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CA Agro Industrial Development Corp., vs Court of Appeals GR# 90027 March 3, 193
DAVIDE, JR., J: Facts: Petitioner and the spouses Ramon and Paula Pugao entered into an agreement whereby the former purchased from the latter two (2) parcels of land. Among the terms and conditions of the agreement were that the titles to the lots shall be transferred to the petitioner upon full payment of the purchase price and that the owner's copies of the certificates of titles thereto, and that title shall be deposited shall be deposited in a safety deposit box of any bank. Petitioner and the Pugaos then rented Safety Deposit Box of private respondent Security Bank and Trust Company. Thereafter, a certain Mrs. Margarita Ramos offered to buy from the petitioner the two (2) lots. Mrs. Ramos demanded the execution of a deed of sale which necessarily entailed the production of the certificates of title. In view thereof, Aguirre, accompanied by the Pugaos, then proceeded to the respondent Bank to open the safety deposit box and get the certificates of title. However, when opened in the presence of the Bank's representative, the box yielded no such certificates. Issue: Is the contractual relation between a commercial bank and another party in a contract of rent of a safety deposit box with respect to its contents placed by the latter one of bailor and bailee or one of lessor and lessee? Held: The contract for the rent of the safety deposit box is not an ordinary contract of lease as defined in Article 1643 of the Civil Code. However, We do not fully subscribe to its view that the same is a contract of deposit that is to be strictly governed by the provisions in the Civil Code on deposit; the contract in the case at bar is a special kind of deposit. It cannot be characterized as an ordinary contract of lease under Article 1643 because the full and absolute possession
and control of the safety deposit box was not given to the joint renters the petitioner and the Pugaos. The guard key of the box remained with the respondent Bank; without this key, neither of the renters could open the box. On the other hand, the respondent Bank could not likewise open the box without the renter's key. In this case, the said key had a duplicate which was made so that both renters could have access to the box.
Section 53. Other Banking Services. - In addition to the operations specifically authorized in this Act, a bank may perform the following services: 53.1. Receive in custody funds, documents and valuable objects; 53.2. Act as financial agent and buy and sell, by order of and for the account of their customers, shares, evidences of indebtedness and all types of securities; 53.3. Make collections and payments for the account of others and perform such other services for their customers as are not incompatible with banking business; 53.4 Upon prior approval of the Monetary Board, act as managing agent, adviser, consultant or administrator of investment management/advisory/consultancy accounts; and 53.5. Rent out safety deposit boxes. The bank shall perform the services permitted under Subsections 53.1, 53.2,53.3 and 53.4 as depositary or as an agent. Accordingly, it shall keep the funds, securities and other effects which it receives duly separate from the bank's own assets and liabilities: The Monetary Board may regulate the operations authorized by this Section in order to ensure that such operations do not endanger the interests of the depositors and other creditors of the bank. In case a bank or quasi-bark notifies the Bangko Sentral or publicly announces a bank holiday, or in any manner suspends the payment of its deposit liabilities continuously for more than thirty (30) days, the Monetary Board may summarily and without need for prior hearing close such banking institution and place it under receivership of the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation. (72a)