Contracts & Obligations

Guarantors & Co-Signers

• Am I still bound as guarantor if the loan I guaranteed turns out to be void?
• If there are several guarantors for the same debt, is each one liable for the whole amount?
• As a gratuitous guarantor I could not warn the debtor and the creditor became insolvent - can I still recover from the debtor?
• If I guaranteed another guarantor, can I insist the debtor and the main guarantor be pursued first?
• I co-signed a loan with two other people — can the bank sue just me alone for the full amount instead of going after all three of us?
• As a guarantor, what exactly must I do to force the creditor to go after the borrower's property first before touching mine?
• Besides handing over the item, what else is a seller legally bound to do and guarantee?
• The borrower is insolvent - can the creditor collect straight from me as guarantor without going through him first?
• The borrower has absconded and cannot be sued here - can the creditor now come after me, the guarantor?
• Can a guarantor take action against the borrower even before paying the debt?
• If I sign as a guarantor for someone in another city, can I be sued in the court where the debt is supposed to be paid, even if that's not where I live?
• Can a guarantor legally charge a fee for standing as guarantor on a loan?
• Can a guarantor be made to pay more than what the actual debtor owes?
• Can I stand as guarantor for an obligation that only becomes binding if a certain condition happens?
• Can a married woman guarantee a loan without her husband's consent?
• My wife guaranteed a loan without my consent — can the creditor go after our conjugal partnership assets to satisfy that guaranty?
• I specifically insisted that one particular person be my guarantor when we made the deal — can the debtor still swap him out for someone else if he becomes insolvent?
• Can I guarantee a future debt whose amount is not yet known?
• Can I make my co-guarantors pay their share after I paid off the whole debt myself?
• Can I offer a pledge or mortgage instead of a personal bond when the law requires one?
• Can my agent make me a surety for someone else's debt?
• Can a person stand as guarantor for another guarantor, not only for the debtor?
• Can someone validly guarantee my loan without my knowledge or consent?
• I paid the whole debt and one of my co-guarantors is insolvent - who has to absorb his share?
• When does the right of co-guarantors to have the debt split among them cease under Philippine law?
• Can a bank go after a co-maker for the full loan even if the actual borrower still has assets?
• I co-signed a loan with my business partner — am I automatically responsible for the whole debt, or just my share of it?
• The creditor and the borrower reached a settlement that reduced the debt - does that settlement also benefit me as the guarantor?
• I, as guarantor, settled with the creditor for a lower amount - does that settlement bind the principal debtor too?
• The creditor agreed to accept a piece of land from the borrower in payment of the debt, then lost the land through eviction - am I still liable as guarantor?
• The creditor cancelled the mortgage that secured the debt without my consent - am I, as the guarantor, released from my obligation?
• The creditor gave the borrower extra time to pay without asking me - does that extension release me as guarantor?
• My creditor forgave the principal of my loan - does that also wipe out the interest and the guaranty that secured it?
• I pointed out the borrower's property to the creditor but he ignored it and the borrower became insolvent - who bears that loss?
• After I consigned my payment in court, the creditor let me withdraw it again - does that release my guarantor and co-debtors?
• Must a creditor go after the borrower's own property first before collecting from a guarantor?
• The creditor sued the borrower without notifying me as the guarantor - what right do I have to participate in that case?
• The creditor released one of my co-guarantors from his share without asking the rest of us - does that release benefit us too?
• If my debt is extinguished because I ended up inheriting from my own creditor, does that also release the person who guaranteed my loan?
• Can someone be held liable as a guarantor if they did not clearly agree to guarantee the debt?
• What is the legal difference between being a guarantor and a surety for someone's loan?
• Does a guarantor keep the benefit of excussion even if judgment is rendered against both the debtor and himself?
• I guaranteed the principal of a loan - does my guaranty also cover the interest and other charges on it?
• Does the creditor merely failing to demand payment when due count as an extension that frees the guarantor?
• Does someone who sells a debt guarantee that the debtor will actually pay?
• I bought goods based only on the seller's description, not for any special purpose I mentioned — are they still guaranteed to be of merchantable quality?
• Can I be held as guarantor for a debt that is only an oral agreement and cannot be enforced in court?
• Can someone guarantee a debt that can no longer be collected in court because it has already prescribed?
• My borrower promised in our agreement to get me released from the guaranty within a certain time, and that time has passed without him doing so — can I go after him even though I haven't paid anything yet?
• A friend asked me to guarantee a loan for a borrower I do not know - if I end up paying, who can I go after for reimbursement?
• The guarantor I accepted has become insolvent - can I demand that the debtor find a new one?
• The guaranty they gave me to sign has harsher terms than the borrower's own loan - am I really bound by those?
• I fear the borrower I guaranteed is about to flee the country - can I do something even before the debt becomes due?
• I'm a guarantor being sued - can I refuse to pay by pointing to money the creditor owes the main debtor?
• I have not yet paid the guaranteed debt but I am being sued for it - can I go after the borrower now even before I actually pay?
• My guarantor was convicted of estafa after signing the guaranty - can I, as the creditor, demand a replacement?
• As a guarantor, am I on the hook for the creditor's court costs from suing over the debt?
• I guaranteed not the main borrower but the guarantor himself - can I force the creditor to exhaust the main borrower's property before touching me?
• I paid the guaranteed debt before it actually became due - can I immediately demand reimbursement from the borrower?
• I paid the debt as guarantor without notifying the borrower, the borrower also paid, and now the creditor is insolvent - who bears the loss?
• I paid the debt as guarantor without telling the borrower, and the borrower then paid the creditor again - can I recover from the borrower?
• Can I, as guarantor, refuse to pay by raising a defense that is personal to the borrower, such as his minority?
• Can a guarantor raise the same defenses the borrower could have raised to avoid paying the creditor?
• As a guarantor who had to pay, can I recover my expenses and damages from the borrower on top of the debt itself?
• After I paid off the debt as guarantor, can I charge the borrower interest on the amount I paid?
• If a guarantor pays off the borrower's debt, can the guarantor collect that money back from the borrower?
• I guaranteed someone's loan and now the creditor is going after me - but the creditor separately owes money to the person I guaranteed. Can I raise that to offset the claim?
• I settled the debt with the creditor for less than the full amount - how much can I collect back from the borrower?
• My guaranty says I waive the right to make the creditor go after the borrower first - can they now sue me directly?
• If I pay a debt as guarantor, can I go after the original debtor to recover what I paid?
• If I pay the debt as guarantor, do I also get the benefit of any collateral or mortgage the borrower put up?
• I guaranteed a future loan and the debtor has defaulted - can the creditor already collect from me even though the amount is not yet fixed?
• The main debt has been paid in full - does my obligation as guarantor automatically end?
• I signed as a guarantor on a friend's loan at no charge - is a guaranty normally free or does the guarantor have the right to be paid?
• I guaranteed a loan without the borrower knowing about it - can I still recover from him if I end up paying?
• How does a guarantor actually invoke his right to make the creditor go after the debtor first?
• If someone who sold me a credit guaranteed the debtor's solvency, how long does that guarantee last?
• I bought a bundle of rights for a single lump sum, does the seller guarantee each individual right?
• I paid the debt as guarantor without notifying the borrower - can he raise defenses to refuse reimbursing me?
• I paid the guaranteed debt before it was due - can I collect from the borrower right away?
• If my lease renews by implication, is the guarantor from the original lease still bound?
• If the principal debt is extinguished, is the guarantor automatically released?
• The creditor already racked up legal costs suing the borrower before ever coming after me as guarantor — am I liable for costs incurred before I was judicially required to pay?
• Can I agree to guarantee only part of a loan instead of standing liable for the whole amount?
• Three of us co-signed a loan but the document does not say we are solidarily liable — does each co-signer owe only his own share?
• I am a guarantor and I have become the creditor's heir — does the main obligation get extinguished because of the merger in my person?
• The principal debtor inherited the creditor's position so the debt was extinguished by confusion — is my guaranty over that debt also released?
• Must the creditor sue the principal debtor rather than the guarantor, and is the guarantor notified of the case?
• My guarantor became insolvent - can the creditor demand that I provide another one?
• Besides my creditor, do I need to notify anyone else, like a guarantor, after I deposit payment with the court through consignation?
• My loan was novated into new terms — I know my own collateral is gone, but does a guaranty a third party gave, who never agreed to the new terms, still survive if it benefits that guarantor?
• I paid off our entire co-signed loan by myself — can I now collect reimbursement from my co-debtors for their shares?
• I paid off the guaranteed debt early, and the borrower later approved of that payment — can I now demand reimbursement immediately without waiting for the original due date?
• If several people guaranteed the same debt, can the creditor collect the whole amount from just one of them?
• Someone asked me to guarantee an absent person's debt - after paying, can I collect from the one who asked or from the debtor?
• When I pay off someone's debt and get subrogated to the creditor's rights, do I also get the mortgage, collateral, and guarantors that secured the original loan?
• The borrower seems about to abscond - can I as guarantor act before I have paid anything?
• The borrower has become insolvent - can I as guarantor proceed against him before paying?
• The creditor's own act means I can no longer step into his security rights - am I released as guarantor?
• The creditor released one of several guarantors - does that benefit the others?
• The debt I guaranteed has no fixed maturity date - after how long can I proceed against the borrower?
• I verbally vouched for another person's creditworthiness — can I be made liable without anything in writing?
• What qualifications must a bondsman required by law or court order have?
• What qualifications must a person have to serve as a guarantor?

Pledge, Mortgage & Pawnshops

• After the lender put in writing that he gives up the pledge, is he still responsible for keeping my item safe?
• If I gave my agent authority to sell my property, can he mortgage it instead?
• I let another person appear as the owner of my personal property and he used it as a pledge with a lender in good faith — can I recover the property from the pledgee?
• The thing I pledged had a hidden defect that harmed the creditor - am I liable?
• Are pawnshops governed by the Civil Code or by special pawnshop laws?
• I gave my watch to a repair shop and they fixed it but I have not paid yet. Can they keep it until I pay?
• As one of several heirs of the creditor, can I return the pledge after receiving my share of the debt?
• My borrower promised to put up collateral in exchange for the payment term but never did - can I demand payment now, before the due date?
• Can a pawnshop just keep my pawned item instead of selling it if I default?
• Can a pledge or mortgage secure a debt that depends on a future condition?
• Does the pawned item have to be held by the lender himself, or can a third person keep it by agreement?
• Can I bid to buy back my own pledged item at the auction, and do I get any priority as the owner?
• Can I recover the enjoyment of my property in an antichresis before I have fully paid the debt?
• Can I pledge shares of stock, bonds, or a warehouse receipt as security?
• Can I sell an item that I have already pawned?
• My pledged item is at risk of being destroyed through no one's fault — can I get it back by offering the pawnshop a similar item of equal value as replacement collateral?
• Can my lender sell or assign my mortgage to a third person?
• Can a relative or friend pay my debt to stop my pledged property being sold?
• Can the creditor himself bid at the auction of my pledged item?
• Can the creditor holding my pledged item hand it on to someone else?
• Can the creditor use the thing I pledged to him?
• Can we agree that the fruits of my property offset the loan interest in an antichresis?
• Can the lender use my pledged item if using it is what keeps it from deteriorating?
• I want to use my car as security for a loan — is there a difference between a pledge and a chattel mortgage?
• The collateral I gave for my loan was destroyed by a typhoon through no one's fault - can the lender demand full payment now, or can I just replace the security?
• My borrower let the property he mortgaged to me fall into ruin - can I call in the loan before its due date?
• I'm pledging a negotiable promissory note as collateral — is it enough to just hand it over, or do I also need to endorse it to the lender?
• Do I still legally own an item after I pawn it?
• Does a pledge take effect against third persons if it is not in a public instrument?
• Does my mortgage recorded in the Registry of Property give me priority over other creditors if the owner becomes insolvent?
• Does assigning a debt carry the mortgage or guaranty securing it?
• Does a real estate mortgage also cover improvements built on the land after the mortgage was signed?
• Does a pledge require the item to actually be handed over to the creditor to be valid?
• If the creditor hands the pledged item back to me, is the pledge extinguished even though the debt is unpaid?
• In my antichresis agreement, the fruits from my property this year were worth more than the maximum interest allowed by law — where does that extra value go?
• Can I get my pawned item back without paying off the loan first?
• How is a pledge that arises by operation of law sold, and can I recover the item if the creditor delays the auction?
• In an antichresis, how is the value of the fruits credited against my debt?
• How many missed installments must there be before a seller can cancel or foreclose on personal property sold?
• I pledged a credit owed to me and it fell due - can the creditor collect it and return only the surplus?
• In an antichresis, who pays the property taxes and the cost of repairs - me or the creditor taking the fruits?
• If the item I pledged earns income, dividends, or interest, does that money go toward paying down my loan?
• Is a clause that lets the seller still collect the unpaid balance after foreclosing the installment item valid?
• Is a pawnshop responsible for taking care of my pawned item's condition?
• Only the pawnshop itself showed up to bid at my item's auction — is that bid valid, or does the auction fail if the lender is the only bidder?
• Is a pledge or mortgage valid if the principal debt it secures turns out to be void?
• When something held under a pledge created by law is sold, who gets any money left over after the debt is paid?
• Can a lender automatically keep my collateral as their own if I default, instead of selling it?
• The lender who accepted my pledged item says it was misrepresented in quality - can he demand a replacement or immediate payment?
• Once my loan falls due, can the lender have the property I put up as security sold to pay it off?
• I let someone appear to own my personal property and he pledged it to a pledgee in good faith — is the pledge good against me?
• Must an antichresis put the principal and interest in writing to be valid?
• Must bids at the public auction of a pledged item offer to pay in cash at once?
• After my pledged item is auctioned, must the creditor tell me the result?
• Does the pawnshop have to tell me if my pledged item is in danger of being destroyed?
• If my loan is novated into a completely new obligation, does the collateral or guarantee that secured the old loan still cover it?
• Our loan agreement says the bank automatically owns my pledged property if I default - is that stipulation valid?
• I paid my neighbour's property taxes to prevent the land from being forfeited — can I recover that amount from him?
• My pawned item is back in my possession - does the law presume the pledge has been extinguished?
• My pawned item did not sell at the auction - can the pawnshop keep it, and do I still owe anything?
• My pledged item sold for less than my loan - can the pawnshop still run after me for the shortfall?
• If my pawned item sells at auction for more than what I owed, do I get the excess back?
• Can the pawnshop bill me for expenses it spent to preserve my pawned item?
• My pawned item failed to sell at two separate public auctions and the pawnshop kept it instead — does that mean my entire loan is now considered paid, even if the item was worth less than what I owed?
• Is the pawnshop responsible if one of its employees loses or damages my pledged item?
• Can the pawnshop refuse to return my item until I pay the interest and expenses too, not just the principal?
• Can a pawnshop auction off my pawned item without notifying me first?
• Can a pawnshop sell my item early if it is about to spoil or lose value?
• Someone stole the item I pawned - can the pawnshop sue to recover it even though I still own it?
• The pawnshop has been using my pledged item without my consent - what can I do about it?
• I hold a gold bracelet as pledge for a loan — if the debtor cannot pay his other creditors, do I have preference on that bracelet over everyone else?
• I pledged a piece of jewelry as security - can the lender keep holding it until I pay off the entire loan?
• A court order requires me to post a bond but I cannot find a bonding company - can I offer a mortgage or pledge instead?
• The Chattel Mortgage Law does not address a specific situation in my case — can the Civil Code rules on pledge fill in the gap?
• I accepted a pledge of personal property but we did not execute a public instrument - can I enforce it against a third party?
• Can I put up collateral to secure an obligation that depends on a future uncertain event?
• The item I pledged ended up with a third party who got it from me after I pledged it — does the law still presume the pledge was extinguished, even though the lender never got it back?
• I pledged a promissory note owed to me and it fell due while still pledged - who collects the payment on that note?
• The item I pledged as security is back in my possession - is my pledge presumed cancelled even though I haven't fully paid the loan?
• The item I pawned as a pledge is back in my hands - is the pledge presumed cancelled even though I still owe the loan?
• After my pledged item is auctioned off, is the lender required to notify me of the result?
• The lender holding my pawned item is being careless and the item is at risk - what can I do?
• The pawnshop accepted an installment payment plan from the auction winner instead of cash upfront — am I, as the original pledgor, still considered to have fully paid off my debt regardless of whether the pawnshop actually collects those installments?
• If someone promises to pledge something as collateral but never delivers it, what can I do?
• Can I put up property as collateral for a loan if I am not the absolute owner of it?
• I hold a second loan secured by the same item that's already pledged to another lender - can I pay off that first loan myself to protect my own security interest?
• I sold an item that is still pawned - does the buyer get to take it, or does the pawnshop keep holding it?
• I gave my agent a special power to mortgage my land — does that also authorise him to sell it?
• My agent has a special power to sell my property — can he also mortgage it even if no mortgage is mentioned in the power of attorney?
• How long do I have to enforce a mortgage before my right to do so prescribes?
• The creditor put in writing that he gives up the pledge. Is it over?
• The creditor's carelessness is putting my pledged item at risk of loss - can I have it placed with a third person?
• The pledged item is deteriorating. Can either side do anything about it?
• The thing pledged turned out not to be what it was represented to be. What follows?
• Can I mortgage or pledge my own property to secure a loan that is really somebody else's?
• We wrote our deal as a sale but meant it as a mortgage. Can that be corrected?
• What are pledges that arise by operation of law rather than by agreement?
• What kinds of movable property can be given as a pledge under Philippine law?
• What kind of property can legally be used as collateral for a pledge or mortgage?
• What kinds of property can legally be used as pledge collateral?
• Who gets the fruits or earnings of a thing under pledge?
• I pledged livestock that later gave birth - who owns the offspring?

