Text of the provision
Art. 431. The owner of a thing cannot make use thereof in such manner as to injure the rights of a third person.
(n)
Civil Code of the Philippines, Republic Act No. 386, approved June 18, 1949, effective August 30, 1950. Reproduced in full; verified verbatim against the LawPhil and ChanRobles official-text renderings.
What this article means
An owner cannot use their property in a way that injures the rights of a third person. This codifies the maxim sic utere tuo ut alienum non laedas — use your own so as not to harm another — and underlies the law on nuisance and abuse of rights.
Related provisions
- Article 430 — Right to Enclose.
- Article 432 — State of Necessity.
Cases interpreting this article
- Authorities on this article will be added here as each is verified against primary sources.
Note. The text of the provision above is reproduced in full from the official enactment (Republic Act No. 386), verified against the LawPhil and ChanRobles renderings. The annotation and commentary around it are the work of Vivas & Nobles Law Office and are general legal information, not legal advice. How a provision applies to a particular situation depends on facts that only a lawyer reviewing your case can assess.