Fortunado v. CA GR No. 78556; 21 April 1991; Cruz, J. Digest by !ggy G!" DOCTRINE #$ro% C!%pos p. 5&6' (" )!se )!se o$ re*e% re*e%pti ptio" o" o$ prope property rty sol* sol* u"*er u"*er e+e)u e+e)utio tio", ", ! te"*er te"*er o$ p!y%e" p!y%e"tt it-i it-i" " t-e t-e pres pres)r )rib ibe* e* peri perio* o*,, o$ t-e t-e re*e% e*e%pt ptio io" " pri) pri)e e by )-e) )-e) -i) -i)- !s !s !))e !))ept pte* e* by t-e t-e s-er s-eri/ i/,, )o"stitutes 0!li* e+er)ise o$ re*e%ptio", it-out preu*i)e to t-e !)tu!l p!y%e"t o$ t-e pur)-!se pri)e. Re*e%ptio" is ! rig-t !"* "ot !" oblig!tio", !"* t-us "ot )o0ere* by Art. 12&9, CC. FACTS 3" April 21, 1981, R4 R4CC re"*ere* re"*ere* u*g%e"t u*g%e"t i" ! )i0il )i0il )!se e"title* e"title* Alfaro Fortunado v. Angel Bautista Bautista or*eri"g t-e *e$e"*!"t #!utist!' to p!y *!%!ges to t-e pl!i"ti/. ursu!"t to t-e u*g%e"t, t-e respo"*e"t respo"*e"t s-eri/ le0ie* upo" to p!r)els o$ l!"* registere* registere* i" t-e "!%e o$ !utist!. 4-e se)o"* lot -!* !lre!*y bee" pur)-!se* pur)-!se* by respo"*e"t respo"*e"t N!tio"!l teel Corpor!tio" Corpor!tio" #NC' but -!* "ot yet bee" registere*. •
4-e lots ere ere sol* !t ! publi) publi) !u)tio" !u)tio" to t-e petitio"er petitio"ers s !s t-e o"ly bi**er bi**er.. 4-ey ere issue* issue* ! )erti)!te o$ s!le. 3" J!" 1:, 1985, NC g!0e "oti)e "oti)e to t-e s-eri/ s-eri/ o$ its i"te"tio" i"te"tio" to re*ee% t-e se)o"* se)o"* lot. 4-e s-eri/ suggeste* t-!t bot- lots s-oul* be re*ee%e* !s t-e to lots ere sol* $or ! lu%p su% pri)e o$ 267,:1. 3" )ie"t to )o0er t-e $ull re*e%ptio" pri)e $or bot- lots, to re*ee% t-e ot-er lot. 4-e letter )o"t!i"e* ! reservation t-!t t-e re*e%ptio" is %!*e solely $or t-e purpose o$ e/e)ti"g t-e e+e)utio" !"* *eli0ery to !utist! o$ t-e "e)ess!ry )erti)!te o$ re*e%ptio". (t s-!ll "ot be t!e" !s -is !)"ole*ge%e"t o$ t-e 0!li*ity o$ t-e rit o$ e+e)utio" !"* s!le or !s ! !i0er o$ leg!l re%e*ies !0!il!ble to -i%. 4-e s-eri/ !)"ole*ge* !)"ole*ge* re)eipt re)eipt o$ t-e )-e) )-e) !s re*e%ptio" re*e%ptio" $or t-e to p!r)els p!r)els o$ l!"* o" !r)- 21, 1985. ?e issue* ! )erti)!te o$ re*e%ptio" t-e "e+t *!y i" $!0or o$ NC !"* !utist!. •
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(" !" @rge"t otio", otio", !utist! !utist! pr!ye* pr!ye* t-!t t-e su% )o0ere* )o0ere* by t-e N )-e) be *eli0ere* *eli0ere* !"* ept by t-e Cler o$ Court o$ t-e R4CC u"til su)- ti%e !s !ll i")i*e"ts rel!ti0e to t-e 0!li*ity o$ t-e !u)tio" s!le )o"*u)te* by t-e s-eri/ ere "!lly resol0e*. @po" bei"g bei"g "otie* "otie* o$ t-e s!i* *eposit, *eposit, t-e )ou"sel )ou"sel $or t-e petitio"ers petitio"ers tol* t-e s-eri/ s-eri/ t-!t -e !s ree)ti"g t-e )-e) be)!use it !s "ot leg!l te"*er !"* !s "ot i"te"*e* $or p!y%e"t but %erely $or *eposit !s e0i*e")e* by !utist!=s @rge"t otio". 4-e petitio"er reueste* reueste* t-e s-eri/ to issue issue ! "!l *ee* o$ s!le o0er t-e to lots !"* !"* *eli0er t-e s!%e to t-e% o" t-e grou"* t-!t "o 0!li* re*e%ptio" -!* bee" e/e)te* it-i" t-e 12%o"tperio* $ro% t-e registr!tio" o$ t-e s!le. B-e" t-e reuest !s "ot gr!"te*, petitio"ers le* it- t-e CA ! etitio" $or !"*!%us.
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etitio"ers !rgue* t-!t Art. 12&9 1, CC !s !ppli)!ble to re*e%ptio" u"*er Rule 9, e)tio" :, R3C i")e t-e )-e) issue* by NC is "ot leg!l te"*er, it )oul* "ot be )o"si*ere* p!y%e"t o$ t-e re*e%ptio" pri)e.