Lease & Rentals

• As a subtenant, am I directly answerable to the main landlord for how I use and preserve the property?
• Can a guardian become the lessee of the property belonging to the minor or ward he protects?
• Can a husband record a lease of his wife's paraphernal real estate without her authority?
• Can a lawyer become the lessee of property that is the subject of a case he is currently handling?
• Can a tenant who farms land on shares be ejected at will by the landowner?
• Can a tenant transfer the whole lease to another person without the landlord's consent?
• Can I sign a lease for more than ninety-nine years in the Philippines?
• Can my lease contract validly prohibit my landlord from running a competing business nearby?
• My landlord owes me for repairs I paid for out of pocket, and I owe him rent — can I just deduct one from the other without his agreement?
• Does my fixed-term lease end on its own, or does the landlord have to demand that I leave first?
• Does my landlord warrant the leased property against defects the way a seller does?
• Does the Recto Law protection cover a lease with option to buy that is really an installment sale?
• I bought property under a sale with right of redemption. Can I eject the existing tenant right away?
• I lease farmland and lost my crops to a flood. Can I ask for a reduction of the rent?
• I rent a piece of rural land with no fixed term. How long does the lease last?
• I rented a furnished dwelling. When does the lease of the furniture end?
• I leased out my business establishment. Can I keep running the same kind of business myself?
• If nothing was written about the property's condition when I moved in, can my landlord claim I received it in perfect shape?
• Is hiring a contractor to build or renovate my house considered a 'lease' under Philippine law?
• Is my lease binding on third persons if it was never recorded in the Registry of Property?
• Can my landlord charge me for ordinary wear and tear when I move out?
• My landlord's urgent repairs have dragged on for months — can I get a rent reduction or move out?
• My landlord ignores an urgent repair — can I have it done and charge him for it?
• My lease automatically ends if I violate a certain rule — once that happens, does everything have to be restored, like returning my security deposit?
• What are the different kinds of contracts that fall under the category of lease in the Civil Code?
• I leased my restaurant to a tenant who runs it as a restaurant. Can I open my own competing restaurant nearby?
• My crops were lost after I had already harvested them. Can I still claim a reduction of the land rent?
• If my landlord gives me a receipt for this month's rent without any reservation, does that mean I already paid all the previous months too?
• I leased an appliance with an option to buy and defaulted; can the lessor take it back and still keep everything I paid?
• The house I am renting was destroyed by a typhoon — does the lease end and do I still owe rent?
• Is my landlord responsible if an intruder disturbs my use of the property I am renting?
• My tenant installed a structure I explicitly prohibited in the lease — what can I do about it?
• Is a tenant liable for damage to the unit caused by his household members or visitors?
• My tenant stayed on after the lease expired despite my objection — what is his legal standing now?
• What does it mean that a tenant must use the rented property like a 'diligent father of a family'?
• When my farm lease ends, must I let the incoming tenant onto the land to prepare while I finish harvesting?
• Who pays for repairs on a rented house or commercial space when the lease says nothing about it?
• When a rented property is damaged, does the tenant have to prove he was not at fault?

Deposits & Safekeeping

• I refused to accept the goods but agreed to store them for the seller. Am I liable as a depositary?
• Can I name someone other than myself in our deposit agreement to receive the item back, and must the depositary hand it to that person instead of me?
• Can a deposit be ordered by a court instead of agreed between private parties?
• The way my goods were being stored was becoming dangerous and there was no time to wait for my answer — could the storage company change how they kept them without hearing from me first?
• The depositor's instructions for a locked box I'm keeping can't be carried out without looking inside — can I open it even without being given the key?
• The only way to keep my stored car from deteriorating was to drive it occasionally — was the storage company required to use it that way, and can they use it for anything beyond that?
• Can a hotel hold my luggage as security if I have not paid my bill?
• Can a warehouse mix my grain with other depositors' grain, and what do I then own?
• Can the business storing my goods actually sell them if I don't pay the storage fees, or can they only hold on to them?
• Can I demand my deposited item back anytime, even before the date we agreed on?
• I made a deposit with someone while I was still a minor, and I've since turned 18 — can I now demand my property back directly, or does it have to go through a guardian?
• I told the true owner that their stolen item was with me for safekeeping, but a month passed and they never claimed it — can I now safely return it to the person who deposited it with me?
• We agreed among ourselves that our jointly deposited item should be returned only to one specific person among us — must the depositary honor that even though we're not solidary depositors?
• Can real estate, not just movable property, be placed under court custody during a case?
• Can land or a building be the object of a deposit?
• Can the person holding my item for safekeeping hand it off to someone else?
• Can a business refuse to return my item until I pay the storage fee I owe?
• Can the person keeping my property change the way it is stored without asking me?
• Can the person holding my sealed box or envelope open it?
• Can the person keeping my item for safekeeping use it while it is in his hands?
• Can the person keeping my property hand it back before I want it?
• Two of us both claim the same item - can we leave it with a neutral person to hold until it is settled?
• Is a shipping company still liable if my cargo is lost while temporarily stored along the way?
• I was appointed by a court to hold property under sequestration - how carefully must I look after it?
• How careful must the person keeping my property for free be in looking after it?
• The person who asked me to keep his property for free has died - does the deposit automatically end?
• We agreed that I would leave my valuables with someone for safekeeping, but I have not handed them over yet - is the deposit already binding?
• Can the person I entrusted my things to change how they are kept, and do they have to ask me first?
• I gave the key to a sealed box along with the box itself - does the keeper have the right to open it?
• The depositor owes me fees for keeping his goods - can I refuse to return them until he pays?
• The person keeping my things for safekeeping delayed returning them past the date I asked for, and then they were destroyed by a fire — is he liable for that loss?
• I found out that the item left in my safekeeping was actually stolen - what must I do?
• I left stocks and bonds with a trustee for safekeeping - must the trustee collect the dividends and interest as they become due?
• The person storing my things for free used them without asking me, and then they were destroyed in a fire — is he liable even though the fire wasn't his fault?
• A court attached the item I am keeping for someone - can I still return it to the depositor?
• I deposited my property with a minor and she already sold it and spent the money - what can I recover?
• I deposited my property with someone who had no capacity, and he sold it to a buyer who knew it was not his to sell - can I still recover from that buyer?
• The depositor became incapacitated and a family member - not the court-appointed administrator - is demanding I return the deposited item. Must I comply?
• We agreed I would keep someone's valuables until a certain date, but the owner wants them back now - must I return them?
• I offered to return a deposited item early, but the owner refused to take it back — what can I legally do?
• What should I do if I discover that an item someone left with me for safekeeping was stolen?
• I rent a bank safety deposit box where I keep bonds — is the bank obligated to collect the interest on those bonds for me the way an ordinary depositary would?
• Does a deposit have to be put in writing to be valid?
• I left money on deposit and the person keeping it used it for himself — does he owe me interest the same way an agent would for misusing my funds?
• Does a free safekeeping arrangement end if the person keeping my things dies?
• The item I left for safekeeping was destroyed — is the depositary's obligation under our deposit contract now over?
• A government order took the item I was keeping and I received money in its place - must I turn the money over to the depositor?
• The heir who sold my deposited property in good faith hasn't actually been paid by the buyer yet — can I make him assign me his right to collect from that buyer?
• Can a hotel claim that a theft was beyond its control and refuse to pay for my losses?
• A guest at my hotel left without paying — do I have a preferred claim on the luggage and belongings they left behind?
• Is a hotel liable if my luggage is stolen from my room?
• Is a hotel liable if a guest's valuables are stolen from their room?
• Is a 'management not responsible for lost items' sign enough to release a hotel from liability?
• Can a hotel hold on to my luggage if I cannot pay my bill when checking out?
• How careful does someone have to be when they are legally required to take care of my property?
• How long is the court-appointed custodian of sequestered property responsible for it?
• How much care must a court-appointed custodian of seized property exercise over it?
• I accepted something for safekeeping from a minor. Is that deposit valid?
• I left my property for safekeeping with someone who turned out to be incapacitated - can I get it back?
• I received a negotiable warehouse receipt in good faith though it had been stolen, is my title still good?
• The insolvent debtor was only holding my property in trust - can his creditors take it in the insolvency proceedings?
• Does Philippine law treat a deposit as a paid service or as something done for free?
• A typhoon flooded the hotel and destroyed my luggage — is the hotel still liable, or does that count as force majeure they're not responsible for?
• I brought perishable goods into my hotel room and they spoiled — can I hold the hotel responsible for that kind of loss?
• Is money in a savings or checking account legally a deposit or a loan to the bank?
• Is my bank deposit legally treated as a loan I gave to the bank?
• My storage company was allowed to keep my goods with a third-party warehouse, but that warehouse turned out to be notoriously careless — is my original storage company still liable if my goods are lost there?
• If I store something for a friend, am I entitled to be paid, or is it free by default?
• If something I left with a store for safekeeping gets lost, is the store liable?
• What rules fill the gaps when the Civil Code doesn't fully cover judicial sequestration of property?
• I dropped my phone off at a repair shop to get it fixed — is that legally a deposit under Philippine law?
• I didn't know my stored item was dangerous when I left it for safekeeping — can I still be held liable if it hurts the person keeping it?
• The seal on my deposited box got broken even though it wasn't the storage company's fault — are they still required to keep what was inside confidential?
• Must I pay what it cost to keep my property safe?
• If my bank accidentally deposits extra money into my account, do I have to give it back?
• If I leave bonds or securities for safekeeping, must the holder collect the interest as it falls due?
• Must a thing left for safekeeping be returned with whatever it earned?
• My stored property was lost to a government order and the keeper received payment for it - is that money mine?
• A court sequestered my property in a lawsuit - can I take it back while the case is still pending?
• Can I refuse to return money my friend deposited with me for safekeeping by claiming he still owes me from a separate loan?
• What law governs a deposit made because of a fire, flood, or other calamity?
• I left a sealed box for safekeeping and it came back with the seal broken - who has the burden of proof?
• Several of us deposited one thing together. Can one of us take it back alone?
• Can the person or company holding my goods for safekeeping pass them on to a third party?
• The person who left goods with me has become incapacitated - to whom must I return them?
• The person holding my property for safekeeping used it. What does that change?
• Is a hotel liable when a thief enters and takes a guest's belongings?
• As a warehouseman holding goods under a negotiable receipt, can a court force me to hand over the goods before the receipt itself is surrendered or impounded?
• What happens to property that is attached or seized while a lawsuit is pending?
• What is a deposit in Philippine law, and when does it start?
• What is a necessary deposit, and when does one arise?
• I was legally required to deposit something, like evidence with a court or agency — what rules govern that kind of deposit?
• When is the person holding my locked box actually allowed to open it?
• When is a deposit considered necessary instead of voluntary under Philippine law?
• When is a hotel not liable for a guest's lost belongings?
• Where must a thing left for safekeeping be returned, and who pays to bring it there?
• Can a storage company just claim I let them use my stored belongings, or do they have to prove it?
• The seal on the box I left for safekeeping was forced open by the person keeping it — whose word on how much was inside does the court accept by default?

Agents & Authority

• My principal mailed me a power of attorney while we were in different cities and I never objected to it — does that create an agency even though we never met face to face?
• How does an agency relationship differ from ordinary employment, and what is the central characteristic of a contract of agency?
• My principal died but our agency was set up for the benefit of a third person who accepted it — is the agency terminated by the principal's death?
• My principal died but our agency was set up to serve both our interests — does the agency automatically end on his death?
• I never told my friend in words that I accepted his appointment as my agent — but I went ahead and carried out the tasks he asked me to handle. Have I accepted the agency?
• My agent has a power to borrow money on my behalf — may he lend his own money to me at the current rate of interest?
• My agent and I both sold the same property to different buyers but the agent acted in bad faith — is he solely responsible for the damages, or am I also liable?
• I went ahead and started performing the tasks my principal assigned me without ever saying in words that I agreed — does my conduct bind me to the agency?
• I acted as someone's agent and we never discussed payment — is there a presumption that I am entitled to compensation?
• My agent contracted in my name but exceeded the scope of his authority, and I am refusing to ratify the contract — is the contract void if the other party knew the limits of his power?
• My agent diverted funds belonging to me for his own benefit on a particular date — does his obligation to pay me interest begin on that same day he first used the money?
• The agent who exceeded his authority promised the third party that I would ratify the contract, but I refused — is the agent personally liable?
• My agent and I both contracted over the same property with different people and the earlier contract must prevail — the agent acted in good faith when he did not know about mine. Who pays the third party whose contract is set aside?
• Is a collection agent liable if he lets my receivables go uncollected?
• I gave my agent an instruction to sell at a certain price but market conditions changed drastically and following my order would cause me a clear loss — must he still follow the instruction?
• I expressly forbade my agent from appointing a substitute, but he named one anyway — are that substitute's actions binding on me at all?
• The agency has ended but my agent still has a balance of my money that he has not returned — does he continue to owe interest on it?
• My principal handed me a power of attorney in person and I received it without saying anything — does my silence count as acceptance of the agency?
• Can my agent refuse to give me an accounting of money he collected on my behalf?
• My agent signed a deal in his own name, but the property involved actually belongs to me — does that change who is bound by the contract?
• I gave valid notice of withdrawal to my principal — can I stop acting immediately, or must I continue until my principal has had a reasonable opportunity to take over?
• I had to resign from my agency because continuing would cause me grave personal harm — does that excuse me from paying damages to my principal for the inconvenience?
• I withdrew from my agency without giving any valid reason and my principal lost money as a result — must I indemnify him for those losses?
• My principal authorised me to lend his money at interest to third parties — is it proper for me to borrow that same money for my own use without his consent?
• Can a guardian or agent evade the purchase ban by buying through another person as a dummy?
• My agent signed a contract in his own name on my behalf — can the person he dealt with sue me directly instead of my agent?
• I knew my friend was entering into deals on my behalf without any formal appointment and I never objected — has an agency been created by my failure to repudiate?
• Can an agent or broker buy the property he was entrusted to sell?
• If I revoke my agent's power of attorney, can I force him to physically hand back the document?
• Can I pay my creditor's authorized agent or representative and be considered fully discharged of the debt?
• Can I sue my agent for failing to complete what I asked him to do?
• Can my agent hand off my business to someone else without my consent?
• Can my agent buy the property I hired him to sell if I give my consent?
• Our agreement said my agent would only be allowed a fixed amount for expenses — can he demand more than that from me?
• Can my agent hold on to my property until I pay what I owe him?
• Can my agent refuse to follow an instruction that would clearly harm me?
• Can my agent settle my court case without a special power of attorney?
• Can my attorney-in-fact borrow money in my name?
• Can my attorney-in-fact donate my property to someone else?
• Can my attorney-in-fact sell my land under a general power of attorney?
• Can my representative accept an inheritance for me without a special power?
• I gave my agent secret instructions limiting what he could do — can I use those instructions to avoid a contract with someone who only relied on the power of attorney I showed them?
• My business partner has been acting on my behalf for months without any formal appointment — can his actions and my silence create an implied agency?
• If my agent signs a contract on my behalf, can the other party sue the agent personally?
• Does my agency agreement have to be in writing to be valid, or can it just be a verbal arrangement?
• If I gave my agent a power of attorney valid for only one year, does his authority end automatically once that year is up, even if I never formally revoke it?
• Does appointing a new agent automatically cancel the old one?
• Does dissolving the corporation or firm I appointed as my agent automatically end the agency?
• My agent sold my goods on credit without my permission and I'm treating it as a cash sale — does he still get to keep the extra interest or profit that credit sale earned?
• Does the wording of my power of attorney bind people who never actually read it?
• If I privately tell just one supplier that I've given someone power of attorney over my business, does that authorize my agent to deal with all my other suppliers too?
• My father was an agent and he just died — what obligations do we as his heirs have toward his principal in the meantime before someone else takes over?
• What are the ways an agency comes to an end?
• How strictly is my agent held responsible for mistakes he makes in handling my affairs?
• How does a court decide whether a contract is a true sale or merely an agency to sell when it has features of both?
• I revoked my agent's authority but he kept dealing with someone. Am I bound?
• I started handling the matter myself. Does that end my agent's authority?
• If I make my offer through an agent, from what moment is the acceptance effective?
• My principal and I have a bilateral contract that depends on my acting as agent — can he revoke the agency and leave the contract without a basis?
• My agency is the very means by which a prior debt owed to me will be repaid — can the principal unilaterally revoke it before the debt is settled?
• Our agency contract says my agent doesn't have to give me an accounting — is that clause even enforceable?
• Is publishing a notice of revocation in a newspaper enough to protect me from claims by people who deal with my former agent afterward?
• How do I tell whether my contract is a real sale or only an agency to sell?
• Am I liable for deals my agent made after I secretly withdrew his authority?
• I appointed three agents at the same time for the same task but never said they were solidarily liable — if one of them fails to perform, must the others make up for it?
• My principal died while I was in the middle of a task for him — must I keep going if stopping would cause harm?
• Must I honour a deal my agent made if he stayed within his authority?
• My agent's expenses were caused by his own mistake, not mine — do I still have to reimburse him?
• Must I reimburse what my agent spent out of his own pocket on the job?
• I privately told one supplier that I'd given someone a power of attorney — to cancel that authority later, do I have to notify that supplier the same way, or is a general announcement enough?
• Must my agent finish what he started after he withdraws?
• My agent and I both sold the same thing to different buyers. Which sale wins?
• Is what an agent did after the principal died still valid?
• My agent suffered a loss doing what I asked. Do I have to indemnify him?
• My agent went beyond what I authorised. Am I bound by what he did?
• The owner approved everything I did while managing his business — does that approval create an express agency relationship going forward?
• The authority I am giving to my attorney-in-fact covers acts that must appear in a public document — does the power of attorney itself need to be a public document?
• My agent ignored my instructions and incurred expenses on his own — must I still reimburse those expenses?
• My agent knew going in that the transaction would result in a loss, but he spent money on it anyway without telling me — am I obliged to reimburse him?
• My agent spent his own money trying to close a deal for me and it fell through anyway — do I still have to reimburse him if it wasn't his fault?
• My three agents agreed to be solidarily responsible, but one of them went beyond his authority causing a loss — are the other two also liable for that agent's out-of-scope act?
• My agency was limited to dealings with specific named persons and my principal revoked it without telling them — does that revocation bind those particular persons?
• My agent made a deal that went beyond his authority and never told me the limits of his power — can I sue him personally instead of the principal?
• The person who sold me the thing as another's agent now claims he himself owns it, can he?
• Two of us appointed the same agent for one transaction. Who is liable to him?
• Both my agent and I separately contracted to sell the same property to different people and the two contracts cannot co-exist — which one takes priority?
• My power of attorney says my agent has 'full and unlimited' authority — is he still restricted to acts of administration under a general agency?
• What exactly is a contract of agency in Philippine law, and what must be present for an agency to be validly created?
• My former agent is holding onto business documents that were never part of what he handled for me, claiming I still owe him money — is that a lawful use of his retention right?
• What kinds of transactions require a special power of attorney rather than a general one?
• If my old agent closes a deal with a supplier the day after I sign a new agent's authority, but before the old one is told he's replaced, am I bound by that deal?
• If my agent advanced money on several different dates for my business, do I compute interest separately for each advance, or only from when he demands reimbursement?

