Short answer. Yes. Article 884 of the Civil Code expressly states that conditions imposed by a testator on heirs are governed by the rules on conditional obligations for everything the succession section of the Code does not specifically cover. The same principles that apply to contracts with conditions apply to conditions in a will.
What the law says
Conditions imposed by the testator upon the heirs shall be governed by the rules established for conditional obligations in all matters not provided for by this Section.
Civil Code, Article 884 — Rules on Conditional Obligations Apply. Read the full provision →
Article 884 bridges succession and obligations law
The Civil Code contains specific rules on testamentary conditions in its succession section, but those rules do not cover every situation that can arise. Article 884 fills the gap by directing that for anything the succession section does not address, the rules on conditional obligations apply. This is a bridge between two bodies of law: the law of succession, which governs how estates are transmitted, and the law of obligations, which governs when conditions are met, what happens if a condition fails, and how to classify different types of conditions.
What the rules on conditional obligations cover
The conditional obligations provisions of the Civil Code deal with questions such as: what makes a condition impossible or unlawful; when does a suspensive condition prevent an obligation from arising; when does a resolutory condition extinguish a right already received; what constitutes compliance with a condition; and what happens when someone prevents a condition from being fulfilled through bad faith. All of these analytical tools are available when interpreting conditions in a will, because Article 884 incorporates them by reference into succession law.
Suspensive and resolutory conditions in a will
The most common distinction from obligations law that applies to testamentary conditions is the difference between suspensive and resolutory conditions. A suspensive condition delays inheritance: you do not receive the bequest until you fulfill the condition. A resolutory condition gives you the inheritance immediately but takes it away if a subsequent event occurs. The question of which type your father used determines your rights while the condition is pending, including whether you can receive and use the property in the interim. Article 884 ensures that this established framework applies to your father's will.
Limits that succession law itself imposes
Article 884 applies the conditional obligations rules only to matters not provided for by the succession section. The succession section has its own specific rules — for example, that no condition can be imposed on the legitime, or that conditions not to marry are generally void. Those specific rules take precedence. The conditional obligations framework is a gap-filler, not an override. If you are trying to work out whether you have complied with a condition in your father's will, you need to check both: first, whether the succession section addresses the specific issue, and then, if it does not, apply the conditional obligations rules.