: S and B entered into a contract to sell, whereby B, after making a downpayment, was given the option to pay the balance of the purchase price of a parcel of land. Later, S “rejected the contract to sell’’ even before the arrival of the period for the exercise of said option on the ground that the terms and conditions of the contract are grossly disadvantageous and highly prejudicial to his interest. S sent two (2) checks to B in an apparent effort to return the downpayment. S contends that the complaint was prematurely filed because at the time of the institution of the complaint, B has yet to exercise his option under the “Option of Buyer’’ clause of the contract. Has B a cause of action against S for prematurity?
Yes, all the elements are present.
What is the prescriptive period in which a cause of action based upon a WRITTEN CONTRACT should be brought after the breach of violation accrues?
10 years
What is described as the illegal invasion of a legal right, a wrongful act or omission, or a breach?
Injury
What is the loss, hurt, or harm that results from the injury?
Damage
What denotes the sum of money recoverable as amends for wrongful act or omission?
Damages
Can there be injury without damage and damage without injury?
Yes.
What must be proven in addition to injury for the person injured to be entitled to sue?
Damage
What damages require pecuniary proof?
Actual and compensatory damages
What is the instance when damage need not be proven?
Injury without damage
In cases with injury without damage, what must only be proven?
Injury
What is the instance when an injury happens as a result from an exercise of someone else’s legal right?
Damage without injury
One who makes use of his legal right ________.
does no injury
What happens to the plaintiff if there is damage without injury?
The consequences must be borne by the plaintiff alone.
In other words, in order that the law will give redress for an act (or omission) causing damage, that act must be not only hurtful, but _________.
wrongful
X imported certain goods. The Collector of Customs declared the goods forfeited in favor of the government and ordered the sale thereof at public auction. The bid of Y was approved and the goods were awarded to him. Under the law, X has the right to have the decision of the Collector of Customs reviewed by the Commissioner of Customs, and from the decision of the latter, to appeal to the Court of Tax Appeals (Secs. 2313, 402, Tariff and Customs Code.), and from the latter’s decision, to the Supreme Court. X will be prejudiced if the sale is not set aside.
Is X liable to Y for damages from the consequent delay in the delivery of the goods?
No, because X is merely exercising his right to have the Collector of Customs’ decision be reviewed and contested.
What are the types of obligation according to subject matter?
- Real obligation
- Personal obligation
What are the two types of personal obligation?
- Positive personal obligation
- Negative personal obligation
What are the sources of obligation?
- Law
- Contracts
- Quasi-contracts
- Acts or omissions punished by law
- Quasi-delicts
Define Quasi-contracts
Quasi-contracts arise from lawful, voluntary, and unilateral acts leading to unjust enrichment.
Define Quasi-delicts
They are those that arise from damage caused to another in person, in property, and in rights, through an act or omission, there being fault or negligence, giving rise to an obligation to pay for the damage done, but no contractual relation exists between the parties.
What source of obligation is exemplified in this scenario? “The obligation of the head of a family that lives in a building or a part thereof to answer for damages caused by things thrown or falling from the same.”
Quasi-delicts
What source of obligation is exemplified in this scenario? “The obligation to return money paid by mistake or which is not due.”
Quasi-contracts
Is there an obligation if it does not come from the five known sources in Article 1157? Why?
No, because it is embodied in Article 22 of the Civil Code.
What may be mistaken as a source of a legally enforceable right?
Practice or custom
How many sources of obligation are there in actuality? Why?
2, because obligations arising from crimes, quasi-contracts, and quasi-delicts all arise from law.
When the source of the obligation is a private act, what happens?
The law merely recognizes the existence of the obligation.
A judgment was rendered by a justice of the peace court (now municipal court) in favor of X who brought an ejectment suit against Y, the owner of the house built on the land of X. Z, the deputy sheriff who executed the judgment, was obliged to remove the house of Y from the land according to the usual procedure in the action for ejectment.
Is Y entitled to indemnity arising from the destruction of his house?
No, because, while there is the obligation of Z to remove the house according to usual procedure, there is no contract binding X and Z to Y that grants the latter indemnities from the destruction of his house as it is legal procedure. Furthermore, there is no proof that Z, the sheriff, had incurred any ILLEGAL ACTS OR OMISSIONS or any FAULT OR NEGLIGENCE that might raise an obligation of the sheriff to indemnify Y.
Obligations derived from law are not __________. Only those expressly determined in this ______ or in _______ are demandable, and shall be _________ by the precepts of the law which establishes them; and as to what has not been foreseen, by the provisions of this Book.
presumed; Code; special laws; regulated
Why are legal obligations not presumed?
Because they are considered a burden upon the obligor/debtor.
When should legal obligations be demandable?
When they are found in the Civil Code or special laws.
Does the employer have the obligation to furnish free legal assistance to its employees? Explain.
No, even when said employee incurred expenses in paying a lawyer to recover damages caused by a stranger in his performance of his duties as an employee. Even in that situation, the employer is not obligated to recover the former the amount paid.