Loans & Borrowed Money

• The person who lent me property owes me money from a separate transaction — can I refuse to return the borrowed thing until he pays me?
• I spent money on improvements to the borrowed property that go beyond ordinary maintenance and extraordinary preservation expenses — can I recover those from the lender?
• I returned the borrowed equipment and the lender says I must pay for the wear and tear it suffered — is that correct, or am I only responsible if the damage was my fault?
• I borrowed a boat under commodatum — who must pay the everyday maintenance costs of keeping it in good condition during the loan period?
• The lender's defective equipment injured me during the loan period — may I keep the thing as security until the lender pays me for those damages?
• I lent something to a person free of charge and he has done something gravely offensive to me — can I demand immediate return of the borrowed thing because of his ingratitude?
• The lender told me I could just keep the borrowed item and he no longer wants it back — does that free him from paying expenses or damages he owes me?
• I lent my brother's car to a friend with my brother's permission — is the commodatum valid even though I do not own the car?
• I borrowed a vintage piano and had to spend a large amount to preserve it from an unexpected termite infestation — must the lender reimburse me for those extraordinary expenses?
• If I lend my car to a friend, can they let someone else use it too?
• Can a lender collect interest on a loan if the interest rate was never put in writing?
• I lent a friend my equipment for free, and now he won't return it, saying I owe him money from something else - can he offset instead of giving it back?
• I borrowed a sum of money from a friend — do I become the owner of that money, and what exactly must I return?
• My loan agreement was designed to circumvent the usury laws — is the whole contract void, and can I recover what I already paid?
• Can I get my brother to take over my loan so I'm released from it, or do I still remain liable unless the creditor agrees?
• Can a lender charge interest on interest that has already fallen due and gone unpaid?
• Can a lender demand the thing back because the borrower was ungrateful?
• Our loan doesn't automatically compound interest, but can my lender and I agree in writing to add unpaid interest onto the principal so it starts earning its own interest?
• Can consumable goods like food or wine be the object of a free loan if they are only for display?
• May I keep the fruits of a thing lent to me for free?
• Can I recover interest I paid in excess of what the usury law allows?
• I paid interest above the legal limit — can I get the excess interest back?
• Can I recover money I spent only to make use of a thing I borrowed for free?
• Can I refuse to return a borrowed thing until I am paid for repairs I made?
• Can someone lend me a thing he does not own?
• Can the lender escape paying for expenses or damage by telling me to keep the thing?
• Can unpaid interest on a loan itself earn additional interest?
• If my creditor and I agree to completely overhaul our loan's terms — new interest rate, new due date — does that create a whole new obligation or just modify the old one?
• Can I sub-lend property I borrowed under commodatum to a third person, or let someone outside my household use it?
• I lent my car to a friend for free for a month — who owns the car during that period?
• The person I lent my equipment to under commodatum died before returning it — can his heirs continue using it for the remaining period?
• Can a house or a parcel of land be the subject of a commodatum, or is the contract limited to movable property?
• I borrowed a vehicle under commodatum — can my wife and children use it even though they are not parties to the loan agreement?
• I lent a case of wine bottles to a shop owner to display on a shelf, not to sell or drink — is this a loan for use or a mutuum?
• If my creditor cancels the interest I owe on a loan, does that also cancel the principal amount, or just the interest?
• My debtor, who has a two-year payment term, suddenly became insolvent — can I demand payment now instead of waiting out the full term?
• My lender structured the loan so that most of what I pay is labelled as service charges and penalties rather than interest in order to avoid usury limits — is that valid?
• If I lend someone money, do I still own it, or does it become theirs?
• Does the old usury law still limit how much interest a lender can charge me?
• Can the creditor skip suing the borrower and collect from me as guarantor if going after him would clearly recover nothing?
• While I was using the borrowed thing as intended, an unforeseen extraordinary expense arose that was not my fault — who bears the cost of that?
• My friend paid off my loan for me without me asking him to — can he force me to reimburse him for it?
• I borrowed a quantity of a rare variety of rice and when repayment is due the same variety no longer exists — what do I owe?
• I transferred ownership of a specific piece of jewellery to someone who agreed to return ten grams of gold of the same kind — is that a loan or a barter?
• My loan agreement says I must pay interest in rice rather than money — how is the value of that rice-interest calculated?
• If loan interest is payable in goods instead of cash, how is its value determined?
• I handed my movable over to the lender instead of registering it - does that make the loan a pledge rather than a chattel mortgage?
• I paid interest on a loan even though no interest was ever agreed on — can I get it back?
• The interest that has accrued on my loan is itself unpaid for years — does that overdue interest also earn interest once I file a court case?
• The debtor stopped paying interest on the loan — from when does my five-year period to collect run?
• I made a partial payment on a loan that accrues interest — will my payment be applied to the principal or to the interest first?
• The goods I bought do not produce income. From when do I owe interest on the unpaid price?
• My promissory note says I will pay interest but does not state the rate — what interest rate applies?
• My loan is set down in a notarized public instrument - does that give it preference over ordinary debts in insolvency?
• Can I charge a fee or compensation for lending my property under commodatum, or must it always be free?
• Is staying silent about a defect considered fraud in a contract?
• The lender sold my pledged item early because it was losing value - does that money still stand as security for my loan?
• What is the legal difference between lending someone a thing and lending someone money?
• Can a lender disguise excessive interest as fees or charges to get around usury rules?
• A lender promised me a loan and backed out before releasing the money — is that promise enforceable?
• If I lent something to a friend with no fixed date to return it, can I demand it back anytime I want?
• Am I liable if something I borrowed simply wears out from normal use?
• The loan agreement I co-signed doesn't say whether we're 'jointly' or 'solidarily' liable — which one applies by default under Philippine law?
• I paid back the full principal of my loan but now the lender claims we orally agreed I would pay interest on top — does he have any legal basis to collect?
• I've been paying my loan every month, but the interest keeps eating my payments and the principal never seems to go down — is that legal?
• I borrowed money and when I tried to pay the agreed amount back, the creditor refuses, claiming the peso has lost so much value — what law governs my obligation?
• A stranger with no stake in the matter is offering to pay off my debtor's obligation to me - am I required to accept his payment?
• I lent someone a sum of money — does ownership of that money transfer to him or does it remain with me?
• Our document says we sold the land with a right to buy it back, but it was really meant to secure a loan — can that pacto de retro deed be reformed into a mortgage?
• I mistakenly paid off a loan before its due date, not realizing I didn't have to yet — can I get that payment back?
• I paid off our solidary debt before it was even due - can I charge my co-debtors interest for that early period when I collect their shares?
• I simply allowed my neighbor to use my motor vehicle out of goodwill without any formal agreement — can I take it back at will?
• I lent a friend my laptop without saying when he should return it and without specifying what it should be used for — can I demand it back any time I want?
• I paid off my loan early by mistake before it was actually due — if I get that payment back, do I also get back any interest it earned in the meantime?
• Someone promised to lend me money but has not handed it over. Can I force them to deliver it?
• My lender gave me a receipt for the principal without saying anything about interest - is the interest presumed paid too?
• When I recover money I lost in a game of chance, can I also claim interest on the amount?
• I had to spend money on an emergency repair to something I borrowed without waiting to hear back from the lender because it was too urgent — can I still get reimbursed?
• My contract to buy a lot says the sale is subject to my getting bank loan approval — what happens if the bank denies my loan?
• Can I settle my loan by handing over my car instead of paying cash, and can my creditor refuse to accept that offer?
• If I borrow rice and return corn, is that still a loan?
• The creditor and borrower reached a compromise without me - can it be used against me as guarantor?
• The creditor extended the borrower's deadline without my consent - am I still liable as guarantor?
• The creditor accepted the borrower's property in payment - am I released as guarantor even if that property is later lost?
• Two of us signed the same commodatum agreement as borrowers and the thing was lost — can the lender demand the full amount from either one of us?
• Two of us borrowed one thing together. Who answers if it is lost?
• My loan isn't secured or specially privileged - where does it stand against the debtor's other creditors?
• Our loan agreement charges a very high interest rate - which law limits or controls it?
• What exactly must I return on a loan of money or of goods?
• What is commodatum, and how is it different from an ordinary loan?
• Why does it matter whether borrowed property is consumable or nonconsumable — how does that change the borrower's obligation to return it?
• When does a buyer start owing interest on the unpaid price?
• My loan contract has a due date but doesn't say who it benefits — can I insist on paying early, or can my lender demand payment before that date?
• Who pays for major, unexpected repairs on something I borrowed for free?
• Who pays for the ordinary upkeep of something I borrowed for free?

Construction & Contracted Work

• I accepted my contractor's incomplete work at the time without objecting — can I still demand he finish it or dock his pay later on?
• I already accepted the finished work and later found hidden defects — can I still hold the contractor liable?
• I already accepted the contractor's work. Can I still sue later for a hidden defect?
• Our contract has a clause completely releasing the contractor from liability for any defective work. Is that clause valid?
• Are unpaid workers and suppliers still protected if the contractor renounced what the owner owed him?
• Can a labor-only contractor be paid if the work was destroyed by the owner's poor materials that he had warned about?
• The client keeps delaying an act he was supposed to do - can the contractor charge for the time he lost?
• Can a contractor demand a higher price if I authorized changes to the plans and the added cost in writing?
• In a contract for a piece of work, can the contractor supply only his labor, or must he also furnish the materials?
• Can a labor-only contractor still be paid for destroyed work if the owner delayed receiving it?
• If I supplied the materials, can a labor-only contractor still claim payment when the work is destroyed before delivery?
• Can a repair shop keep my phone or appliance until I pay for the repair?
• Can a contractor call off a construction project the way the owner can cancel it at will?
• Can I cancel a construction project I already started with a contractor?
• Can I preserve my right to sue a contractor for defects by expressly reserving it when I accept the work?
• Is a clause in a construction contract waiving the contractor's liability for defects valid?
• I built a house for a client who is now insolvent — do the laborers and I have preference on that building for our unpaid wages and fees?
• The debtor deliberately prevented the condition from being met so he would not have to perform — is the condition deemed fulfilled?
• My contractor finished about 95% of the renovation in good faith but with minor defects — can I refuse to pay him anything at all?
• A contractor I hired to renovate my kitchen abandoned the job halfway — can I hire someone else and make the original contractor pay for it?
• If a client's delay lets a contractor earn money elsewhere during that time, does that reduce the compensation the contractor can charge?
• Can a contractor demand a higher price mid-project because labor and materials became more expensive?
• Can a contractor demand more money from me just because materials became more expensive?
• My contractor finished the job but did it badly and against what we agreed - can I have it redone or torn out at his expense?
• My contractor finished the job but the work is defective — can I make him redo it or fix it at his cost?
• A worker employed by the contractor damaged my property during construction. Is the contractor responsible for that?
• Is a contractor responsible if his own workers damage my property?
• If a contractor supplies the materials, does the finished work also come with a warranty against title defects, like in a sale?
• My contractor substantially finished the work in good faith but with some defects - can I pay him but deduct the cost of fixing those defects?
• Can my contractor substitute a different kind of work for what we agreed on without my consent?
• If a contractor supplies the materials, who owns the finished work until I pay for it?
• I'm a contractor who built a structure for someone now insolvent - do I have a preferred claim on that building for my unpaid fees?
• The contractor's work has defects. Can I make him redo it or fix it?
• The creditor accepted my incomplete delivery without saying anything at the time — can she later claim the obligation was not fully satisfied?
• If I order custom-made furniture, is that a sale or a contract for a piece of work?
• If I call off a job midway, do I owe the contractor his lost profit on top of the costs he already spent?
• If my own orders stopped the work before it was completed, do I still owe the contractor for the part he did?
• If a contractor supplied the materials, does his finished work carry the same hidden-defect warranty as a sale?
• If I accepted the finished building, did I waive my right to sue when it later collapses from a defect?
• Does the owner paying the contractor ahead of schedule reduce what unpaid workers and suppliers can claim?
• If I hired a specific contractor for his personal skill and he dies, does the contract end and must his heirs be paid?
• The house burned down before turnover — who absorbs the loss if the contractor supplied the materials?
• How long do I have to file suit after a building collapses due to a defect?
• For how many years after completion can an engineer or contractor be held liable if the building collapses?
• I bought a team of animals and one has a hidden defect, can I return the whole set?
• I hired a specific craftsman for his personal skill and he died before finishing. Is the contract over, and what do I owe his heirs?
• If the work is delivered in parts with a price fixed for each, do I pay for each part as it is delivered?
• Is a contractor paid for the part he finished if he cannot complete the work due to circumstances beyond his control?
• If our contract makes the work subject to a third person's approval, is that person's decision final?
• When a building collapses, is the architect who drew the plans liable, or only the contractor?
• Is the contractor liable for the claims of his own laborers who are injured during the construction?
• My contract makes me work beyond the maximum hours fixed by law, can I demand additional pay?
• My contract says the work must be done to my satisfaction. Can I simply reject it if I am unhappy?
• I'm owed compensation for a work accident by a now-insolvent employer - is that treated as a preferred credit?
• Under a contract for a piece of work, on what basis does the employer pay the contractor — a fixed price, compensation, or both?
• The project stopped because the materials I supplied were defective. Do I still owe the contractor?
• I repaired a machine for a client who is now insolvent — do I have a preferred claim on that same machine for my unpaid repair bill?
• I furnished the materials for a building and wasn't paid before the owner went insolvent - do I get priority against that building?
• The work I was building was destroyed before I turned it over, and I supplied only labor. Can I still claim payment?
• Can unpaid workers or material suppliers collect directly from the property owner instead of the contractor?
• When am I legally required to pay a contractor, before or after the work is delivered?
• If I unjustifiably delayed accepting the finished work and it was then destroyed, does the contractor still bear the loss?
• If a passerby is injured or killed during construction, is the contractor or the owner liable?

Transport & Couriers

• If the seller ships my goods by courier, are they delivered to me the moment the carrier takes them?
• Is a bus company liable if its driver was reckless even though the company never authorized it?
• Can a shipping or trucking company simply blame a typhoon for losing my cargo?
• Can a courier legally limit how much it pays if it loses my package?
• The carrier has already told the buyer he holds the goods on the buyer's behalf — can the unpaid seller still stop those goods in transit?
• The carrier says my own packaging caused the damage. Is that a complete defense for them?
• My delivery was delayed and then a storm destroyed it. Is the carrier still liable?
• Does a courier lose its liability limit if it took a different route or delayed my shipment without cause?
• The courier made me sign a liability waiver before it would accept my package. Is that enforceable?
• I got hurt during a free ride. Can the driver limit his liability just because it was free?
• If goods are to be shipped to me, is delivery complete once the seller hands them to the carrier?
• Must the seller notify me so I can insure goods while they are in transit?
• I packed my own shipment badly and it was lost. Does that let the carrier off the hook completely?
• Can a 'ride at your own risk' sign protect a jeepney or van operator from liability?
• The seller shipped my goods without making a reasonable contract with the carrier and they were lost. Is that my loss?
• My shipment was seized by a government authority. Can I still hold the carrier liable?
• Should I declare the true value of my shipment on the receipt, and does it matter?
• Can a transport company post a sign disclaiming liability for its driver's negligence?
• What standard of care does a bus, jeepney, or other public carrier owe its passengers?

