Kung puwedeng ang mortgaged property ang maging kabayaran sa future loans na gagawin ng nangutang at

DR. PERSIDA V. RUEDA-ACOSTA / MAGTANONG KAY ATTORNEY

Dear Chief Acosta,

Pumirma ang kapatid ko ng Deed of Real Estate Mortgage bilang security sa kanyang loan limang (5) taon nang naka­raraan. Mayroon din siyang karag­dagang inutang sa mga sumu­nod na taon. Ayon sa nagpautang, ma­ging ang mga karagda­gang utang ng kapatid ko ay secured ng Deed of Real Estate Mortgage dahil nakasaad umano rito na maging ang mga future loan ng kapatid ko ay sakop nito. Valid ba ang ganitong kasunduan? — Harley

Dear Harley,

Para sa inyong kaala­man, ipinaliwanag ng Korte Suprema sa kasong Union Bank of the Philippines vs. Hon. Court of Appeals (G.R. No. 164910, September 30, 2005, Ponente: Honorable former Associate Justice Consuelo Ynares-Santiago):

“Indeed, a mortgage liability is usually limited to the amount mentioned in the contract, but where the intent of the contracting parties is manifest that the mortgage property shall also answer for future loans or advancements, the same is valid and binding between the parties.

x x x x

In Prudential Bank v. Don A. Alviar and Georgia B. Alviar, we referred to this provision as blanket mortgage clause or dragnet clause. Thus:

A blanket mortgage clause, also known as a dragnet clause in American jurisprudence, is one which is specifically phrased to subsume all debts of past or future origins. Such clauses are carefully scrutinized and strictly construed. Mortgages of this character enable the parties to provide continuous dealings, the nature or extent of which may not be known or anticipated at the time, and they avoid the expense and inconvenience of executing a new security on each new transaction. A dragnet clause operates as a convenience and accommodation to the borrowers as it makes available additional funds without their having to execute additional security documents, thereby saving time, travel, loan closing costs, costs of extra legal services, recording fees, et cetera. Indeed, it has been settled in a long line of decisions that mortgages given to secure future advancements are valid and legal contracts, and the amounts named as consideration in said contracts do not limit the amount for which the mortgage may stand as security if from the four corners of the instrument the intent to secure future and other indebtedness can be gathered.

Samakatwid, sang-ayon sa nabanggit na desisyon, bagama’t, ang mortgage liability ay karaniwang limitado lamang sa halaga na nakasaad sa kontrata, ang mga partido rito ay maaaring magkasundo na ang mortgaged property ay sasagot din sa mga future loan na gagawin sa pagitan ng umutang at nagpautang.

Nawa ay nasagot namin ang inyong katanungan. Nais naming ipaalala sa inyo na ang opinyong ito ay nakabase sa inyong mga naisalaysay sa inyong liham at sa pagkakaintindi namin dito. Maaaring maiba ang opinyon kung mayroong karagdagang impormasyong ibibigay. Mas mainam kung personal kayong sasangguni sa abogado.