LA COMPAÑIA MARITIMA, plaintif-appellant, vs. FRANCISCO MUÑOZ, ET AL., deendants-appellees. !di"est ta#en $%& net '(t &%di)ed it
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In 1905, Francisco Muñoz, Emilio Muñoz, and Rafael a!al formed an ordinar" #eneral mercan$ile %ar$ners&i% in accordance 'i$& $&e Code of Commerce( T&e" named $&e %ar$ners&i% )Francisco Muñoz * Sons+( Francisco 'as $&e ca%i$alis$ %ar$ner '&ile $&e o$&er $'o 'ere indus$rial %ar$ners( In $&e ar$icles of %ar$ners&i%, i$ 'as a#reed u%on " $&e $&ree $&a$ for %ro-$s, Francisco s&all &a!e a ./$& s&are '&ile $&e o$&er $'o 'ould &a!e 1/$& eac&( For losses, onl" Francisco s&all ear i$( 2a$er, $&e %ar$ners&i% 'as sued " 2a Com%añia Mar$i$ama for collec$ion of sum of mone" amoun$in# $o 34,4(.0( T&e %ar$ners&i% %ar$ners&i% los$ los$ $&e case and and 'as ordered ordered $o ma6e ma6e said said %a"men$7 $&a$ $&a$ in case $&e $&e %ar$ners&i% %ar$ners&i% can8$ %a" %a" $&e de$, all all $&e %ar$ners s&ould e liale for i$( T&e rulin# rulin# is in accordanc accordance e 'i$& Ar$icle Ar$icle 14 of $&e $&e Code of Commer Commerce ce '&ic& s$a$es: s$a$es: All $&e memers of $&e #eneral co%ar$ners&i%, e $&e" or e $&e" no$ mana#in# %ar$ners of $&e same, are liale %ersonall" and in solidum 'i$& all $&eir %ro%er$" for $&e resul$s of $&e $ransac$ions made in $&e name and for $&e accoun$ of $&e %ar$ners&i%, under $&e si#na$ure of $&e la$$er, and " a %erson au$&orized $o ma6e use $&ereof( em%&asis su%%lied; Francisco $&e ca%i$alis$ %ar$ner; no' ar#ues $&a$ $&e indus$rial %ar$ners s&ould
ISS=E: >&e$&er or no$ $&e indus$rial %ar$ners are liale $o $&ird %ar$ies li6e 2a Com%añia Mar$i$ama? @E2: Bes( T&e con$rollin# la' is Ar$icle 14 '&ic& s$a$es $&a$: All t*e &e&'e$s of $&e #eneral co%ar$ners&i%, e $&e" or e $&e" no$ mana#in# %ar$ners of $&e same, are liale %ersonall" and in solidum 'i$& all $&eir %ro%er$" for $&e resul$s of $&e $ransac$ions made in $&e name and for $&e accoun$ of $&e %ar$ners&i%, under $&e si#na$ure of $&e la$$er, and " a %erson au$&orized $o ma6e use $&ereof( I$ canno$ &a!e een in$ended $&a$, in suc& a %ar$ners&i% as $&e one in ues$ion, '&ere $&ere 'ere $'o indus$rial and onl" one ca%i$alis$ %ar$ner, $&e indus$rial %ar$ners s&ould &a!e no !oice in $&e mana#emen$ of $&e usiness '&en $&e ar$icles of %ar$ners&i% 'ere silen$ on $&a$ suDec$7 $&a$ '&en $&e mana#er a%%oin$ed mismana#es $&e usiness $&e indus$rial %ar$ners s&ould &a!e no ri#&$ $o a%%oin$ a comana#er7 $&a$ $&e" s&ould &a!e no ri#&$ $o eamine $&e oo6s7 $&a$ $&e" mi#&$ use $&e -rm name in $&eir %ri!a$e usiness7 or $&a$ $&e" &a!e no !oice in $&e liuida$ion of $&e usiness af$er dissolu$ion( To #i!e a %erson '&o con$riu$ed no more $&an, sa", 3500, $&ese ri#&$s and $o $a6e $&em a'a" from a %erson '&o con$riu$ed &is ser!ices, 'or$&, %er&a%s, in-ni$el" more $&an 3500, 'ould e discrimina$e unfairl" a#ains$ indus$rial %ar$ners(
Indus$rial %ar$ners &a!e a !oice in $&e mana#emen$ of $&e usiness, if no mana#er &as een named in $&e ar$icles7 $&e" s&are in $&e %ro-$s and as $o $&ird %ersons i$ is no more $&an ri#&$ $&a$ $&e" s&ould s&are in $&e oli#a$ions( I$ is admi$$ed $&a$ if in $&is case $&ere &ad een a ca%i$alis$ %ar$ner '&o &ad con$riu$ed onl" 3100 &e 'ould e liale for $&is en$ire de$ of 34,000(
A$ti+le '&ic& s$a$es $&a$:
ART( 11( 2osses s&all e c&ar#ed in $&e same %ro%or$ion amon# $&e %ar$ners '&o &a!e con$riu$ed ca%i$al, 'i$&ou$ includin# $&ose '&o &a!e no$, unless " s%ecial a#reemen$ $&e la$$er &a!e een cons$i$u$ed as %ar$ici%an$s $&erein(
$elates e+l(sivel/ t% t*e settle&ent % t*e pa$tne$s*ip afai$s a&%n" t*e pa$tne$s t*e&selves and *as n%t*in" t% d% 0it* t*e lia'ilit/ % t*e pa$tne$s t% t*i$d pe$s%ns7 t*at ea+* %ne % t*e ind(st$ial pa$tne$s is lia'le t% t*i$d pe$s%ns %$ t*e de'ts % t*e )$&1 t*at i *e *as paid s(+* de'ts %(t % *is p$ivate p$%pe$t/ d($in" t*e lie % t*e pa$tne$s*ip, 0*en its afai$s a$e settled *e is entitled t% +$edit %$ t*e a&%(nt s% paid, and i it $es(lts t*at t*e$e is n%t en%("* p$%pe$t/ in t*e pa$tne$s*ip t% pa/ *i&, t*en t*e +apitalist pa$tne$s &(st pa/ *i&. In rela$ion $o $&is, $&e Su%reme Cour$ no$ed $&a$ %ar$ners&i%s under $&e Ci!il Code %ro!ides for a scenario '&ere all %ar$ners are indus$rial %ar$ners li6e '&en i$ is a %ar$ners&i% for $&e eercise of a %rofession;( In suc& case, if i$ is %ermi$$ed $&a$ indus$rial %ar$ners are no$ liale $o $&ird %ersons $&en suc& $&ird %ersons 'ould #e$ %rac$icall" no$&in# from suc& %ar$ners&i%s if $&e la$$er is inde$ed( T&e s$i%ula$ion s$i%ula$ion $&a$ all all $&e indus$rial indus$rial %ar$ners %ar$ners and some some of $&e ca%i$al ca%i$al %ar$ners %ar$ners 'ould 'ould e eem%$ed eem%$ed from from liaili$" liaili$" in so far as $&ird %ersons are concerned, is null and !oid( 3aras; 2iaili$" refers $o res%onsiili$" $o'ards $&ird %ersons and losses refers $o res%onsiili$" as amon# $&e %ar$ners( 3aras;