Settlements & Arbitration

• Our contract says any arbitration award is final and cannot be appealed - is that stipulation valid?
• Can a civil case be suspended while the parties try to reach a compromise?
• Can a future legitime be compromised or waived before the person has died?
• Can future support be given up in a compromise agreement?
• Can I void a compromise I signed because I was defrauded, forced, or misled into it?
• Can the judge in my civil case force us to settle?
• Can an arbitration agreement let one party choose more arbitrators than the other?
• Can parties validly compromise on a person's civil status or on the jurisdiction of the courts?
• Can spouses validly compromise on the validity of their marriage or a legal separation?
• Can showing a sincere desire to settle reduce the damages I must pay if I lose?
• Do the same rules that govern compromise agreements also apply to arbitration agreements?
• I signed a settlement that I later discovered was induced by fraud - can I have the compromise annulled?
• Can a trial court put my case on hold so both sides can try to reach a settlement?
• My debtor wants to pay only part of what he owes and treat it as full settlement — do I have to accept that?
• Do the bans on lawyers and guardians buying also apply to legal redemptions and compromises?
• Does a guardian, parent, or estate administrator need court approval to enter a compromise?
• Does a valid compromise require both sides to make concessions?
• Does a compromise waive claims that were never mentioned in it?
• I'm the court-appointed representative managing a missing person's affairs — do I need court approval before I can settle a lawsuit on their behalf?
• Is a stipulation that an arbitrator's award shall be final valid and enforceable?
• Is a futures contract meant only to settle the price difference, with no real delivery, valid?
• Is a signed settlement or compromise agreement as binding as a final court decision?
• Our arbitration clause lets one side appoint more arbitrators than the other - is that clause valid?
• The other side is not honoring our settlement agreement — must I sue on the settlement or can I revive my original claim?
• The other party is refusing to comply with our settlement agreement - must I go back to court or can I enforce the compromise directly?
• Before I even filed my lawsuit, I offered to settle and the other side refused — does that still suspend the case once I do sue?
• If our settlement agreement says the old debt is cancelled either way, does that still apply even if the new payment arrangement turns out to be invalid?
• We signed a compromise agreement but the other side now wants it to cover a different claim we never discussed - does it?
• We signed a compromise agreement not knowing a final court judgment had already been entered on the same case - can the compromise be rescinded?
• We signed a compromise agreement - can the other side still sue me on the very same claim we settled?
• We settled without knowing about an earlier judgment, but that judgment could still be appealed or overturned — can I still use our ignorance of it to undo our settlement?
• Our settlement covered just one specific item, and newly found documents show the other side never had any right to it — can I have the settlement voided on that basis?
• We compromised a case without knowing it had already been decided by final judgment - can that be undone?
• We settled, then I found documents the other side had concealed - can the compromise be undone?
• What does a corporation or other juridical person need in order to validly compromise?
• What is a compromise agreement and how does it end a lawsuit in the Philippines?
• What law actually governs the procedure for arbitration in the Philippines?
• Who is allowed to submit a dispute to arbitration instead of going to court?
• Who am I legally required to pay in order to settle my debt?
• We settled out of court and signed a compromise - can I get a writ of execution on it, or must I file a new case?

Gambling, Annuities & Insurance

• I want to collect my annuity payments - must I prove the person on whose life the annuity depends is still alive?
• My parents set up a gratuitous life annuity for me - can my creditors have those future income payments attached?
• We signed an annuity contract only to discover the person on whose life it was constituted was already dead at the time - is it valid?
• My father's life annuity was paid in advance installments and he died partway through one — do we get the whole installment for that period, or just a prorated amount?
• My relative set up an annuity for me and the payments just stopped — when does the clock start running for me to sue to collect it?
• The person on whose life my annuity was constituted died halfway through the year - how much of that year's income must still be paid?
• Can the person who receives the annuity income be someone different from the person on whose life the annuity was constituted?
• I placed a bet on a card game I was not playing in myself - is the winner legally bound to pay me?
• Can someone who lost money in a game of chance legally recover it from the winner?
• Can a life annuity be based on the life of someone other than the person paying for it?
• Can a life annuity given by gratuitous title be protected from the recipient's creditors?
• My father set up a life annuity for me specifically to shield it from his own creditors — can his creditors still go after it if they can prove that was his intent?
• If both the winner and the loser cheated in a game, can either one recover?
• The annuity payments have fallen into arrears - can I demand security for the future income?
• Can I transfer property to someone in exchange for a pension paid for the rest of my life?
• Can I name a person I am having an affair with as my life insurance beneficiary?
• The winner cheated me in a bet - can I recover more than what I lost?
• Can betting on sports or games of skill be prohibited by local ordinance?
• My lawyer says I cannot name a certain person as beneficiary of my life insurance policy - why not?
• My insurance policy has a dispute that the Insurance Code does not specifically address - can the Civil Code fill in the gap?
• If an old will or insurance policy assumed 21 as the age of majority, does lowering it to 18 hurt my rights?
• Does a claim of mistake help me if I knew the deal carried a risk?
• If it is unclear whether a game is one of chance or of skill, how is it treated?
• I lost a bet on a game of skill - must I pay, and can the amount be reduced if it is too high?
• I only placed a bet on a game of chance without playing myself - can I still recover what I lost?
• The owner never paid the premium on a building I insured before going insolvent - do I have a preferred claim on that property?
• Is a life annuity valid if the person it is based on was already terminally ill and died soon after?
• Is an insurance contract governed by the Civil Code or by special insurance laws?
• I lost money in a chess match and now refuse to pay - is the winner entitled to collect in court?
• My debtor lost a lot of money gambling and refuses to sue to get it back - can I, as his creditor, go after it myself?
• My spouse gambled money away and refuses to sue to recover it - can I bring the action instead?
• I lost money gambling and cannot get it back from the winner - can I recover it from the operator of the gambling house?
• The person receiving a life annuity died in the middle of the year - how much is owed for that year?
• The person who owes me a life annuity stopped paying - can I take back the property I gave him?
• What is a life annuity and how does it work under Philippine law?
• What is an aleatory contract, and why are insurance and gambling treated as one?
• I won a bet and the loser refuses to pay up - can I sue in court to collect my winnings?

Void & Voidable Contracts

• An incapacitated person delivered money under an illegal contract, can a court allow it to be recovered?
• A person aged eighteen to twenty-one paid money on a contract made without parental consent, can he recover it?
• We signed a deed of sale that neither of us ever intended to take effect — is that deed void?
• After a contract is annulled, can the other party demand what they gave back while keeping what they received?
• A court annulled a contract — what must each party return to the other as a consequence?
• There was no real agreement between us because of fraud — should I ask for reformation of the instrument or annulment of the contract?
• I handed over money for an illegal purpose but backed out before it was carried out — can I get it back?
• I bought property knowing it was being transferred to defraud a creditor and I can no longer return it — am I liable for the creditor's damages?
• Both of us were at fault in an illegal but non-criminal deal — can I recover what I already gave?
• Both parties to our contract were incapable of consent, can the contract ever become valid?
• Both of us deceived each other when negotiating this contract — can either of us have it annulled for fraud?
• Two minors entered into a contract — can their parents or guardians ratify it and make it valid?
• Can a guardian buy the property of the person under his guardianship?
• Can a guardian ratify a contract entered into by the minor in their care?
• Can a guardian ratify a voidable contract on behalf of the incapacitated person he represents?
• Can a minor be held liable to pay for something he bought?
• Can a third person whose interests aren't directly affected raise the illegality of my contract as a defense?
• One of the two debts between us is voidable - can it still be set off against the other before a court annuls it?
• Can a third person who is not a party attack my contract for being unenforceable?
• Can a contract validly waive my right to sue for fraud that has not happened yet?
• Can I as debtor simply pay the penalty we agreed on and walk away from my main obligation?
• Can I ask a court to reform a contract if the other party acted fraudulently while drafting it so the document does not show our true intent?
• Can I cancel a contract I entered into by mistake?
• Can I claim a vested or acquired right in something I obtained through an unlawful act or by infringing another's rights?
• I want to void our compromise by claiming I made a mistake of fact, but the other side already withdrew their lawsuit because of our settlement — can I still back out on that basis?
• I paid money into a cash-settlement futures deal that turned out to be void — can I get that payment back?
• Can I undo a contract just because the price turned out to be too low?
• Can my creditors attack a sale I made to keep property out of their reach?
• Can the party who used fraud or intimidation to obtain a contract turn around and file for its annulment?
• One of the two debts my creditor and I owe each other is voidable - can we still cancel them out against each other?
• What protection exists for someone who signs a contract in a language they cannot read?
• Can I challenge a third-party inspector's approval of construction work if there was fraud or an obvious mistake?
• My obligation is conditioned on my doing something illegal — does that condition void the entire agreement?
• Can a contract impose a condition that's illegal, like paying me only if I falsify a document?
• A person usually diagnosed as mentally ill signed a contract during a period when he appeared fully aware — is that contract valid?
• I signed a contract while in a hypnotic state — is that contract void, voidable, or binding?
• Our contract doesn't state any real reason or consideration at all — is it automatically void even if there's nothing illegal about it?
• A contract involving a ward's property was approved by the court at the time — can it still be rescinded for lesion later?
• I paid off our entire solidary debt, then the creditor forgave one co-debtor's share - can that co-debtor now refuse to reimburse me?
• The creditor waived my share of the debt, but a co-debtor had already paid the whole thing first - do I still owe my co-debtor?
• My creditor said in a text message that he's forgiving my debt — is that legally enough to cancel what I owe him?
• If a creditor forgives the whole debt through just one solidary debtor, can that debtor still collect from the others?
• The person I owe has become incapacitated and has no one authorized to receive payment - how do I discharge my debt?
• I'm a creditor and my debtor entered into an illegal contract that put his assets out of my reach — can I invoke that contract's illegality to protect my claim?
• My creditor later approved of the fact that I'd paid a third person instead of him directly — does that ratification alone make my payment valid, without my having to prove it benefited him?
• My contractor didn't defraud me, wasn't negligent, and wasn't technically late — he just did the job differently from what we agreed. Can I still sue him for damages?
• Can a deaf-mute person who does not know how to write enter into a valid contract?
• My debtor is deliberately giving away his assets to avoid paying me — what can I legally do to go after those transfers?
• A court ordered me to retain a debt I owed, but I paid the creditor anyway — is that payment valid?
• My debtor transferred property by sale after a judgment was rendered against him — is that transfer presumed to be fraudulent?
• My debtor transferred property to another person to put it beyond my reach — can I have that transfer rescinded?
• What happens if the price written in a deed of sale was fake or simulated?
• What is the difference between fraud that voids a contract and fraud that only gives damages?
• Part of our contract is legal and part is illegal — can the valid portion still be enforced even though the rest is not?
• Do I still need parental consent to marry at 18?
• Do minors and insane persons still have legal obligations despite their limited capacity to act?
• Does a minor have to pay for food, medicine or other necessities sold and delivered to him?
• Does a minor have to return everything received after a contract is annulled?
• Does accepting benefits under the contract waive my right to have it annulled?
• Does ratifying a defective contract require the other party's agreement?
• Does ratifying a voidable contract require the consent of the other contracting party who cannot file for annulment?
• Can a deed be invalidated if an elderly parent was pressured by a relative into signing it?
• If I want to enforce a contract against someone who can't read it, what do I have to prove?
• An expert told me the property was worth twice its market value and I relied on that to sign — can that misstatement by an expert constitute fraud?
• The other party introduced oral evidence to prove our contract covered by the Statute of Frauds and I did not object — is the contract now ratified?
• I sold property without disclosing a defect I knew about — does keeping silent about that defect count as fraud?
• My consent to a contract was obtained through fraud — is the contract automatically void, or do I have to actively sue to have it cancelled?
• The party who breached our contract says he only delayed delivery but did not defraud me — does that mean I cannot recover damages?
• From what date does ratification of a contract take effect?
• The person I contracted with didn't tell me the deal was built on top of an earlier illegal contract — does my good faith save my agreement from being void?
• The price in our sale was grossly inadequate — does that automatically void the contract?
• A ward or absentee suffered loss under a rescissible contract — when does the four-year period for rescission begin to run for them?
• A guardian entered into a contract on behalf of a ward and the ward suffered a loss of more than one-fourth of the value — can the contract be rescinded?
• If I inherit or buy someone's rights under a contract, can I still challenge it as unenforceable, or does that count as being a 'third person'?
• How many years do I have to go to court to annul a voidable contract?
• I paid money for an illegal purpose but repudiated the deal before it was carried out, can I recover it?
• If I ratify a voidable contract, can I still ask a court to annul it afterward?
• Our contract is subject to a condition that is physically impossible to fulfill — what happens to the obligation?
• I sold my land for far less than its market value — can I have the sale annulled just because the price was grossly low?
• The contract was annulled because I was incapacitated — am I required to return the full value of what I received or only what I actually benefited from?
• A minor delivered money under an illegal contract — can the courts allow him to recover it?
• The Civil Code says unemancipated minors and insane persons cannot give consent — can a special law allow them to enter certain contracts anyway?
• The other party lied to me about a minor detail that still would not have stopped me from signing — can I annul the contract for that fraud?
• In deciding whether a threat was serious enough to vitiate consent, does the law consider the threatened person's age, sex, or circumstances?
• Both parties entered a contract whose object is an illegal act that is also a crime and both are equally at fault — can either recover what was given?
• Is a contract signed while drunk binding on the person who signed it?
• Is a contract or act that violates a mandatory or prohibitory law automatically void?
• Is a contract attackable if the threats came from a stranger, not the other party?
• Is a contract void if the reason stated in it was false?
• My debtor made a donation of property before paying his debts — is that donation presumed to be in fraud of creditors?
• Is a seller's exaggerated praise of their goods legally fraud?
• Is there a time limit to file a case declaring a void or inexistent contract null?
• Is there a time limit to have a void or inexistent contract declared void?
• If both parties knew a contract was illegal, can either one still recover what they paid?
• I paid off a debt with money I technically didn't have the right to give away, and the person I paid has already spent it — can I still recover that payment?
• A broker who was not party to our contract misled both of us about the property — can that misrepresentation by an outsider make the contract voidable?
• I entered a contract thinking I was dealing with a specific expert whose identity was the main reason I signed — can I annul it if that person was an impostor?
• What happens if I mistakenly pay someone with money or property that actually belongs to someone else?
• My annulment case rests on my incapacity but the object was lost, is the loss an obstacle to the case?
• The other party was so grossly negligent it seemed intentional — can I hold them to a stricter standard of liability?
• The old debt I replaced with a new agreement was only voidable, not void, and I went ahead and novated it anyway — is the new obligation still valid even though the original could have been annulled?
• If the new contract meant to replace my old debt turns out to be void, do I still owe the original debt?
• We replaced my old debt with a brand-new contract, but the original debt was void to begin with - is the new obligation valid?
• The person I made a business offer to was declared insane before he could accept it — is my offer still open, or did it automatically become ineffective?
• I stepped in to prevent an imminent loss to my neighbour's business but the owner neither ratified my actions nor gained any benefit — is he still obliged to reimburse me?
• In a contract that violates criminal law, only the other party was guilty — can the innocent party recover what he gave and refuse to perform his promise?
• If the original debt we replaced with a new agreement was void, is the new obligation void as well?
• Someone signed a contract in my name without authority, and I want to ratify it now, but the other party has already backed out — can I still ratify it?
• Can a contract be corrected when the lawyer or typist made the mistake?
• I paid a debt because I misunderstood a complicated legal provision — can I recover that payment as one made through mistake?
• I paid someone by mistake. Can I get my money back?
• I paid a debt that apparently was never owed at all — does the law presume that the payment was made by mistake?
• Part of my contract is illegal, is the whole contract void or can the legal part still be enforced?
• I already paid part of the price and received some of the goods on a verbal sale — is the agreement now enforceable?
• I paid a solidary debt after a new law made the underlying obligation illegal — do my co-debtors have to reimburse me?
• My contractor is refusing to pay the penalty we agreed on and acted in bad faith - can I now claim actual damages on top of the penalty?
• Our contract says the obligation exists only if I the debtor choose to perform — is that obligation valid?
• If someone used my poverty or ignorance to pressure me into an unfair deal, will Philippine courts step in to protect me?
• What proof does a creditor need to show that a debtor's sale was made to defraud them?
• I want a price reduction instead of rescission for a defective animal. Do I have the same forty-day period?
• Our supply contract does not fix an exact quantity — is the contract void for that reason?
• I ratified a contract that could have been annulled — does that ratification destroy my right to bring an action to annul it?
• Once a voidable contract is ratified, does it become valid only from the time of ratification or from the time it was originally made?
• My partner and I both made the same mistake about what we agreed, and the instrument came out wrong — can either of us ask a court to reform it?
• My business partner and I signed a contract to hide our real agreement from others, not because we never meant to be bound at all — is that kind of arrangement automatically void the same way a sham contract is?
• We signed a document showing a lower sale price to reduce taxes but the real price was higher — what agreement actually binds us?
• The animal I bought had a contagious disease at the time of sale. Is the contract of sale void?
• The seller's sales talk was exaggerated, but I had no real way to check the facts myself before signing — does that change whether it counts as fraud?
• Can a buyer sue for fraud just because a salesperson exaggerated how good a product is?
• We signed a new contract that is the direct product of an earlier illegal contract — is the new one also void?
• Is a contract valid if I only signed because I was threatened?
• If I sign a contract in someone else's name without their authority, can I be held personally liable to the other party?
• I didn't have any special relationship of trust with the buyer — does my silence about a defect still count as fraud, or only when there's a duty to speak up?
• The contract contains a calculation error that gave the wrong total — does that give me the right to have it annulled or only corrected?
• Can a debtor's sale of property to avoid paying a creditor be undone in court?
• The creditor is suing me as one of several solidary debtors - can I defeat the whole claim by showing the debt itself was already paid or is void?
• Someone signed a contract in my name without any authority, am I bound by it?
• Am I bound by a contract someone signed in my name without my authorization?
• Our contract includes a clause that violates public morals — is that clause enforceable?
• The illegal contract was the other party's fault and not mine, can I recover what I delivered?
• The seller misrepresented something but honestly believed it was true, is that fraud?
• The thing my annulment case is about was lost through my own fault, can I still annul the contract?
• Someone threatened to sue me to collect a debt he actually has the legal right to collect — can I annul the agreement I made because of that threat?
• What can I do if I was tricked into signing a contract based on lies about the product?
• My agent signed a contract in my name that was beyond his authority — can I choose to ratify it afterward?
• If the real agreement behind the instrument is void, can I still have the written document reformed?
• My elderly parent has early-stage dementia and signed away property to a caretaker who isn't family — could that count as undue influence based on mental weakness rather than a family relationship?
• My religious adviser convinced me to sign over property to a cause he champions — can I claim undue influence based on our spiritual relationship?
• I was in serious financial distress when I signed a contract and the other party took advantage of that — can I have the contract annulled for undue influence?
• Can someone still be sued for payment under a contract that was never put in writing when the law requires it?
• If the penalty clause in my contract turns out to be void, does that cancel the whole contract, or just the penalty?
• Our contract has a clause saying I give up the right to sue for fraud — is that clause valid?
• We both knowingly entered an illegal but non-criminal contract, can I recover what I gave?
• What actions will be treated as a tacit ratification of a voidable contract, forfeiting my right to annul?
• What happens to a contract the parties only signed for show?
• What happens to a contract entered into for an illegal purpose?
• What happens to what we already exchanged if the contract is annulled?
• What happens if both parties misunderstood the law when they signed?
• What makes a contract void from the very beginning under Philippine law?
• What makes a contract voidable rather than outright void?
• When does the four-year prescriptive period to annul a contract for fraud or mistake begin to run?
• I entered a contract as a minor — when does the four-year period for annulment start to run?
• If my consent was obtained through intimidation or undue influence, when does the four-year period to annul the contract begin?
• When is a contract considered void under Philippine law?
• What kinds of contracts are voidable because one party lacked capacity or because consent was obtained by fraud or intimidation?
• Who is legally entitled to file an action to annul a voidable contract?
• Both parties made the same mistake in a written contract — who is allowed to petition for its reformation?
• Who cannot legally give consent to a contract?
• Who is allowed to sue to annul a contract, and can a stranger to it do so?
• Under the Statute of Frauds, does the person suing or the person being sued have to have signed the written note?

