Short answer. Yes. The Civil Code recognizes that certain lawful, voluntary acts — with no agreement between the parties — can create a legal obligation to pay. This is called a quasi-contract. The underlying principle is that no one should be unjustly enriched or benefited at another person's expense.

What the law says

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.

Civil Code, Article 2142 — Quasi-Contracts Defined. Read the full provision →

What a quasi-contract is

Article 2142 of the Civil Code provides: 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. A quasi-contract is not a contract — no agreement was made, no consent was exchanged, no negotiation took place. It arises automatically from the situation on the ground. When someone performs a lawful and voluntary act that benefits another, the law imposes an obligation on the benefited party to prevent unjust enrichment, even though no deal was struck.

The three elements that must be present

Article 2142 requires three things for a quasi-contract to arise. First, the act that created the benefit must have been lawful — an illegal act cannot be the foundation of a quasi-contract claim. Second, the act must have been voluntary — the person who performed it chose to do so, rather than being compelled. Third, the act must have been unilateral — it was carried out by one party without any agreement with the other. When all three elements are present and one party has been enriched at another's expense as a result, the Civil Code steps in to create an obligation to restore or compensate.

The anti-unjust enrichment principle

The driving force behind quasi-contracts is the principle that no one shall be unjustly enriched or benefited at the expense of another. If you benefited from someone else's lawful, voluntary act — if they spent money, effort, or resources for your account and you received a real advantage — the law does not let you keep that benefit for free. The other party's absence of a formal claim in contract does not eliminate their right to recover what was reasonably spent or the value of the benefit you received. This principle applies across many common situations: a person who manages another's affairs in an emergency, a person who pays a debt that was legally another's, or a person who prevents loss to another without being asked.

Common examples of quasi-contracts

The Civil Code specifically addresses two classic quasi-contracts: negotiorum gestio, which arises when a person voluntarily manages the affairs or property of another without that person's authorization; and solutio indebiti, which arises when someone pays another money or delivers something that was not actually owed. In both cases, the law creates an obligation without any contract. In the first, the person whose affairs were managed owes reimbursement of the manager's legitimate expenses. In the second, the person who received the mistaken payment owes it back. These quasi-contracts are legal tools that prevent the unfair outcome of one person bearing a cost while another receives the benefit for free.

Cases citing this provision

These Supreme Court decisions cite the provision above. We list them so you can read them yourself; the summaries of what each decided are not ours to give.

Related provisions

Note. Statute text quoted on this page is reproduced from the official enactment and is linked to the full provision. The explanation around it is general legal information from Vivas & Nobles Law Office, not legal advice. Whether it applies to your situation depends on facts only a lawyer reviewing them can assess.