Maaari ba ibenta ang alahas na hindi pa pag-aari?

ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta - @Magtanong Kay Attorney | February 1, 2021

Dear Chief Acosta,

May nagbebenta sa akin ng kaunting alahas ngunit nalaman ko na hindi pa niya ito pagmamay-ari dahil hinuhulugan pa lamang niya ito. Interesado sana ako rito ngunit nangangamba ako na baka mapawalang-bisa ang aming transaksiyon. Sana ay magabayan ninyo ako. – Kevin

Dear Kevin,

Nilinaw ng Korte Suprema sa pinagsamang mga kasong Cahayag and Rivera vs. Commercial Credit Corporation, et al. (G.R. No. 168078, January 13, 2016) at Dulos Realty & Development Corporation, et al. vs. Commercial Credit Corporation, et al. (G.R. NO. 168357, January 13, 2016), na isinulat ni Honorable former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P. A. Sereno, na ang pagmamay-ari ng seller ng anumang ipinagbibili niya ay kinakailangan sa panahon ng pagbibigay o paghahatid nito sa bibili o buyer at hindi kung kailan ginawa ang kontrata o sa panahon ng kanilang pagkakasundo. Narito ang sipi ng bahagi ng desisyon ng nasabing kaso na may kaugnayan sa inyong katanungan, viz:

“Undeniably, there is an established rule under the law on sales that one cannot give what one does not have (Nemo dat quod non habet). xxx But the Latin precept has been jurisprudentially held to apply to a contract of sale at its consummation stage, and not at the perfection stage.
Cavite Development Bank v. Spouses Syrus Lim puts nemo dat quod non habet in its proper place. Initially, the Court rules out ownership as a requirement for the perfection of a contract of sale. For all that is required is a meeting of the minds upon the object of the contract and the price. xxx It cites Article 1434 of the Civil Code, which provides that in case the seller does not own the subject matter of the contract at the time of the sale, but later acquires title to the thing sold, ownership shall pass to the buyer. Xxx”
Cavite Development Bank thereafter turns to Article 1459, which requires ownership by the seller of the thing sold at the time of delivery or consummation stage of the sale. Xxx”
Case law also provides that the fact that the seller is not the owner of the subject matter of the sale at the time of perfection does not make the sale void.
Hence, the lesson: for title to pass to the buyer, the seller must be the owner of the thing sold at the consummation stage or at the time of delivery of the item sold. The seller need not be the owner at the perfection stage of the contract, whether it is of a contract to sell or a contract of sale. Ownership is not a requirement for a valid contract of sale; it is a requirement for a valid transfer of ownership.”

Ayon sa nabanggit na kaso, hindi magiging void o walang bisa ang kontrata o kasunduan dahil lamang hindi pa pagmamay-ari ng seller ang bagay na kanyang ibinebenta sa panahong inialok niya ito at tinanggap ng buyer. Kinakailangan lamang sa oras na iyon na magkasundo ang dalawa sa bagay na ipinagbibili at sa presyo nito. Mahalaga lamang na magkaroon ang seller ng titulo sa bagay kapag ipapasa na niya ito sa buyer o sa tinatawag na delivery o consummation stage.

Sana ay nabigyan namin ng linaw ang inyong katanungan. Ang payong aming ibinigay ay base lamang sa impormasyon na inyong inilahad at maaaring magbago kung mababawasan o madaragdagan ang mga detalye ng inyong salaysay.

Maraming salamat sa inyong patuloy na pagtitiwal