Defects & Warranties

• The defect in the animal I bought is not listed in any law or local custom. Can I still file a redhibitory action?
• Are animals bought at a fair or public auction covered by any warranty?
• I sold a credit to another person. If the credit turns out to have never legally existed, what am I liable for?
• What actions can a buyer bring when the seller breaches a sale of goods?
• Can I refuse to accept and pay for goods if the seller didn't deliver them exactly as warranted, even though ownership hasn't passed to me yet?
• Can I keep a defective item and demand a price reduction instead of returning it?
• Can I hold the veterinarian liable for failing, through ignorance or bad faith, to disclose an animal's defect?
• Can the usage of trade add an implied warranty even if my contract is silent about it?
• What can a buyer do if a used car turns out to have a serious hidden defect the seller did not disclose?
• If livestock is sold specifically as 'condemned,' is there any warranty against hidden defects?
• I settled my loan by handing over property as dacion en pago - if that property turns out to have a hidden defect, does the creditor have a seller's warranty against me?
• I bought goods from a dealer on the basis of a sample. The full batch had a hidden defect not visible on the sample. Is the dealer liable?
• The defect in the thing I bought was clearly visible when I examined it. Is the seller still liable for that defect?
• What is the difference between a condition and a warranty in a sale?
• I discovered a right of way over the lot I bought that was never disclosed — can I cancel the sale?
• Do I have to appeal the case I lost before I can hold my seller liable for eviction?
• Does a waiver of warranty always free the seller from liability?
• Does accepting the goods give up my claim for defects discovered later?
• Does buying a product under its trade name carry a warranty that it is fit for my purpose?
• Does a sheriff or auctioneer who sells property by legal authority give the buyer an implied warranty of title?
• I am a professional mechanic who bought a used car and missed a defect I should have noticed. Can I still sue the seller?
• I discovered a hidden defect seven months after delivery of the goods. Is my warranty action already barred?
• The hidden defect in what I bought does not make it completely useless but greatly reduces its fitness. Does the seller's warranty still cover that?
• How long do I have to complain about a hidden defect in an animal I bought?
• How long does a buyer have to sue over a hidden defect discovered after buying something?
• I bought a matched set of things and one piece is defective, can I return the entire set?
• I bought from someone whose own title turned out to be defective. Do I keep the thing?
• I lost the property I bought to someone with a better title. Can I recover from the seller?
• If I return a defective animal after rescission, am I answerable for injuries it suffered while with me?
• Does a seller automatically warrant that goods are free from hidden defects even without saying so?
• Instead of returning a defective animal, can I keep it and demand a reduction of the price?
• Is a seller liable for hidden defects he genuinely did not know about?
• Is a seller's statement of opinion ever a binding warranty if he made it as an expert?
• Is a seller's sales pitch about the thing's quality a binding warranty or just talk?
• Is a clause waiving the seller's warranty against eviction valid?
• I bought a cow at a public livestock auction and it turned out to have a defect. Can I invoke the warranty against hidden defects?
• What can I legally do if what I bought turns out to have a hidden defect?
• What receipts or proof do I need to recover the notarial fees and other sale expenses if a hidden defect the seller didn't know about destroyed what I bought?
• I want to rescind the purchase of an animal because of a hidden defect. How long do I have from delivery to bring my action?
• I bought a batch of goods together and one item turned out defective. Does the redhibitory defect spread to the whole batch?
• I sold all my rights and rents over a property for a lump sum. If the buyer loses just one minor right to eviction, am I liable?
• I bought something by sample from someone who isn't in that line of business — does the same sample-defect warranty still apply?
• The seller did not know about the defect and we agreed there would be no warranty. Is the seller still liable?
• The thing I bought was destroyed by its hidden defect and the seller knew about it at the time of sale. What can I recover?
• The seller made a promise about the item, but I didn't actually rely on it when I decided to buy — is it still a binding warranty?
• The item I bought was lost because of a hidden defect the seller did not know about. What is the seller obliged to return to me?
• I bought a team of work animals and one turned out to have a redhibitory defect. Can I return the whole team or only the defective one?
• I bought a yoke of carabao for a single price and one has a defect. Does the law presume I would not have bought the healthy one alone?
• The animal's hidden defect could not be discovered even by a veterinarian, can I still return it?
• The defective thing I bought was later destroyed by accident, can I still recover from the seller?
• The seller knew of the hidden defect and the thing was later destroyed, can I claim more than my money back?
• The thing I bought was destroyed by its own hidden defect. Who bears that loss?
• I bought equipment sold under a brand name for a specific purpose. Is the seller automatically warranting it is fit for that purpose?
• Our industry has a custom that a certain product must meet a quality standard not stated in the contract. Does that custom create a warranty?
• I warranted my debtor's solvency when I assigned the credit. The credit matured six months ago and the debtor is now insolvent. How long is my warranty?
• I sold a credit and promised the debtor would pay. The debtor defaulted two years later. Am I still liable on my warranty of solvency?
• What defects in consent make a contract attackable?
• What implied warranties does a seller automatically give the buyer in every sale even without express agreement?
• When exactly can I enforce the warranty against eviction, before or after I lose the case?

Buying & Selling

• After delivery I used the goods in a way only an owner would. Have I legally accepted them even without saying so?
• At the auction of my pledged item, can a bidder offer to pay in installments rather than immediately?
• In an alternative obligation, can the debtor satisfy it by choosing an option that has become impossible or illegal?
• My contract lets the other side deliver either of two things - can they give me part of one and part of the other instead of completing just one?
• Am I entitled to the fruits, like rent or harvest, of something before it is actually delivered to me?
• The dog I bought died two days after I took it home. Is the seller liable?
• The court rescinded my purchase of a horse. In what condition must I return it to the seller?
• The animal I bought was stated in the contract to be for farm plowing but turned out unfit for it. What happens to the sale?
• Are barter or swap deals governed by the same rules as buying and selling?
• At an auction selling goods in several lots, is each lot a separate contract of sale?
• At what point does a sale become legally binding, even before anything is delivered or paid?
• I bought at an auction — is the auctioneer's entry in his sales book enough to make the sale enforceable?
• I bought goods from someone who never paid the original seller for the shipment — do I still get good title if the bill of lading was blank-endorsed or made out to the buyer?
• The bulk of goods delivered to me does not match the description or sample we agreed on — can I rescind the sale?
• I accepted the goods but found a defect months later without telling the seller. Is the seller still liable?
• The buyer already had the thing in his possession for another reason. Must the seller still make a fresh delivery?
• The person I bartered with already resold what I gave them to someone else in good faith — can I still get my property back from that third party?
• Does a buyer lose the downpayment if they change their mind and back out of a sale?
• The buyer became insolvent after the sale — can I as the unpaid seller still exercise my lien and retain the goods?
• A condition in our sale was not fulfilled by the seller — can I choose to walk away from the contract or waive the condition instead?
• The buyer was in default for an unreasonable time and I resold the goods as permitted — can I still recover damages from the original buyer for the breach?
• If a seller ships my order and sends the bill of lading together with a bill of exchange for me to pay first, but I keep the bill of lading without paying, do I gain any right to the goods?
• I injured the animal through my own negligence before the rescission was ordered. Will that reduce what I recover from the seller?
• I have a right to refuse the goods delivered to me. Must I physically return them to the seller?
• The buyer told me to stop the job midway. Can I recover the labor and expenses I had already put in?
• The buyer resold or otherwise disposed of the goods before paying me — does that destroy my right as an unpaid seller to exercise a lien or stop the goods?
• Goods were delivered to me without giving me a chance to examine them first. Am I required to accept them immediately?
• The buyer or his agent picked up the goods before they reached their destination — are the goods still in transit so I can stop them?
• If someone sells me property they do not actually own, do I become the owner?
• Can a bidder take back his bid at an auction before the auctioneer declares the sale closed?
• Can a person barred from buying certain property get around the ban by buying it at a public or judicial auction?
• Can a judge buy property involved in a case pending before his court?
• Can a lawyer buy the property that is the subject of the case he is handling?
• He owes me money and I owe him a quantity of goods like rice - can those two debts be legally offset against each other?
• Can a public officer buy government property whose administration is entrusted to him?
• Can a sale of movable goods be cancelled automatically when the buyer does not pay?
• Can a seller cancel the sale when he has good reason to fear he will not be paid?
• Can a seller keep ownership of goods already shipped until they are paid for?
• Can a seller refuse to deliver on credit if the buyer has lost the benefit of the payment term?
• Can a seller refuse to hand over the goods until he is paid?
• Can a seller rescind the sale when the buyer breaks the contract?
• Can a seller secretly bid at his own auction to push the price up?
• Can a seller stop goods that are already in transit if the buyer cannot pay?
• Can a seller sue for the price itself rather than for damages?
• Can a thing that cannot be physically handed over at the sale be delivered by mere agreement?
• Can we leave it to a third person to fix the price or terms of our contract?
• Can a seller who has not been paid keep holding on to the goods even after the sale?
• Can an unpaid seller resell the goods to someone else?
• Can delivery happen by mere agreement if the buyer already had the thing in his possession?
• Can I buy goods whose very acquisition by the seller depends on a contingency that may not happen?
• If I choose to rescind, or ask for a price reduction, over a hidden defect, can I also claim damages on top of that?
• Can I examine goods before I am obliged to accept and pay for them?
• Can I force a seller to deliver the exact thing promised instead of paying damages?
• Can I go after someone who bought the property knowing it would defraud me?
• Can I sell a crop or thing that does not exist yet, like a future harvest?
• Can I sell next season's harvest or a catch that does not yet exist?
• Can I sell goods I have not yet manufactured or acquired?
• Can I sell only an undivided interest in a thing that I own entirely by myself?
• Can I sell or assign my right to receive support from a family member to someone else?
• Can I sell a thing that I could lose later if a resolutory condition happens?
• Can movable goods be delivered just by handing over the keys to where they are stored?
• Can the seller and buyer of an inheritance agree that the seller keeps any fruits he already collected instead of turning them over?
• When the contract doesn't specify quality, can the seller get away with delivering the cheapest, lowest-grade goods?
• The buyer hasn't broken our contract yet but has clearly shown he can't come up with the money — can I rescind the sale now, before an actual default?
• Can a seller resell goods if the buyer never pays for them?
• Can a thing I might lose under a resolutory condition still be the object of a sale?
• Can the auctioneer withdraw the goods before the hammer falls?
• Can a contract leave the price to be decided later by the seller alone?
• Can the sole owner of a thing sell just an undivided share of it?
• I am reselling goods as an unpaid seller — can I bid for and purchase the goods at my own resale?
• My buyer defaulted on payment for perishable goods — can I resell them without giving the buyer advance notice?
• Can we agree that the price will be the market or exchange rate on a future date?
• Is my purchase of a cow or carabao still valid if we never went through the certificate-of-transfer process the law requires?
• The buyer gave me a check as payment but it was dishonored — am I treated as an unpaid seller with all the remedies that follow?
• Goods shipped to me are marked collect on delivery. Must I pay the price before I can inspect them?
• I delivered only half of the goods I was obligated to supply — does that count as payment of my obligation?
• Can a sale be complete if the seller stays in possession of the thing?
• My contract obligates me to deliver a certain amount of a common product like rice or cement — can I get out of it by claiming my whole supply was destroyed?
• A court awarded the property I bought to someone else — exactly what can I claim from the seller?
• The seller refuses to deliver the specific item I contracted for. Can a court order him to actually hand it over?
• I hold the right to choose among several things owed to me and the debtor destroyed one of them through his own fault — can I demand a surviving item or instead claim the value of the one destroyed?
• My creditor sold or assigned my debt to a collection agency — can I still offset it against what that original creditor separately owed me?
• If I order furniture built specially to my own design, is that a sale or a contract for a piece of work?
• My litigated debt was sold to the very person who possesses the land the debt concerns — can I still extinguish it by reimbursing what he paid?
• While a case was pending the defendant sold the property in dispute without the court's approval — can that sale be rescinded?
• Can I deliver an incorporeal right, like a credit, through a notarized deed the same way real property is delivered by public instrument?
• The delivery date was the whole reason I entered the contract, like goods needed for an event - is the seller automatically in delay without my having to demand?
• My contract says delivery is due 'next month' — is that a fixed deadline I can rely on, or a condition the other side can get out of?
• Delivery was delayed through the seller's own fault and the goods were then destroyed. Who bears the loss?
• Does the buyer reselling the goods affect the unpaid seller's rights?
• Does signing a notarized deed count as delivering the property even without physical handover?
• Can a sale be subject to conditions, or must it be an absolute transfer of ownership?
• Does delivering part of the goods destroy the seller's lien over the rest?
• I'm entitled to the fruits of a thing before it's delivered to me - but do I actually own the thing itself before it's handed over?
• I told the seller what I needed the equipment for and it cannot do the job — is he liable even without a written warranty?
• Is a sale that was never really intended to transfer the property, just made to look real, legally valid?
• Can I enter a contract now to sell my share of my parents' estate while they are still alive?
• If my problem with a bad goods sale isn't covered by the specific breach rules, what law fills the gap?
• Our contract just says a generic item like rice without stating the grade - can my supplier hand over the cheapest, lowest-quality version?
• Someone received a specific item by mistake, believed it was owed to them, and already sold it — what exactly must they return?
• Can I cancel an order if the goods delivered do not match the sample or description I was shown?
• If goods are destroyed while in transit, does the seller or the buyer shoulder the loss?
• The goods I bought are in a third party's warehouse — has the seller fulfilled his delivery obligation without getting that third party to acknowledge the buyer's right?
• What warranty applies when goods are bought on the basis of a sample?
• I bought goods to be weighed or measured out later, but they were destroyed before weighing. Do I still bear the loss?
• If I told the seller what I needed the goods for and they turned out unfit, can I complain?
• Can a sale be questioned just because the price was far below the property's real value?
• How can a creditor reach goods my debtor holds through a negotiable document of title?
• How does an unpaid seller lose his lien on the goods he sold?
• How is something intangible, like a credit or a right, legally delivered?
• Can I keep goods I bought from a seller who turned out not to be the owner?
• I bought goods in good faith from a merchant's store and they turned out stolen. Can the true owner recover them?
• I gave a thing plus some cash in exchange for another thing. Is that a sale or a barter?
• If I lose property I bought at a judicial sale to a third party, is the judgment debtor liable for eviction?
• If I pay partly in cash and partly with another thing, is the deal a sale or a barter?
• Our sale contract says nothing about when and where to pay. When and where must the buyer pay?
• If the buyer refuses to accept the goods without just cause, who bears the risk of their loss?
• I am being sued over property I bought, what must I do to keep my seller liable for eviction?
• The buyer became insolvent and the goods I shipped are still in transit — can I as the unpaid seller stop them and resume possession?
• Is a mutual promise to buy and sell a specific thing for a set price enforceable?
• Is a price posted in an advertisement a binding offer the seller must honor?
• I agreed to have someone store my goods but never delivered them - is there a deposit yet?
• Is a sale already binding once we agree on the thing and the price, before any delivery or payment?
• Is a sale of a mere hope or expectancy valid, and when is it void?
• Is a sale valid if I was only buying a hope or chance that turned out to be empty?
• Can a purely verbal agreement to buy or sell something be legally enforced?
• Is an obligation to hand over one specific car treated as divisible or indivisible?
• Is an accepted option to buy binding on the seller if I never paid separately for the option?
• Is earnest money refundable if the sale does not push through?
• I am owed a specific, definite thing - can the debtor insist on delivering it to me in parts?
• Is placing the goods in the buyer's control and possession enough to transfer them?
• Is the sale of an animal with a contagious disease, or one unfit for its stated use, valid?
• I got a court judgment for the price against the buyer — does obtaining that judgment cause me to lose my lien on the goods?
• I knew there might be a problem with my seller's title when I bought the goods — does that ruin my claim to good title under the voidable-title rule?
• The lot I bought at a price per square meter turned out smaller than the deed says — can I cut the price or cancel?
• If our contract sets a specific payment deadline in the future, must I deliver the goods before that date even though I haven't been paid yet?
• Must I bring the seller into the case before I can claim against him for eviction?
• If some of the specific goods perished before the sale, can I be made to take the rest and pay for them?
• Do I have to notify the buyer that I'm rescinding the sale, or can I just resume ownership of the goods without telling him?
• Must the seller own the thing when we sign the sale, or only when he delivers it?
• My buyer stopped paying installments on personal property I sold. What remedies do I have?
• My order arrived mixed with goods of a different kind that I did not order. Can I reject just those?
• Our contract doesn't say where to pay, but it involves delivering a specific item like a car — where exactly am I supposed to make payment?
• We never fixed a price, but I already received and used the goods. What must I pay?
• One party set a price and the other accepted it — is the sale perfected even though the price was fixed by one side?
• I paid for the exclusive option to buy a property within 30 days — can the seller withdraw the offer before the period is up?
• The seller kept ownership only as security until I finish paying, but the goods have already been delivered to me — if they're destroyed now, who bears the loss?
• I paid more than the maximum price the law fixed for a commodity — can I recover the overpayment?
• Part of the specific goods I bought had already perished before the sale, can I treat it as avoided?
• If only part of what I bought was already destroyed before we signed the sale, can I take the rest at a lower price instead of walking away?
• I paid a seller more than a government-set price ceiling — can I cancel the whole sale, or does the law only let me recover the excess I overpaid?
• Our contract leaves the final price entirely to one party's discretion — is that a valid way to determine the price in a sale?
• If I default on a car bought on installment and it gets repossessed, can the seller still sue me for the unpaid balance?
• I'm entitled to cancel our sale, but the property has already been passed on to a buyer in good faith - can I still rescind against him?
• The buyer came to pick up the goods but refused to pay at the same time. Can I rescind the sale of movables?
• I kept the goods for a long time without telling the seller I rejected them. Am I now deemed to have accepted them?
• Must a contract of sale be in writing, or can a verbal agreement be enough to create a valid sale?
• Are there special formalities for buying and selling large cattle in the Philippines?
• The buyer never showed up to take delivery of the movable goods I sold by the deadline. Is the sale automatically rescinded?
• Is it enough for our contract to state the price as a fixed peso amount above whatever the market rate turns out to be on delivery day, without naming an exact figure now?
• Is a sale valid if the buyer and seller never actually agreed on a price?
• If a dealer sells the same car to two different buyers, who actually gets to keep it?
• The price under our sale is due on a fixed date regardless of delivery. The buyer refuses to pay. Can I sue for the price even though title has not passed?
• I sold goods and title has already passed to the buyer, but he refuses to pay. Can I sue for the price itself?
• My seller was already late in delivering the specific item I bought, and before he finally delivered it, it was destroyed in a typhoon - does his delay mean he's still liable even though the typhoon wasn't his fault?
• The seller damaged the thing I was buying on condition through his own fault while we waited for the condition - what are my options?
• The buyer refused to accept the goods I sold him. How is my damage measured?
• The seller delivered less than what I ordered. What are my rights?
• Can a seller legally keep ownership of an item until it is fully paid for?
• The buyer openly told me he will not honor our sale contract. How do I rescind?
• The seller is obliged to send me the goods but the contract did not set a deadline — when must he deliver?
• The seller is tendering delivery of my goods. Must he give me a reasonable opportunity to inspect before I accept?
• The buyer repudiated our sale before I could deliver. Can my lost profit be part of the damages I claim?
• The seller promised the same specific item to me and to another buyer - is he now on the hook even if the item is lost by accident before delivery?
• What can I do if someone refuses to deliver the specific item I bought from them?
• Can a seller back out after both parties already signed and agreed on the price?
• The seller sued me for the price but has meanwhile shown he cannot deliver. Is that a defense to his price action?
• The seller won't deliver the generic goods I ordered - can I buy them elsewhere and make him pay the difference?
• I sold real property and wasn't fully paid before the buyer went insolvent - do I have a preferred claim on that same property?
• Someone else is claiming ownership of the property I bought — can I stop paying the balance to the seller?
• My supply contract says the seller can deliver either Product A or Product B — who gets to choose which one is actually delivered?
• Once my supplier tells me which of several agreed products they'll deliver, can they still change their mind and deliver a different one instead?
• My supplier delivered less than I ordered — do I have to accept and pay for the short shipment?
• The animal I bought died a few days after delivery. Can I hold the seller liable?
• The buyer became insolvent before delivery, must I still hand over the goods sold on credit?
• The third person we agreed would set the price fixed it in bad faith or by mistake. Can a court correct it?
• The seller delivered a larger quantity than I ordered. Must I accept and pay for the extra?
• The seller made a careless shipping arrangement and the goods were lost in transit, is that my loss?
• The seller won't sign the notarized deed I need to register the land, can I compel him?
• The specific thing I'm supposed to receive on a future date got damaged before that day arrived - who shoulders the loss?
• I bought something to be delivered on a fixed future date, but it got damaged before that date arrived - who bears the loss?
• The thing sold deteriorated or was partially destroyed before the seller delivered it — who bears that loss?
• What happens to a sale if the thing sold was already destroyed at the time we signed?
• The object of the contract I want to rescind is now legally in the hands of a third person who bought in good faith — can rescission still proceed?
• What happens to a sale if the third person we agreed would set the price refuses to fix it?
• I traded my car for a motorcycle and someone with a better title took the motorcycle from me. Can I get my car back?
• A typhoon destroyed the goods I ordered while they were still in the supplier's warehouse — is the supplier still liable to deliver or refund me?
• I already delivered part of the goods to an unpaying buyer — can I still exercise my lien on the remainder?
• I sold furniture on credit and the buyer still has it but has not paid — do I have a preferred claim on that furniture over the buyer's other creditors?
• I sold goods on credit, the buyer defaulted for an unreasonable time, and I want to rescind the sale and recover ownership — what must I do to exercise that right?
• If ownership of the goods hasn't passed to the buyer yet, can I as the unpaid seller still withhold delivery the same way I could exercise a lien?
• I've been collecting payments myself on a receivable the seller sold me, and the seller is fine with it. Do I still need a formal deed transferring the credit before delivery counts as complete?
• Our sale contract says payment is due on a specific date. Where and when must I pay if we also specified a place?
• The buyer has not paid the price and there is no credit term in our contract — must I as the seller still deliver the goods?
• I agreed by word of mouth to buy goods worth more than 500 pesos — does the Statute of Frauds make it unenforceable?
• Beyond handing over the item, what is a seller legally obliged to do for the buyer?
• What can a seller claim when the buyer wrongfully refuses to accept the goods?
• What condition must the thing sold be in at the time of delivery, and who gets the fruits?
• In what condition must the vendor deliver the thing sold, and from what date does the buyer become entitled to the fruits?
• What counts as actual delivery of the thing sold?
• What are my rights if I only lost part of what I bought to a third party?
• What happens if I refuse to accept goods I ordered?
• What if the thing given in a barter did not belong to the person who gave it?
• What if the third person we appointed sets a grossly unfair price?
• What makes an agreement a contract of sale under Philippine law?
• What is barter, and which rules of law govern it?
• Besides redemption, what other legal grounds can bring a contract of sale to an end?
• What remedies does an unpaid seller have over goods already sold?
• What legal remedies does an unpaid seller have against the goods even after ownership has passed to the buyer?
• Why can an heir undo a partition over an unfair price when an ordinary buyer or seller usually cannot?
• When am I legally considered to have accepted delivered goods?
• When and where is the buyer required to accept delivery and pay for the goods sold?
• When are goods still considered in transit for the seller's right to stop them?
• When are goods considered still to be in transit so an unpaid seller can exercise his right of stoppage?
• In what situations can an unpaid seller who is still in possession of the goods hold onto them until he is paid?
• In which cases can't the debtor extinguish a litigated credit by reimbursing the person who bought it?
• When I buy something, do I own it as soon as I pay for it, or only once it is delivered to me?
• When does an unpaid seller's lien over the goods disappear?
• When does ownership of what I bought actually transfer to me, delivery or full payment?
• At what moment does ownership of the thing sold transfer from the seller to the buyer?
• Under what circumstances is a seller considered an unpaid seller for purposes of the remedies the law gives him?
• If the contract is silent on where delivery must happen, where is the seller required to deliver the goods and who bears the delivery expenses?
• Which contracts are not perfected until the thing is actually delivered?
• Who bears the loss if the thing sold is damaged after we agree but before it is delivered?
• Who bears the loss if the thing sold is damaged before it is delivered?
• If the thing I bought becomes more valuable or improved before delivery, who benefits from that improvement — me or the seller?
• Who counts as an unpaid seller, and what does that status give them?
• Where must goods be delivered, and who pays the cost of delivering them?
• Who pays the cost of executing and registering a sale, the buyer or the seller?
• I refused to accept goods that were properly placed at my disposal without just cause. Did title pass to me?

