Short answer. The Civil Code's chapter on quasi-contracts governs your right to recover. Article 1160 directs that obligations arising from quasi-contracts are subject to the provisions of the Civil Code's chapter on this subject. A mistaken payment to someone who had no right to receive it is a classic quasi-contract situation.
What the law says
Obligations derived from quasi-contracts shall be subject to the provisions of Chapter 1, Title XVII, of this Book.
Civil Code, Article 1160 — Obligations From Quasi-Contracts. Read the full provision →
Quasi-contracts as a source of obligation
Article 1160 of the Civil Code states: Obligations derived from quasi-contracts shall be subject to the provisions of Chapter 1, Title XVII, of this Book. The Civil Code recognizes several sources from which a legal obligation can arise — law, contracts, quasi-contracts, delicts, and quasi-delicts. Each source has its own set of rules. Article 1160 directs that when an obligation arises from a quasi-contract, the applicable rules are found in the chapter on quasi-contracts. This is the legal framework that covers your situation: paying money by mistake to someone who had no right to receive it.
What makes this a quasi-contract
A quasi-contract arises from certain lawful, voluntary acts that create a legal obligation without any agreement between the parties. When you paid money to the wrong person, no contract was formed between you — you did not intend to give them your money as a gift or pursuant to any deal. Yet they received something that was yours. The law does not allow them to keep it simply because you made a mistake. The obligation to return what was received without any legal justification falls under the quasi-contract doctrine of solutio indebiti — the obligation that arises when a person delivers or pays something that was not owed.
What the quasi-contract chapter provides
The Civil Code's chapter on quasi-contracts covers two main situations. The first is negotiorum gestio — voluntary management of another's affairs without authorization. The second, and the one relevant to your situation, is solutio indebiti — the legal obligation to return what was received through a mistaken payment. Under the Civil Code's rules on solutio indebiti, the person who received the mistaken payment is obliged to return it. If the payment was made in good faith by the payer and in good faith received, the rules on the extent of return and any fruits or benefits may also apply.
Why the governing chapter matters
Knowing that your claim is governed by the quasi-contract chapter of the Civil Code matters for several practical reasons. It tells you what legal theory to rely on when you demand return of the money or when you pursue a claim in court. It tells you which conditions and defenses apply. It also points to the applicable prescriptive period — how long you have to bring your claim before it is barred. Obligations under quasi-contracts do not follow the same rules as obligations under a written contract. Article 1160 makes the applicable framework clear by directing you to the specific chapter that covers the type of obligation created by your mistaken payment.