Hodges v. Gay

DIAZ, J.:

El recurrente promovio este proceso de certiorari para pedir la revision y modificacion de la sentencia dictada por el Tribunal de Apelacion, el 10 de agosto de 1938, fundandose en las razones que expresa en su alegato. Los hechos relacionados con las cuestiones que el recurrente plantea, son en sintesis como sigue: Las recurridas Carmen Regalado y Maria Gay celebraron un contrato con el recurrente, el 14 de junio de 1928 para comprar del ultimo tres parcelas, situadas dos de ellas en el municipio de Iloilo, y una en el municipio de Bago, siendo conocidas aquellas en el catastro del mencionado municipio de Iloilo, como lotes 210-B y 4280-B, y siendo a su vez conocida la ultima en el catastro de Bago, como lote 8123. El precio convenido de las tres, fue el de P17,362.80 pagadero dentro del plazo de 10 años contados desde el otorgamiento de la escritura de compraventa (Exhibit 1), hasta el 13 de junio de 1938, mas sus intereses a razon de 1 por ciento al mes, pagaderos a su vez semestralmente, por adelantado, en la inteligencia de que si no se pagasen dichos intereses, seria exigible al momento, el pago integro del precio de compra.

En la mencionada escritura de compraventa, Exhibit 1, consta que las partes que la otorgaron, estipularon, entre otras cosas, que se tenga por cierto que las recurridas pagaron en la misma fecha del otorgamiento de la escritura, por adelantado, los intereses de la expresada suma de P17,362.80, correspondientes al periodo comprendido entre el 13 del junio de 1928 y 31 de diciembre del mismo año; "that the said vendees shall be let into immediate constructive possession of the above described properties, and shall have the right to collect rents from any occupants thereof from and after the date of this agreement; that the said vendees obligate themselves to maintain the properties above described in good condition, to make and keep in repair the buildings and improvements existing on the parcels of land above described situated in the municipality of .........................., and keep the same insured against loss by fire in a sum not less than P........................

and to pay the premiums therefor whenever same become due and payable; that they shall, likewise, pay promptly all taxes and assessments that may be now due or hereafter become due and payable on the properties described in paragraph one and two of this agreement and each of them; that time is of the essence of this agreement, and should the vendees fail to make payment of the purchase price, interest, taxes or assessments, premiums on insurance, or should they fail to comply faithfully with each and every obligation herein agreed upon in accordance with the terms of this agreement, any such failure shall constitute such a breach of this agreement as to make the entire amount of the purchase price remaining unpaid to become forthwith due and payable, and any violation whatsoever shall give the vendor the right to enforce payment of the total amount of the purchase price, together with interest and charges immediately, in which even an additional sum equal to ten per cent (10%) of the purchase price shall be added and paid to cover attorney's fees for enforcing payment; or should the vendor so determine he may rescind this agreement and be thereby relieved from all obligation or responsibility thereunder, and in that even all payments made on account of the purchase price, or interest, repairs or improvements, shall be retained by and be for the benefit of the vendor, and shall be considered as rents for the use of the properties by the vendees prior to the breach of this agreement, and all payments made on account of taxes or assessments, insurance premiums and the like shall also be for the benefit of the vendor, and the vendees shall have no claim for same or any part thereof; that it is expressly agreed that should the vendees fail to make any payments as herein required for taxes, assessments, repairs, insurance premiums and the like in accordance with the terms of this agreement, payment thereof may be made by the vendor, and charged to the account of the vendees and said payments shall bear interest from date hereof in the same manner and the same rate as the purchase price, it being expressly understood and agreed that payments thus made by the vendor shall in no way affect his right to enforce payment of the purchase price or to rescind the agreement as he may see fit; that should the vendor determine to rescind this agreement on account of the breach of the terms thereof by the vendees, then the latter shall deliver immediately the possession of all the properties and each of them to the vendor, and should judicial action become necessary to obtain possession of the said properties or either of them from the vendees, or any one holding under them, the sum of five hundred pesos (P500) shall be paid by the vendees to the vendor for attorney's fees in said action".

(Clausulas 6, 7, 8, 9 y 10 del Exhibit 1.) Habiendo transcurrido tres años desde la fecha del otorgamiento de la escritura Exhibit 1 sin que que las recurridas pagasen al recurrente nada a cuenta del precio de compra de los inmuebles de que se trata, ni a cuenta de los intereses que se obligaron a pagarle, dicho recurrente decidio promover contra las mismas, la causa civil No. 9794 del Juzgado de Primera Instancia de Iloilo, intitulada Hodges contra Regalado y Gay, para pedir la rescision de su contrato de compraventa Exhibit 1; la restitucion a el de la posesion de los referidos inmuebles y el pago a el, tambien, de la cantidad de P175.66 en concepto de alquiler de aquellos, desde el 14 de diciembre de 1931 mientras los mismos no le sean restituidos. Dictose sentencia en dicha causa, contra las recurridas que fueron declaradas en rebeldia, rescidiendo el contrato de compraventa, Exhibit 1, y ordenando a las mismas a restituir al recurrente la posesion de los referidos inmuebles, a pagarle en concepto de alquiler de los mismos la suma de P175.66 al mes, desde el 14 de diciembre de 1931 hasta que aquellos le sean restituidos, y a pagarle tambien la cantidad de P100 en concepto de honorarios de abogado, ademas de las costas del juicio.

Esto fue en 22 de junio de 1934. Antes de esto, sin embargo, o sea el 13 de mayo de 1931, el recurrente presento a las recurridas un estado demostrativo de sus cuentas, siendo copia del mismo el Exhibit C que es de este tenor: STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT Messrs. MARIA Y GAY & CARMEN REGALADO To May 13, 1931 Balance unpaid .

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P17,362.80 P3,993.49 MONEY ADVANCED ON VARIOUS ACCTS. 5/23 - 1929 taxes . .

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. 13.09 3.08 5/23/30 - 1930 taxes . .

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. 389.09 45.39 2/10/31 - per statement below . .

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. 862.33 27.03 2/10/31 - per statement below . .

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. .70 .02 2/10/31 - per statement below . .

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. 76.50 2.40 5/12/31 - 1931 taxes . .

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. 56.97 .04