Conditions, Periods & Prescription

• My agent stopped managing my affairs — from when does my period to demand an accounting start running?
• After a court fixes the deadline for an obligation, can it later move that deadline again?
• Once a court fixes the deadline for my obligation, can either side go back and ask the court to change it?
• I bought a car subject to a condition, but before the condition happened the car got damaged in an accident — who bears the loss?
• Our obligation depends on whether a third person decides to do something — is that a valid conditional obligation?
• Our contract says I must not do something that is physically impossible anyway — what effect does that condition have?
• The thing I'm buying on condition got worse on its own, through nobody's fault, before the condition was met - do I have to take it in that worse state?
• The property I'm buying on condition improved on its own before the condition happened - who gets the benefit of that improvement?
• A contract says I'll pay 'if I feel like it' — is that kind of condition even legally valid?
• Our agreement never set a deadline for performance but clearly one was intended - can a court fix the period for us?
• My debtor waived the prescription that already ran in his favor — can I, as his creditor, still invoke it?
• My lender gave me an extended payment period on the condition that I keep sending him monthly sales reports, and I stopped — can he demand full payment immediately even though the due date hasn't arrived?
• Once a condition in our contract is fulfilled, does it apply retroactively from when we signed?
• Someone has been in possession of my personal property for years — how long do I have to sue to recover it?
• Our deal depends on an event that may or may not ever happen - is that a period I can count on, or a condition?
• I filed a case in court before the prescriptive period expired — was prescription interrupted even if the case is still pending?
• My right has no specific prescriptive period in any law — how long do I have to file a case?
• A typhoon or other force majeure prevented me from filing my case in time — does that suspend the prescriptive period?
• We finally agreed on the numbers after an accounting was done — does a new prescriptive period start from that agreement for me to sue over what's actually owed?
• Once the condition in our contract is fulfilled, who keeps the fruits and interest that built up while we were waiting?
• How are periods of years, months and days counted under Philippine law?
• I later reimbursed a friend who had paid my prescribed debt, can I take that reimbursement back?
• I voluntarily paid a debt that was already barred by prescription, can I recover what I paid?
• The seller improved the item I'm buying on condition using his own money before the condition happened — does he get reimbursed for that, or does he just get to use it like a usufructuary?
• Do I lose my right to sue simply because time passed, even if my claim is otherwise valid?
• When does the prescriptive period for enforcing a final court judgment begin?
• I signed the contract only because I wanted to keep peace with my business partner — is that private motive part of the contract's cause?
• My obligation becomes effective if a certain event does not happen — when exactly is that condition considered fulfilled?
• Our contract doesn't set a deadline for when a negative condition should be considered met — how does the law figure out when that time has passed?
• If our agreement sets no deadline or condition, can the other party be forced to pay right away?
• We agreed I would pay but never set a deadline - can a court set one, or is the debt demandable right away?
• The old debt I replaced with a new agreement carried a suspensive condition — does the new obligation carry that same condition automatically?
• The other party to my contract is deliberately blocking a condition from happening so they don't have to pay me — can I still enforce the contract?
• I paid before the condition for my obligation was even met - can I get that money back while we're still waiting for the condition?
• The debtor promised to pay me 'when his income allows' — can I demand payment immediately or must I wait?
• I paid off our solidary debt even though the obligation had already prescribed — can I claim reimbursement from my co-debtors?
• I signed a conditional contract before the new Civil Code took effect and the condition is still pending — which law governs whether and how the condition will be fulfilled?
• Our contract has a deadline for payment — can the creditor demand payment before the deadline arrives?
• My contract says I get the land if an event happens before a specific date but the date passed without the event — is the obligation extinguished?
• I paid my debt thinking it was already due but the period had not yet arrived — can I recover what I paid?
• When does the prescriptive period for my action start to run?
• My cousin promised to repay me whenever he is able but set no date - can I ask a court to impose a firm deadline?
• Can I take legal action to protect my rights before a contract's condition is even fulfilled?
• The debt we renewed was subject to a condition - does the new obligation carry that same condition?
• The six ways this part of the Code lists for ending an obligation don't mention rescission or a resolutory condition being fulfilled — are those also legal ways to extinguish an obligation?
• My obligation will end if a certain event happens — is my right to demand performance postponed until that event?
• The resolutory condition in our contract was met and the obligation is extinguished — must we return what we each received?
• My contract says my rights end if a certain event happens — once that event occurs, do I lose rights I already had, or just future ones?
• We had a verbal agreement and the other party broke it — how long do I have to sue?
• Someone was unjustly enriched at my expense — how long do I have to file a quasi-contract action?
• Can a solidary debtor get reimbursed from co-debtors after paying a debt that had already prescribed?
• A third person paid my already-prescribed debt without my knowledge and I later reimbursed him — can I recover what I paid him?
• If a court orders my seller to actually deliver the goods, can it also make me pay the price or damages as part of that order?
• My contract says I get the property only if a certain event happens — when do I actually acquire any right to it?
• I won a court judgment against someone — how long do I have to enforce it before the right prescribes?
• My right comes from a duty imposed by law, not a contract — how long do I have to sue to enforce it?
• Our contract was put in writing — how long do I have to file a case to enforce it?
• My obligation was one-sided, not a two-way exchange — once the condition is met, do I as debtor get to keep the fruits and interest that piled up while we waited?
• What happens to our agreement if the event it depends on becomes impossible to happen?
• When does an obligation take effect if it depends on something not happening?
• My debtor signed a letter acknowledging the debt — does that restart the prescriptive period?
• I sent a written demand letter to my debtor — does that interrupt the running of prescription?

Breach, Cancellation & Damages

• My contract has a liquidated damages clause, but the actual loss I suffered from the breach turned out to be much higher than that stipulated amount — can I recover the higher actual amount instead?
• All the possible items my supplier could deliver under our alternative-obligation contract got destroyed because of their own negligence — what are my rights now?
• When all the alternative prestations are lost through the debtor's fault, can the creditor still claim damages beyond just the value of the last item lost?
• I successfully deposited payment in court because my creditor refused it — can I now ask the judge to formally declare my debt cancelled?
• Can I ask a court to rule on what my contract means before anyone violates it?
• I sold a debt knowing it had already been paid. What am I liable for to the buyer of that credit?
• My contract says I bear the risk even for accidents - does an accidental loss of the thing still release me from delivering?
• The person suing me over a debt also owes me damages from the same dispute - can I set one off against the other in the case?
• In a contract dispute, both sides blame each other for failing to deliver — how does the law decide who's liable when both parties broke their promises?
• Both my supplier and I violated our contract — who owes whom damages?
• One of the several joint debtors of an indivisible obligation refused to perform — do those who were ready to fulfill also become liable for damages?
• Can a contract that a court already approved still be rescinded?
• Can our contract require me to take care of the goods with a higher standard of diligence than the usual 'good father of a family' standard?
• I want to cancel our contract for the other side's breach - can the court refuse and give them more time to comply instead?
• Can I rescind a contract if I still have another way to collect what I am owed?
• Can I sue an outsider who persuaded the other party to break our contract?
• I started doing something before the new Civil Code took effect and I am still doing it — does the new code's penalty now apply to me?
• The penalty clause in my supplier's contract seems way too high compared to the actual delay — can a court lower it?
• I was slightly negligent in performing my obligation — can the court reduce or excuse the damages I owe?
• I finished most of the job before falling behind - can the court reduce the penalty because I partly performed?
• An unexpected event made fulfilling my long-term supply contract extremely difficult and expensive, though not impossible — can I get out of it or renegotiate?
• Every single one of the alternative prestations owed to me was destroyed through the debtor's own fault, and I held the right of choice — which amount may I recover?
• Can a creditor demand that the debtor both perform the obligation and pay the penalty at the same time?
• Must a creditor prove actual damages in order to enforce a penalty clause in a contract?
• The creditor acted in a way that made it impossible for me to exercise my right to choose in an alternative obligation — what remedy do I have?
• My creditor voluntarily handed me back my signed promissory note — does that mean my debt to him is now cancelled?
• A supplier's breach of contract caused me to lose a lucrative deal — is the profit I lost from that deal recoverable as damages?
• My supplier breached our contract without any bad faith — is he liable only for losses I could have reasonably foreseen at the time of the contract?
• I committed an offense that gave rise to a duty to return a specific thing, but I offered it to the victim and he unjustifiably refused — am I still liable if it later gets lost?
• Our contract expressly gives me the right to pay the penalty instead of performing — can I choose to do that?
• Our contract never specified how careful my supplier had to be with my goods — what standard does the law use by default?
• In a facultative obligation, the item I could have delivered as a substitute got destroyed through my own negligence - am I liable for that, or do I just deliver the main thing?
• I received a payment I genuinely thought was due to me, but the item I got was later damaged — am I responsible for the damage even if I acted in good faith?
• How does the law decide whether someone was negligent in fulfilling an obligation to me?
• If I successfully rescind a contract, does the rescission cancel the entire deal or only the part needed to cover my loss?
• How long do I have to file an action for rescission?
• An insolvent debtor paid an obligation that was not yet due — can that payment be rescinded?
• My borrower's due date has passed - do I have to send a demand letter first before he is legally in delay, or does the deadline alone do it?
• Is rescission all-or-nothing, or can a court undo only part of a contract?
• Who is liable for damages caused by fraud, negligence or delay?
• My contractor breached the contract in a way completely different from what we anticipated when we set the penalty clause — which amount applies: the stipulated penalty or actual loss?
• The specific item I was holding for delivery got lost while in my possession — do I have to prove it wasn't my fault, or does the other party have to prove that it was?
• A typhoon destroyed the specific item in my possession that I was contractually bound to deliver — am I automatically presumed negligent because it was in my hands at the time?
• The new Civil Code imposes a civil penalty for something I did before it took effect — can that penalty be applied to me retroactively?
• The penalty clause in our contract is void — does that also void the main obligation?
• If the principal obligation is void, what happens to the penal clause that was attached to it?
• I sold a specific car and promised to deliver it next month — must I take care of it until I hand it over?
• If one of several joint debtors breaches an indivisible obligation, do all of them owe damages?
• If one of my two solidary creditors agrees to cancel my debt to him, does that release me from paying the other creditor too?
• Can I cancel a contract if the other party does not perform their obligation?
• Can the other party to my contract just pay the penalty fee instead of actually performing what they promised, if I don't agree to that trade-off?
• Part of the specific thing I owed was destroyed - does that automatically cancel my whole obligation?
• The person I mistakenly paid has since destroyed the document proving the debt and let the action prescribe — can I still sue to get my money back?
• Do I need to prove I suffered actual financial loss to collect on a penalty clause, or does it apply automatically once the other party is late?
• My contract has a penalty clause for late delivery — does collecting that penalty replace my right to also claim actual damages, or can I claim both?
• The creditor demanded performance and then it became impossible through no fault of mine — can the creditor still enforce the penalty clause?
• In our two-sided contract, can the other party claim I am in delay when they themselves haven't performed their part?
• In our two-way contract, I just finished my part of the deal — does that mean the other side is now immediately in delay if they don't perform?
• I want to rescind a contract because it harmed me — must I first exhaust all other legal remedies before I can file for rescission?
• I want to rescind a contract but I can no longer return what I received — does that bar me from seeking rescission?
• Circumstances have changed so drastically since I signed that performing the service would be manifestly beyond what either of us ever imagined — can I be released from it?
• The other side is suing me over a debt, but I have a damages claim against them from the same dealings - can I set it off in that same case?
• The thing we all owe solidarily was destroyed by a typhoon, but only after one of us had already been formally demanded to pay and was in delay — are we all still liable as if it were somebody's fault?
• The specific thing several of us owe solidarily was destroyed by pure accident, nobody's fault - are all of us released from the obligation?
• The specific antique car I was supposed to deliver got destroyed in a fire before I could hand it over, and it wasn't my fault — is my obligation to deliver it extinguished?
• If the specific item that several solidary debtors owe together is destroyed through one debtor's fault, are all of them still liable, or just the one at fault?
• The specific item I owe someone was stolen from me by a thief — does that automatically excuse me from my obligation to deliver it?
• I first sued to force the other party to perform, but performance has now become impossible - can I switch to cancelling the contract instead?
• The client kept delaying the act he had to do and it held up my work. Can I charge him for the delay?
• In an illegal contract where only the other party was at fault, do I still have to carry out my side of the bargain?
• The specific thing I owe was destroyed by accident, but I was already late in delivering it when that happened - am I still excused?
• The item owed to me was destroyed through a third person's fault, which released my debtor - can I go after the one who destroyed it?
• The specific thing I was supposed to deliver got lost while it was in my possession — does the law presume the loss was my fault?
• The specific thing I was owed was destroyed by someone else's act, so the debtor's obligation is extinguished - can I go after that third party instead?
• I stole property and now it was accidentally destroyed before I could return it — am I still liable to pay its price?
• The court ordered me to return the thing I received under an annulled contract but I lost it through my own fault — what am I now obliged to give?
• What are liquidated damages, and can a court reduce an agreed amount?
• What happens to a piece-of-work contract if the owner's materials are lost through a fortuitous event?
• When is a debtor legally in delay in the Philippines?
• What has to be returned when a contract is rescinded?
• Does a force majeure or act-of-God event always excuse me from performing, or are there situations where I'm still liable?
• Under what circumstances can a contract that is otherwise valid be rescinded?
• Which contracts can be rescinded because they caused someone damage?
• I have several debts to someone who also owes me money - which of mine gets cancelled first by compensation?
• I won damages for injuries caused by the debtor's negligence - where do I rank among creditors if he's now insolvent?

