Case#206Zosa

[G.R.No.125172.June26,1998.]
SpousesANTONIOandLUZVIMINDA
GUIANG,petitioners,
vs.
COURTOFAPPEALSandGILDA
CORPUZ,respondents.

Topic:Ownership,administration,and
enjoyment>Jointadministration,FC124cf.FC
96,142
FACTS:
1.GildaCorpuzandJudieCorpuzarelegally
marriedspouses.Theyhave3childrennamed
Junie,Harriet,andJoji.
2.OnFeb14,1983,SpousesCorpuzboughta
421sqmeterlotfromManuelCallejowho
signedasvendorthroughaconditionaldeedof
sale.
3.OnApr22,1988,thespousesCorpuzsold
onehalfportionoftheirlottospousesAntonio
andLuzvimindaGuiang.
4.GildaleftforManilainJune1989tolookfor
workabroad.Unfortunately,shebecameavictim
ofanillegalrecruiter.
5.SometimeinJan1990,Harrietlearnedthather
fatherintendedtoselltheremaininghalfportion
ofthelot,includingtheirhouse,totheGuiangs.
Shewrotealettertohermother.
6.Gildarepliedthatshewasobjectingtothe
sale.HarrietdidnotinformJudieaboutthisbut
insteadgavethelettertoMrs.Guiangsothatshe
wouldadviseherfather.
7.Judiepushedthroughthesaleoftheremaining
onehalfportion.Theyexecutedadocument
DeedofTransferofRights.
8.OnMarch11,1990,Gildareturnedfrom
Manila.Herchildreninformedherthattheir
fatherhadawifealready.
9.Forstayingintheirhousesoldbyherhusband,
GildawascomplainedagainstbySpouses
GuiangbeforetheBarangayauthorities.
10.OnMarch16,1990,thepartiessignedan
AmicableSettlementtowit:Thatrespondent,
Mrs.GildaCorpuzandherthreechildren,
namely:Junie,HarietandJudietoleave
voluntarilythehouseofMr.andMrs.Antonio
Guiang,wheretheyarepresentlyboarding
withoutanycharge,onorbeforeApril7,1990.

11.Believingthatshehadreceivedtheshorter
endofthebargain,plaintiffwenttotheBarangay
CaptainofBarangayPaulinoSantostoquestion
hersignatureontheamicablesettlement.
12.GildafiledforthenullificationoftheDeed
ofSaleexecutedbyJudieinfavoroftheSpouses
Guiang.
13.RTCDecision:RTCrenderedjudgmentin
herfavor.
14.CADecision:CAaffirmedtheRTCruling
pursuanttoArt124oftheFamilyCode.
ISSUES:
1.WhetherornottheContractofSalewas
merelyvoidable.
2.WhetherornottheContractofSalewas
ratifiedbyGildawhensheenteredintoan
amicablesettlementwiththespousesGuiang.
DECISION:
1.PetitionerscontendthattheabsenceofGildas
consentmerelyrenderedtheDeedvoidable
underArt1390oftheCivilCode
"ART.1390.Thefollowingcontractsare
voidableorannullable,eventhoughtheremay
havebeennodamagetothecontractingparties:
xxxxxxxxx(2)Thosewheretheconsentis
vitiatedbymistake,violence,intimidation,undue
influenceorfraud.

Gildasconsentwasnotobtainedthru
mistake,violence,intimidation,undue
influenceorfraudbutherconsentwas
TOTALLYINEXISTENT.
Thisbeingthecase,saidcontract
properlyfallswithintheambitof
Article124oftheFamilyCode,which
wascorrectlyappliedbythetwolower
courts
Insum,thenullityofthecontractof
saleispremisedontheabsenceof
privaterespondent'sconsent.To
constituteavalidcontract,theCivil
Coderequirestheconcurrenceofthe
followingelements:(1)cause,(2)
object,and(3)consent,thelastelement
beingindubitablyabsentinthecaseat
bar.

2.Petitionersaverthatitwasdulyratifiedbythe
contendingpartiesthroughthe"amicable
settlement"theyexecutedonMarch16,1990in
BarangayCaseNo.38.

Thetrialandtheappellatecourtshave
resolvedthisissueinfavorofthe
privaterespondent.Thetrialcourt
correctlyheld:'Art.1422.Acontract
whichisthedirectresultofaprevious
illegalcontract,isalsovoidand
inexistent.'(CivilCodeofthe
Philippines).
Insummationtherefore,boththeDeed
ofTransferofRightsandthe'amicable
settlement'arenullandvoid.

WHEREFORE,theCourtherebyDENIESthe
petitionandAFFIRMSthechallengedDecision
andResolution.Costsagainstpetitioners.

Art124(FC).
Theadministrationandenjoymentofthe
conjugalpartnershippropertyshallbelongto
bothspousesjointly.Incaseofdisagreement,the
husband'sdecisionshallprevail,subjectto
recoursetothecourtbythewifeforproper
remedy,whichmustbeavailedofwithinfive
yearsfromthedateofthecontractimplementing
suchdecision.
Intheeventthatonespouseisincapacitatedor
otherwiseunabletoparticipateinthe
administrationoftheconjugalproperties,the
otherspousemayassumesolepowersof
administration.Thesepowersdonotincludethe
powersofdispositionorencumbrancewhich
musthavetheauthorityofthecourtorthe

writtenconsentoftheotherspouse.Inthe
absenceofsuchauthorityorconsent,the
dispositionorencumbranceshallbevoid.
However,thetransactionshallbeconstruedasa
continuingofferonthepartoftheconsenting
spouseandthethirdperson,andmaybe
perfectedasabindingcontractuponthe
acceptancebytheotherspouseorauthorization
bythecourtbeforetheofferiswithdrawnby
eitherorbothofferors.(165a)
Art173(CC)
Thewifemay,duringthemarriageandwithin
tenyearsfromthetransactionquestioned,askthe
courtsfortheannulmentofanycontractofthe
husbandenteredintowithoutherconsent,when
suchconsentisrequired,oranyactorcontractof
thehusbandwhichtendstodefraudherorimpair
herinterestintheconjugalpartnership
property.Shouldthewifefailtoexercisethis
right,sheorherheirsafterthedissolutionofthe
marriage,maydemandthevalueofproperty
fraudulentlyalienatedbythehusband.(n)