CA *e"ie* %!"*!%us Ree)te* t-e )o"te"tio" t-!t Art. 12&9 !s !ppli)!ble i" )!ses o$ re*e%ptio" Reiter!te* t-!t settle* urispru*e")e t-!t t-e rig-t o$ re*e%ptio" is "ot !" oblig!tio" "or is it i"te"*e* to *is)-!rge ! pree+isti"g *ebt, t-e rig-t o$ re*e%ptio" bei"g i" $!)t ! pri0ilege Cite* Javellana v. Mirasol !"* rule* t-!t t-e re*e%ptio" !s "ot re"*ere* i"0!li* by t-e $!)t t-!t t-e o>)er !))epte* ! )-e) $or t-e !%ou"t "e)ess!ry to %!e ! re*e%ptio" i"ste!* o$ reuiri"g p!y%e"t o$ %o"ey. • •
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etitio"ers le* !" Appe!l by Certior!ri.
ISSUE: WN redem!tion "ad #een va$id$% e&e'ted #% !rivate res!ondents NSC and (autista Ees. )ELD etitio" *e"ie*. CA De)isio" !>r%e*. RATIO To$entino v. CA* 'iting +ave$$ana v. Miraso$* stresses t"e $i#era$it% o, t"e 'ourts in redem!tion 'ases. - 4-e rig-t o$ re*e%ptio" is !" !bsolute pri0ilege, t-e e+er)ise o$ -i)- is e"tirely *epe"*e"t upo" t-e ill !"* *is)retio" o$ t-e re*e%ptio"ers. 4-ere is "o oblig!tio" to e+er)ise t-e re*e%ptio". - ($ t-e re*e%ptio"ers )-oose to e+er)ise t-eir rig-t, it is t-e poli)y o$ t-e l! to !i* r!t-er t-!" *e$e!t t-e rig-t o$ re*e%ptio". (t s-oul* be looe* upo" it- $!0or !"* -ere "o i"ury is to $ollo, ! liber!l )o"stru)tio" ill be gi0e" to our re*e%ptio" l!s !s ell !s to t-e e+er)ise o$ t-e rig-t o$ re*e%ptio".
Redem!tion is not rendered inva$id #% ,a't t"at t"e o-'er a''e!ted a '"e' ,or t"e amount ne'essar% to mae t"e redem!tion instead o, re/uiring !a%ment in mone%. - ($ -e -!* see" t to *o so, t-e o>)er )oul* -!0e reuire* p!y%e"t to be %!*e i" l!$ul %o"ey, !"* -e u"*oubte*ly, i" !))epti"g ! )-e), pl!)e* -i%sel$ i" ! positio" -ere "e 'ou$d #e $ia#$e to t-e pur)-!ser !t t-e publi) !u)tio" i$ !"y *!%!ge -!* bee" su/ere* by t-e l!tter !s ! result o$ t-e %e*iu% i" -i)- p!y%e"t !s %!*e. F!li*ity o$ p!y%e"t is "ot !/e)te*. 4-e )-e) !s ! %e*iu% o$ p!y%e"t i" )o%%er)i!l tr!"s!)tio" is too r%ly est!blis-e* by us!ge to per%it o$ !"y *oubt upo" t-is poi"t !t t-e prese"t *!y. ?ere, !lt-oug- t-e pri0!te respo"*e"ts *i* "ot le ! re*e%ptio" )!se, !g!i"st t-e petitio"ers, it s-oul* be "ote* respo"*e"t NC le* !" @rge"t otio" $or Re*e%ptio" *!te*
Minor issue: WN (autista0s $etter 1"ere "e made "is redem!tion su#2e't to t"e reservation 3t"at it s"a$$ not #e taen to mean "is a'no1$edgement to t"e va$idit% o, t"e 1rit o, e4e'ution and sa$e or as 1aiver o, an% $ega$ remedies avai$a#$e to "im5 is va$id Ees, it is 0!li*. 1 Art. 12&9. 4-e p!y%e"t o$ *ebts i" %o"ey s-!ll be i" t-e )urre")y stipul!te*, !"* i$ it is "ot possible to *eli0er su)- )urre")y, t-e" i" t-e )urre")y -i)- is t-e leg!l te"*er o$ t-e -ilippi"es. +++ 2
?!* -e "ot %!*e t-e reser0!tio", estoppel %ig-t -!0e oper!te* !g!i"st -i% si")e re*e%ptio" is !" i%plie* !*%issio" o$ t-e regul!rity o$ t-e s!le. (" uestio"i"g t-e rit o$ e+e)utio" !"* s!le !"* !t t-e s!%e ti%e re*ee%i"g -is property, !utist! !s e+er)isi"g !lter"!ti0e relie$s. 4-e rig-t o$ re*e%ptio" is !l!ys )o"si*ere* )o%p!tible it- o"ers-ip, !"* o"e -o $!ils to obt!i" relie$ i" t-e se"se o$ !bsolute o"er %!y su))ess$ully !ssert t-e ot-er rig-t.
C$ari6'ation 4-e *e)isio" *oes "ot s!")tio" use o$ )-e) $or p!y%e"t o$ oblig!tio"s o0er t-e obe)tio" o$ t-e )re*itor. 4-e *e)isio" -ol*s t-!t ! )-e) %!y be use* $or t-e e+er)ise o$ t-e rig-t o$ re*e%ptio", t-e s!%e bei"g ! rig-t !"* "ot !" oblig!tio". 4-e tender o a check is su(cient to com#e& redem#tion but is not itse$, a !a%ment t-!t relie0es t-e re*e%ptio"er $ro% -is li!bility to p!y t-e re*e%ptio" pri)e. 4-us, pri0!te respo"*e"ts properly e+er)ise* t-eir rig-t o$ re*e%ptio". ?oe0er, t-ey re%!i" li!ble $or t-e p!y%e"t o$ t-e re*e%ptio" pri)e.