Making & Interpreting Contracts

• A word in my contract can be read two ways, which meaning controls?
• I sent a letter accepting an offer — when exactly does the acceptance bind the person who made the offer?
• I submitted the best bid in a public bidding — is the party who advertised the bidding bound to accept my offer?
• If a contract clause is unclear, whose interpretation wins?
• A word in our contract has multiple meanings — which meaning should govern when interpreting the contract?
• I'm assigning to someone else a right that originally came from a notarized document — does my assignment itself have to be in a public document too?
• Can something that does not exist yet be the object of a contract?
• Can a judge refuse to decide a case because the law is silent, obscure or insufficient?
• Can a will or a simple donation with no conditions attached be reformed by the courts?
• Can acceptance of an offer be implied from conduct rather than said out loud?
• Can an heir or assignee of one of the original parties file a petition to reform a contract?
• Can an offer be withdrawn before I accept it, even if I was given time to decide?
• Can how the parties behaved afterwards change what the contract means?
• Can I go back on an admission or representation I made once someone else has relied on it?
• Can I force the other party to put our agreement into a proper document?
• The other party knew the written contract did not reflect our real agreement but concealed that from me — can I have the instrument reformed?
• Can a person deny a fact he earlier represented as true, once I have relied on it to my prejudice?
• If someone's words or actions led me to rely on something, can they later deny it in court?
• Can the person making an offer dictate the time, place and manner of acceptance?
• Can the conduct of the parties before and after signing the contract be used to determine what they actually intended?
• Can two parties agree to anything they want in a contract?
• Our contract does not mention any cause at all — can the other party attack it on that ground?
• I'm giving something away for free with nothing expected in return — what counts as the legal 'cause' of a contract like that?
• In a purchase contract, what is the legal cause for each party?
• What is the cause of a contract that rewards someone for a past service already rendered?
• I want to renounce my share of an inheritance — does that renunciation need to be in a public document?
• Can I ask the court to order the other party to sign the proper deed in the same lawsuit where I'm also suing to enforce our contract, or do I need two separate cases?
• What is the legal definition of a contract under Philippine law, and what can it require a party to do?
• The terms of our contract are clear and unambiguous — can a court still look beyond the literal words to find a different meaning?
• Can a contract be valid and enforceable even if it was made orally with no written document?
• Can a contract be corrected in court if the written document does not match what both parties actually agreed to?
• Can a party just decide not to comply with a contract they signed because it has become inconvenient?
• What court procedure do I follow to have a written contract reformed to match what we actually agreed?
• We are forming a partnership and one partner is contributing land — must the contribution agreement be in a public document?
• Do broad general words in a contract cover things the parties never discussed?
• Do I have to prove my contract had a lawful cause, or is it presumed?
• Can a contract create obligations for someone who is not a party to it?
• Does a contract have to be notarized to be valid and binding?
• Does a signed contract have to prove that it had consideration?
• When a law is genuinely ambiguous, how should a court interpret it — in favor of justice or strictly as written?
• Does local custom or trade usage fill the gaps in a contract?
• Does my private reason for signing affect the validity of the contract?
• Does suing to enforce the contract give up my right to have it corrected?
• Does the literal wording of a contract always win over what the parties meant?
• There is a lasting doubt about a clause in a donation or other gratuitous contract — how does the law say the doubt should be resolved?
• Both parties disagree on what an ambiguous clause in our sale or lease means and no other rule resolves it — what is the guiding principle?
• An estoppel was created between two parties — can a third person who was not a party rely on it or be bound by it?
• Do the rules of evidence used in court also apply when interpreting an ambiguous contract?
• Our deed states a cause that never existed — is the contract void, or can it be saved if there is another true and lawful cause?
• When the law requires a contract to be in a specific form, does that always mean it is void if that form is not used?
• Are there principles from the general law on the reformation of instruments that courts can apply even if not specifically stated in the Civil Code?
• Our contract uses very general language — does that mean it covers every conceivable situation even if we did not intend that?
• How does a court read a clause that could mean two different things?
• How specific must the thing being sold or promised be for the contract to stand?
• We made a contract that does not fit any named type in the Civil Code — what rules govern it?
• Is a contract still valid if it does not match any contract named in the Civil Code?
• Is a contract valid if what was promised is impossible to do?
• Is a verbal agreement legally binding in the Philippines?
• The written words of our contract appear to say one thing but our evident intention was clearly another — which governs?
• Our contract is silent on a particular point — can the usage or custom of the place fill in that gap?
• Must a court read all the clauses of a contract together when interpreting a doubtful provision, or just the unclear clause alone?
• Must the clauses of a contract be read together or each on its own?
• Must the person calling for bids award the contract to the lowest bidder?
• Our contract says it is binding only if I decide to proceed — is that kind of clause valid?
• We never signed a formal deed or handed over keys, but the seller let me act as owner from day one — did ownership still pass to me?
• The person who made an offer to me died before I could accept it — can I still accept and form a binding contract?
• I made an offer and before it was accepted the other party became insolvent — is my offer still alive?
• One clause of our contract can be read two ways — which interpretation does the law direct the court to apply?
• I accepted a contract offer by mail from a different city than where the offer came from — is the contract legally considered made in my city or the offeror's?
• I verbally promised a creditor I would answer for my brother's debt — can I be held to it without a written note?
• Our written contract leaves out terms we actually agreed on — can I prove them in court?
• I accepted an offer but changed one of its terms — did I form a contract or just make a counter-offer?
• Can a pledge or commodatum be formed by mere agreement without handing over the thing?
• Both of us agreed on the real terms but the written contract says something different due to a mutual drafting mistake — what is the right remedy?
• We signed a private agreement to sell my land but the buyer wants a public document — can the buyer force me to execute it?
• I already filed suit to enforce the written contract — can I later ask for reformation of the same instrument?
• The written document does not reflect our real deal because the other side acted in bad faith, can I have it corrected?
• Can I have the contract corrected if the other party noticed the error and said nothing?
• The written contract does not reflect what we actually agreed. What can I do?
• We left the price to be set by a valuer — when exactly does his determination become binding on both of us?
• What three elements must be present for a contract to exist under Philippine law?
• The clerk or typist who prepared our deed made errors through negligence that changed what we agreed on — can a court order the deed reformed?
• Our deal by its terms cannot be finished within a year and nothing was written down — is it enforceable?
• Is a verbal promise to pay someone back legally binding, or does it need to be in writing to count as an obligation?
• What court procedure do I follow to ask a judge to reform a written contract that doesn't match what we agreed?
• What happens when a contract stays hopelessly unclear even after every rule is applied?
• What is the cause of a contract, and why does it matter?
• What are the essential requisites of a valid contract in the Philippines?
• When can a contract not be reformed at all?
• When does an offer stop being valid so that acceptance no longer creates a contract?
• At what moment is a contract perfected under Philippine law?
• When is a contract considered perfected in the Philippines?
• Which contracts must appear in a public document?
• Who can ask a court to correct a contract that was written wrongly?
• One party drafted an ambiguous or obscure clause in the contract — who must bear the consequences of that obscurity?

Debts, Payment & Creditors

• I accepted a receipt where my creditor applied my payment to a particular debt - am I now stuck with that application?
• I agreed to deliver a specific house — do the accessories and appurtenances go with it even if we did not discuss them?
• My contract lets me deliver either goods or cash - can I hand over part goods and part cash instead of one in full?
• I decided which of the alternative items to deliver but haven't told the other side yet - am I already locked into that choice?
• If someone owes me a choice between two things and one becomes impossible, do I still get a choice?
• At what moment does an alternative obligation cease to be alternative once I as creditor have made my selection?
• Are an insolvent debtor's funeral expenses paid ahead of the ordinary creditors?
• Are the debtor's last-illness medical expenses given priority among his debts in insolvency?
• My creditor told me he assigned the debt but I did not agree — can I set off debts the assignor owed me that arose after the notification?
• My creditor assigned the debt without even telling me — can I still set off whatever the original creditor owed me, even if it arose before I learned of the transfer?
• I ended up as the creditor for just one of several joint debtors - is the entire joint obligation wiped out?
• Can I be held to obligations that were never actually written into the contract I signed?
• Can a debtor facing insolvency pay one creditor ahead of the others?
• Can all of a debtor's property, even future property, be used to satisfy what they owe me?
• As the creditor in an antichresis, can I force the debtor to take back the property and end my duty to pay taxes and repairs, even if he hasn't fully paid me?
• Can a contract validly say that the rights under it cannot be assigned or transferred to anyone else?
• Can the person who owes me substitute a different item for what we actually agreed on?
• I owe my creditor several debts - can I direct my payment to one that isn't due yet, even if he objects?
• Can I sell or assign to someone else the money that a customer still owes me?
• Can I be forced to accept partial payment of a debt someone owes me?
• Can I be forced by a lawsuit to perform a natural obligation, or only a civil one?
• I owe my creditor money, but he owes money to my spouse, not to me - can I offset the two?
• My creditor and I owe each other money, but one of the debts isn't due yet - can I still force them to cancel out?
• The amount someone owes me is still disputed and not fixed - can I offset it against what I clearly owe him?
• Can I still validly pay my creditor if a court has already ordered me to withhold the payment?
• Can I withdraw money I already deposited in court through consignation?
• Can a single solidary creditor do something on his own that prejudices the other creditors?
• Can one of several solidary creditors take steps that benefit everyone without first asking the others?
• Can a seller and buyer agree that ownership of the thing sold will not transfer until the buyer has paid the full price?
• Even if what I owe can physically be split up, can our contract make the obligation indivisible so it must be performed all at once?
• The person who owes me support says I owe him money - can he stop paying my support by offsetting his claim against it?
• Can we agree to offset our debts against each other even if they are not due yet?
• A third party has garnished or laid claim to the debt between us - can my creditor and I still offset what we owe each other?
• I owe someone civil indemnity for a criminal act I committed — can I offset that against a debt the same person owes me?
• One of my fellow solidary creditors collected the entire debt from the debtor - do I have a right to claim my share from him?
• Several of us are jointly owed one indivisible thing by the same debtor - can one of my co-creditors release or settle the debt on his own without asking the rest of us?
• A co-owner of our family land became insolvent — can the insolvency court take his undivided share in our co-owned property?
• I co-own land with someone who became insolvent - can his creditors reach his undivided share in it?
• One of my co-debtors made a deal with the creditor that wiped out our solidary debt - are the rest of us released, and does he owe us anything?
• If one of my co-debtors on a shared loan pays it off entirely, does he automatically step into the creditor's shoes against the rest of us?
• The two debts my supplier and I owe each other are payable in different cities - can they still cancel each other out?
• My creditor and I owe each other money, but neither of us has raised it — does the law automatically cancel both debts up to the equal amount even without any action by either of us?
• My creditor and I mutually owe each other a liquidated sum — does the offset happen automatically by law, or must one of us declare it?
• Can I offset what someone owes me against a debt I owe to a different person?
• A creditor wants to forgive my entire debt — is the forgiveness effective even if I have not yet accepted it?
• I deposited my payment in court and notified everyone involved, but I didn't follow all the payment rules to the letter — is my consignation still valid?
• The document evidencing my debt has been lost — can I still legally clear the debt by depositing payment in court even though my creditor hasn't actually refused anything?
• My contract just says the seller owes me rice without stating a grade - can I demand premium-quality rice?
• Our contract says I must pay in a foreign currency, but it's now impossible to get that currency - what am I supposed to pay in?
• Can a third person be subrogated to a creditor's rights without the debtor's consent?
• I had a court attachment annotated on the debtor's land - does it give me preference over creditors who came later?
• My creditor accepted a new payment arrangement from me without ever saying our old contract was cancelled — is the old obligation still the one that's enforceable?
• What can I do if the other party's own actions stop me from making my choice under our agreement?
• My creditor has disappeared and I can't find him anywhere - how do I legally pay off my debt so it stops running?
• All the things my supplier could have delivered under our alternative obligation were destroyed through his fault — how is the indemnity calculated?
• My creditor let me withdraw money I had deposited in court through consignation — does he lose any lien or preference he had over it?
• My creditor keeps refusing to accept my payment — how can I legally clear my debt if they won't take my money?
• My creditor will take my money but refuses to issue any receipt - can I deposit the payment in court instead?
• My signed IOU is back in my possession but my creditor claims he never gave it to me - who has to prove how I got it?
• The bank already sued one of my co-debtors - can it still come after the rest of us if it hasn't fully collected yet?
• In an antichresis, can the creditor keep the land itself if the debtor fails to pay on time?
• I'm owed a choice between two different services, not physical things, and one of them becomes impossible — do the same creditor's-choice rules for alternative obligations apply here too?
• Prices have risen dramatically since I signed the contract — does the law adjust the amount I have to pay to reflect today's currency value?
• Is a debt someone owes me legally treated as personal property that I can sell to someone else?
• My debtor moved away in bad faith after the obligation was constituted and now I must pay more to collect — who bears those extra expenses?
• I owe an alternative obligation with several options but only one is now possible — do I still have the right to choose?
• I told my creditor at the time I consented to his assignment that I was reserving my right to set off what he owed me — can I now use that set-off against the assignee?
• My debtor is trying to flee and disappear before the loan is due - can I demand immediate payment even though the term hasn't ended?
• I lent money to someone who claims his only asset is his car — can I collect from his other property too if the car is not enough?
• My debtor's IOU says he'll pay 'whenever he has the money' — can I still force him to pay, or does he get to decide forever?
• My debtor has money owed to him by other people but won't bother collecting it - can I step in and pursue those claims to get paid?
• What is the difference between subrogation that happens automatically by law and subrogation we agree to?
• Does it matter whether the thing owed is divisible or indivisible when there is only one debtor and one creditor?
• If someone owes me a specific car, do its accessories like the stereo come with it automatically?
• Do unpaid taxes get paid before any other creditor when a debtor's assets are sold?
• Does the civil indemnity a debtor owes me from a criminal case get priority over his other ordinary debts?
• If an obligation is indivisible, does that automatically make the debtors solidarily liable for the whole thing?
• Does legally 'paying' a debt only mean handing over money?
• My creditor and I owe each other the exact same amount of money — does that automatically wipe out both debts completely?
• My creditor wrote a letter formally forgiving my loan — must that letter comply with the legal formalities for donations?
• A new debtor was substituted in my place without my knowledge and he has now become insolvent — can the creditor come after me again?
• The substitute item was already handed over to replace what I originally owed, and now it's been damaged because of my delay — am I liable for that, even though I wouldn't have been before the substitution?
• What are the different sources of obligations under Philippine law?
• Can I force my creditor to accept something different, even if it is more valuable than what I owe?
• Does being a foreigner limit what legal acts I can perform in the Philippines?
• The specific batch of goods I was supposed to deliver burned down — does the loss of that particular stock release me from delivering goods of that kind?
• I managed a friend's property in good faith, caused no harm, and am returning it intact — even though the owner got no benefit, must he reimburse me?
• My business owes money to multiple creditors and can't pay them all — can I just hand over all my assets to them instead of paying each one separately?
• Do I have to pay homeowners' association dues even if I never signed anything with the association?
• How is an obligation extinguished under Philippine law?
• Once the preferred creditors are satisfied, how are the ordinary unsecured creditors paid out of what's left?
• How exactly do I legally deposit payment with the court when my creditor refuses to accept it?
• My creditor assigned the debt to someone else and I agreed to it — can I still set up against that new creditor a debt the original creditor owes me?
• I inherited part of a debt secured by a pledge or mortgage and paid my share - can I free my portion of the property?
• I paid the original creditor without knowing the debt had been assigned. Am I released?
• The suit against me failed but I later performed the obligation anyway, can I demand the return of what I paid?
• If we owe each other different amounts, does the excess still need to be paid separately after compensation?
• We signed a new contract covering the same subject matter but on completely different terms — does the new deal automatically cancel the old one even without saying so?
• Someone benefited at my expense through a situation not specifically covered by the Civil Code's quasi-contract provisions — can I still recover from them under the general quasi-contract principle?
• Several of us owe one indivisible thing together - does that automatically make each of us liable for the whole thing?
• If peso inflation drastically changes the value of money between the time I borrowed and the time I have to pay, does the amount I owe get adjusted?
• I inherited from my late father, but it turns out he actually owed me money before he died — what happens to that debt now that I'm his heir?
• My debtor says he is insolvent and wants to surrender his assets to his creditors — does the Civil Code handle the insolvency process, or is there a separate law for that?
• I paid our whole solidary debt, but one co-debtor is insolvent and can't repay his share - do I absorb that loss alone or do the others chip in?
• The insolvent business owes me wages for the past year - do I get paid before its ordinary creditors?
• I hired someone to render a set number of days of work - is that a divisible obligation?
• The lender handed me back the promissory note - is my debt presumed paid?
• How do you tell whether an obligation not to do something is divisible or indivisible?
• I paid my creditor with a check - is my debt settled the moment I hand it over, or only once the check actually clears?
• My debtor put it out of his own power to perform - do I still need to send a demand before he counts as being in delay?
• Is a payment still valid if I paid the wrong person by mistake?
• Is payment valid if it is made by someone who does not actually have the right to dispose of the thing?
• I am one of several joint debtors and I ended up inheriting the creditor's position - does the whole debt disappear, or only my share of it?
• One of our joint debtors is insolvent and cannot pay his share of the indivisible thing we all owe — must the rest of us cover his portion?
• After the preferred creditors are paid out of specific property, what happens to any leftover value?
• I am a creditor administering an insolvent estate — can the approved legal and administrative expenses be paid from the estate before other creditors receive anything?
• The other party claims I owe an obligation that is not written in our contract — can the court impose it on me anyway?
• A third person paid my debt without any written agreement about rights — does the law automatically transfer the creditor's rights to that person?
• The item I was holding for delivery was destroyed in an earthquake — does the law presume I was negligent even though the earthquake caused it?
• The suit to make me pay failed, but I voluntarily paid afterward — can I demand the money back?
• My neighbour was away and I managed their business to keep it from failing — can I demand reimbursement for what I spent?
• If I step in and manage someone else's affairs without being asked, can I get reimbursed?
• I supplied all the cement and steel for a building project and was never paid — do I have a preferred claim on that building against the owner's other creditors?
• I inherited the estate of the person I owe money to — does my debt automatically disappear now that I am both debtor and creditor?
• Do I need to notify my creditor before depositing payment with the court through consignation?
• Am I required to pay for emergency medical treatment I received while unconscious?
• We both broke our contract but no one can tell who broke it first — is either of us liable to the other for damages?
• With the creditor's consent I had a new debtor take over my debt, and now he's insolvent - can the creditor come back after me?
• I got released from my debt when someone else agreed to take it over, but that new debtor later went bankrupt — can my original creditor come after me again?
• My brother took over my loan as the new debtor with the bank's approval, and later paid it off himself — does he get the same reimbursement rights as someone who pays another person's debt?
• Several of my debtor's creditors have no special preference at all — how are they paid once all preferred creditors have been satisfied?
• When novation extinguishes my main obligation, what happens to the mortgage or guaranty that secured it?
• We replaced the thing I was supposed to deliver with a different one — does that modification extinguish the original obligation?
• Can a new agreement extinguish an old obligation even if neither document says the old one is cancelled?
• A third person stepped in and paid my debt, then was subrogated to all my creditor's rights — is that a form of novation?
• My creditor agreed to accept someone else as the new debtor in my place — is my original obligation extinguished?
• What exactly is a legal obligation under Philippine law — does it only mean paying money?
• A new law made it illegal to perform the service I contracted to render — am I still obligated to do it?
• The act I promised to perform has become physically impossible through no fault of mine — am I still bound by the obligation?
• I managed someone's business without authority and signed a contract with a supplier in the owner's name — is the owner bound by that contract?
• I took over someone's business and delegated some tasks to an assistant who then caused damage — am I liable for what my assistant did?
• Do I need to go to court to formally offset our mutual debts, or does the cancellation happen automatically once both debts exist?
• If I have the right to choose among several things owed to me and one of them is lost, what happens?
• I managed a friend's property while they were away — if they were actually in a position to take care of it themselves, does the quasi-contract still arise?
• I was between 18 and 21, entered a contract without my parents' consent, then voluntarily paid it — can I recover the money?
• I voluntarily paid a debt that had already prescribed — can I get my money back?
• I was unsure whether I owed a debt but paid anyway just to be safe — can I get the money back if I can prove the debt was not actually owed?
• I paid a bill I thought I owed but later discovered I never actually owed it — can I demand the money back?
• Can I recover money if I paid off someone else's debt without them knowing about it?
• I paid, in good faith, the person holding the promissory note, but he turned out not to be the real creditor - can I be made to pay again?
• I paid in good faith to someone who was holding my creditor's document and looked entitled to collect - am I released even if he turned out not to be the real creditor?
• I paid off another creditor of my debtor who ranked ahead of me - do I automatically step into that preferred creditor's rights?
• I paid the guaranteed debt without waiting to be sued - can I still make my co-guarantors chip in their shares?
• I owe my lender several debts and paid without saying which one - which debt is treated as settled first?
• I paid the wrong person by mistake, but the money ended up benefiting my real creditor anyway - is my payment good to that extent?
• Part of the specific thing I owe was destroyed by accident - am I automatically off the hook, or does it depend on how important the lost part is?
• Someone who paid only part of my debt has been subrogated to some of my creditor's rights — does my creditor still rank ahead of that subrogee for the unpaid balance?
• Can a creditor refuse to accept partial payment and insist on complete delivery of what was promised?
• I owe my supplier for several different past-due invoices and made one partial payment — which invoice does that payment apply to?
• If I owe money to several people who are solidary creditors together, can I just pay any one of them and be considered fully paid?
• Can I pay my debt with a personal check or in a foreign currency if our contract just says 'payment in pesos'?
• Part of what I owe is agreed on and part is still disputed - can I pay the agreed part now, or do I have to wait until the rest is settled?
• Someone knowingly accepted a payment they had no right to receive — apart from returning it, what else are they liable for?
• Can my creditors and I agree that a cession of my property will fully discharge all my debts even if the proceeds fall short?
• I assigned all my property to my creditors as payment of my debts — am I fully released from all my obligations?
• I owe my creditor several debts and paid without saying which one, and the receipt didn't say either - which debt does the law treat as paid?
• Our contract treats the delivery as a single whole even though it could physically be split up - is that obligation indivisible?
• I have a preferred claim on a specific piece of the debtor's movable property - do I get paid from it ahead of all other creditors?
• Does my preferred claim on a specific piece of real property get satisfied ahead of other creditors out of that property?
• I got the creditor to release me by proposing a replacement debtor, but that new debtor was already insolvent and everyone knew it - can the creditor come back after me?
• Our agreement has no condition or deadline — can I demand performance immediately?
• I never signed any contract with someone yet they are demanding reimbursement — can I be legally obliged to pay without an agreement?
• I paid money by mistake to the wrong person — what rule governs my right to get it back?
• I was ready to fulfill my part of our joint indivisible obligation when one co-debtor refused — do I owe the full indemnity or only my proportionate share?
• My debt was sold at a judicial auction. What amount must the debtor pay to extinguish the credit?
• Can I be reimbursed for paying a relative's funeral expenses out of my own pocket?
• My relative paid off my credit card debt and told me I don't need to pay them back — is that legally treated as a donation?
• A solidary debtor obtained a full remission of our joint debt from the creditor — can he turn around and demand reimbursement from the rest of us?
• What rules apply to an obligation that arises from a quasi-contract, like paying back money sent by mistake?
• I was contracted to perform a specific service, but it later became physically or legally impossible to do — am I released from the contract?
• If my debts to the same creditor are of equal burden and I pay without specifying, how is the payment split among them?
• If several people owe me one indivisible thing together, can I go after just one of them for all of it?
• Several creditors have preferred claims on the same piece of real property - how is its value divided among us?
• The private IOU I signed has ended up back in my possession - is the debt presumed forgiven?
• I am one of several people jointly and solidarily owed money - can I take an action that helps only me even if it hurts the other creditors?
• Can one of several people who are jointly owed money by me sell or assign his share to someone else without the others' consent?
• I am one of several people solidarily owed money by the same debtor — can I sell my right to collect to a stranger without asking the others?
• I owe several solidary creditors, and one of them has already demanded payment from me - can I still pay a different one and be discharged?
• We are solidarily liable for a loan - does that mean the debt has to be treated as one indivisible obligation that must be paid all at once, or can it still be split into separate payments?
• In our solidary loan my co-debtor's share falls due on a later date and on a condition - are we still solidarily liable to the creditor?
• Can co-debtors be solidarily liable even if one of them has a longer payment term or a different condition than the other?
• If someone pays off my debt without my knowledge or against my wishes, do they automatically step into my creditor's shoes with all the same rights against me?
• Someone voluntarily paid me on an obligation I could not have sued them for — am I allowed to keep it?
• I have a preferred claim on a specific piece of equipment for the work I did on it — does that preference exclude all other creditors from touching that item?
• I spent money preserving someone's real property and they went insolvent - do I get priority repayment out of that property?
• Our contract contains a benefit for a third person — can the two of us revoke that benefit before the third person accepts it?
• Can I step into my debtor's shoes to sue over something personal to him, like his own claim for moral damages?
• I want a new person to take over my debt without the creditor's agreement — can I simply hand the debt off?
• The creditor agreed to substitute a new debtor in my place without telling me or asking my consent — is that novation valid?
• My supplier owes me a refund for a defective shipment, and I owe them for a new order — can we just cancel out what we each owe?
• I advanced money to keep my insolvent brother-in-law and his family afloat during the year before his insolvency proceedings — is that advance a preferred credit?
• My debtor's insolvency proceedings are still ongoing and will take months — is there a provision that his own basic support during that period be paid out of the estate ahead of creditors?
• After paying the preferred creditors on a specific piece of property there is still money left over — where does that surplus go among the remaining creditors?
• A car I hold under chattel mortgage has unpaid government taxes — do those taxes rank above my mortgage lien on the vehicle?
• The creditor was negligent in going after the debtor's property I pointed out and it became worthless - am I still liable as guarantor?
• The debtor paid again because he did not know I had already paid as guarantor - who can I recover from?
• I paid my neighbor's debt against his explicit objection — can I now claim the creditor's rights over the debtor's collateral?
• A third person with no stake in my debt paid it off with my approval - does he step into my creditor's shoes against me?
• I paid a debt on behalf of the debtor without his knowledge — can I demand to be subrogated to the creditor's mortgage or guaranty?
• A third person paid my debt as a donation but the creditor accepted it — is that payment valid even without my knowledge?
• A friend wants to pay off my debt to the bank as a gift without any expectation of repayment — does he need my consent for this to be valid?
• A debtor holds money in trust for me — if he goes insolvent, can his creditors take that money as part of his estate?
• Two people each claim ownership of the same item that was left with me - who do I return it to?
• Two of us stepped in together to manage a neighbour's property — if damage results from our management, are we jointly or solidarily liable?
• I mistakenly paid two people for a debt I did not owe — are both of them solidarily liable to return the money?
• Two different people are both claiming to be the right person to collect my debt - how do I pay safely without paying twice?
• Two of us both have preferred claims on the same specific piece of equipment — do we each get full payment or do we split what is recovered from it?
• Two creditors both have preferred claims on the same movable - how is that property divided between us?
• Two of us solidary debtors both want to pay the creditor - who decides whose payment the creditor accepts?
• A preferred creditor on a specific property was only partially paid because the property's value was not enough — where does the unpaid balance rank among the remaining debts?
• I advanced money for seeds and cultivation expenses for a farmer who then failed to pay me back — do I have priority on the crops he harvested?
• Can I use a defense that's personal to my co-debtor, like his being a minor when the loan was signed, to avoid paying my own share of a solidary debt?
• I am bound by contract not to build a fence along the boundary, but my neighbor went ahead and built one — can I have it demolished at his expense?
• What are all the ways recognized by Philippine law to extinguish an obligation?
• What if a third person, not the other party, misled me into signing?
• What if the thing that has to be returned after annulment was already lost?
• What is conventional subrogation, and how is it different from an ordinary assignment?
• What rights pass to a person who pays off my debt for me?
• Our contract never uses the word solidary - are there situations where the law or the nature of the obligation still makes us each liable for the whole thing?
• When does an assignment of a credit become effective between the parties?
• Where am I supposed to pay a debt if our contract does not say?
• Where do my legal obligations to someone come from if we never signed a contract?
• If a debtor owes several creditors and cannot pay everyone, who gets paid first?
• I had to deposit my payment in court because my creditor refused to accept it - who pays for the cost of doing that?
• Who shoulders the extra expenses of making a payment - the debtor or the creditor?
• Who shoulders the cost of actually making a payment, like transfer or delivery fees - me or my creditor?

More Contracts & Obligations Questions

• I did something that was perfectly lawful under the old Civil Code but the new code now restricts it — is what I did still valid?
• Are pen names and stage names legally protected from being taken by someone else?
• Do I have to prove that a private transaction was fair, or is it presumed regular until someone shows otherwise?
• At what age am I a legal adult in the Philippines?
• Can a law stop being effective just because it has not been enforced for years?
• If a special law or the Code of Commerce does not cover a situation, does the Civil Code automatically apply?
• Can I escape liability by claiming I did not know the law?
• Can I sign a contract on my own at 18?
• Can I waive my legal rights, and are there limits to what I can give up?
• What is the difference between an express trust and an implied trust under the Civil Code?
• Do I have to use particular words to create an express trust, or is a clear intention enough?
• Do new laws apply to things that happened before they took effect?
• Do Supreme Court decisions become part of the law of the Philippines?
• Is a document made out 'to the order of' a specific person still a negotiable document of title, or does it have to say 'bearer'?
• Does the beneficiary of a trust have to accept it, or is acceptance presumed?
• Does turning 18 end my parents' authority over me?
• Can a contract or judgment made in a foreign country be used to get around a Philippine law that protects public order?
• I inherited an estate with debts — am I personally liable for those debts beyond the value of what I received?
• How does the Civil Code fill gaps when none of its specific transitional rules address a particular situation?
• How do you prove that a local custom exists when you rely on it in a legal dispute?
• Is there a way to legally change my name in the Philippines without going to court?
• I agreed to accept a wage below the legal minimum, can I still recover the deficiency?
• I have not yet returned what I received under an annulled contract — can I force the other party to return what he received first?
• Can a contract that violates a mandatory law still be valid if that same law allows it?
• My business partner and I were both wrong about a legal point when we signed, but it didn't actually change what we meant to do — can I still get out of the contract because of that shared mistake?
• Does the Civil Code itself set the rules for becoming a Filipino citizen through naturalization, or does it leave that to other laws?
• The Civil Code was changed after I already acquired a right under the old law — can the new Civil Code take away or reduce what I already earned?
• The Civil Code created a completely new right that did not exist under the old law — can I claim that right even based on something that happened before the new code took effect?
• I filed a court case under the old rules before the new Civil Code took effect and it is still pending — can I choose to switch to the new procedural rules?
• Can the government restrict what legal acts I can perform because of my political opinions?
• I entered into a contract before the new Civil Code took effect — which code governs the rights and obligations that arose from that contract?
• The trustee I appointed declined the designation — does my trust fail because of that?
• If two people have identical names and surnames, which one is legally required to add something to distinguish themselves?
• What can I do at 18 that I could not do before?
• What circumstances under the Civil Code can restrict or modify a person's capacity to enter contracts or do other legal acts?
• What is a person's legal domicile under the Civil Code?
• What is the Civil Code of the Philippines and what does it cover?
• What is the difference between juridical capacity and capacity to act?
• Where do the detailed mechanics of civil status registration come from — does the Civil Code itself spell them all out?
• What rules apply to a donation that takes effect during the donor's lifetime instead of at death?
• Can a court use a local custom to decide my case if no law directly covers the situation?
• When does a new law take effect in the Philippines after it is passed?
• Which country's law governs the form of a contract or document that is signed abroad?