SECTION 2.
- Loss of the Thing Due the thing having been offered by him to the person who should receive
Art. 1262. An obligation which consists in the delivery of a determinate
thing shall be extinguished if it should be lost or destroyed without the
fault of the debtor, and before he has incurred in delay.
When by law or stipulation, the obligor is liable even for fortuitous
events, the loss of the thing does not extinguish the obligation, and he
shall be responsible for damages. The same rule applies when the
nature of the obligation requires the assumption of risk. (1182a)
Art. 1263. In an obligation to deliver a generic thing, the loss or
destruction of anything of the same kind does not extinguish the
obligation. (n)
Art. 1264. The courts shall determine whether, under the
circumstances, the partial loss of the object of the obligation is so
important as to extinguish the obligation. (n)
Art. 1265. Whenever the thing is lost in the possession of the debtor,
it shall be presumed that the loss was due to his fault, unless there is
proof to the contrary, and without prejudice to the provisions of article
1165. This presumption does not apply in case of earthquake, flood,
storm, or other natural calamity. (1183a)
Art. 1266. The debtor in obligations to do shall also be released when
the prestation becomes legally or physically impossible without the
fault of the obligor. (1184a)
Art. 1267. When the service has become so difficult as to be manifestly
beyond the contemplation of the parties, the obligor may also be
released therefrom, in whole or in part. (n)
Art. 1268. When the debt of a thing certain and determinate proceeds
from a criminal offense, the debtor shall not be exempted from the
payment of its price, whatever may be the cause for the loss, unless
it, the latter refused without justification to accept it. (1185)
Art. 1269. The obligation having been extinguished by the loss of the
thing, the creditor shall have all the rights of action which the debtor
may have against third persons by reason of the loss. (1186)
CHAPTER 3
EFFECTS OF THE CONTRACT
WHEN THE THINGSOLD HAS BEEN LOST
Art. 1493. If at the time the contract of sale is perfected, the thing which
is the object of the contract has been entirely lost, the contract shall
be without any effect.
But if the thing should have been lost in part only, the vendee may
choose between withdrawing from the contract and demanding the
remaining part, paying its price in proportion to the total sum agreed
upon. (1460a)
Art. 1494. Where the parties purport a sale of specific goods, and the
goods without the knowledge of the seller have perished in part or
have wholly or in a material part so deteriorated in quality as to be
substantially changed in character, the buyer may at his option treat
the sale:
(1) As avoided; or
(2) As valid in all of the existing goods or in so much thereof as have
not deteriorated, and as binding the buyer to pay the agreed price for
the goods in which the ownership will pass, if the sale was divisible.
(n)
Art. 1480. Any injury to or benefit from the thing sold, after the contract
has been perfected, from the moment of the perfection of the contract
to the time of delivery, shall be governed by Articles 1163 to 1165, and
1262.
This rule shall apply to the sale of fungible things, made independently
and for a single price, or without consideration of their weight, number,
or measure.
Should fungible things be sold for a price fixed according to weight,
number, or measure, the risk shall not be imputed to the vendee until
they have been weighed, counted, or measured and delivered, unless
the latter has incurred in delay. (1452a)
Art. 1163. Every person obliged to give something is also obliged to
take care of it with the proper diligence of a good father of a family,
unless the law or the stipulation of the parties requires another
standard of care. (1094a)
Art. 1164. The creditor has a right to the fruits of the thing from the
time the obligation to deliver it arises. However, he shall acquire no
real right over it until the same has been delivered to him. (1095)
Art. 1165. When what is to be delivered is a determinate thing, the
creditor, in addition to the right granted him by Article 1170, may
compel the debtor to make the delivery.
If the thing is indeterminate or generic, he may ask that the obligation
be complied with at the expense of the debtor.
If the obligor delays, or has promised to deliver the same thing to two
or more persons who do not have the same interest, he shall be
responsible for any fortuitous event until he has effected the delivery.
(1096)
Art. 1189. When the conditions have been imposed with the intention
of suspending the efficacy of an obligation to give, the following rules
shall be observed in case of the improvement, loss or deterioration of
the thing during the pendency of the condition:
(1) If the thing is lost without the fault of the debtor, the obligation shall
be extinguished;
(2) If the thing is lost through the fault of the debtor, he shall be obliged
to pay damages; it is understood that the thing is lost when it perishes,
or goes out of commerce, or disappears in such a way that its
existence is unknown or it cannot be recovered;
(3) When the thing deteriorates without the fault of the debtor, the
impairment is to be borne by the creditor;
(4) If it deteriorates through the fault of the debtor, the creditor may
choose between the rescission of the obligation and its fulfillment, with
indemnity for damages in either case;
(5) If the thing is improved by its nature, or by time, the improvement
shall inure to the benefit of the creditor;
(6) If it is improved at the expense of the debtor, he shall have no other
right than that granted to the usufructuary. (1122)
Art. 1504. Unless otherwise agreed, the goods remain at the seller's
risk until the ownership therein is transferred to the buyer, but when
the ownership therein is transferred to the buyer the goods are at the
buyer's risk whether actual delivery has been made or not, except that:
(1) Where delivery of the goods has been made to the buyer or to a
bailee for the buyer, in pursuance of the contract and the ownership
in the goods has been retained by the seller merely to secure
performance by the buyer of his obligations under the contract, the
goods are at the buyer's risk from the time of such delivery;
(2) Where actual delivery has been delayed through the fault of either
the buyer or seller the goods are at the risk of the party in fault. (n)
Art. 1538. In case of loss, deterioration or improvement of the thing
before its delivery, the rules in Article 1189 shall be observed, the
vendor being considered the debtor. (n)
Art. 1636. In the preceding articles in this Title governing the sale of Art. 1537. The vendor is bound to deliver the thing sold and its
goods, unless the context or subject matter otherwise requires: accessions and accessories in the condition in which they were upon
(1) "Document of title to goods" includes any bill of lading, dock the perfection of the contract.
warrant, "quedan," or warehouse receipt or order for the delivery of
goods, or any other document used in the ordinary course of business All the fruits shall pertain to the vendee from the day on which the
in the sale or transfer of goods, as proof of the possession or control contract was perfected. (1468a)
of the goods, or authorizing or purporting to authorize the possessor
of the document to transfer or receive, either by endorsement or by
delivery, goods represented by such document.

"Goods" includes all chattels personal but not things in action or

money of legal tender in the Philippines. The term includes growing
fruits or crops.

"Order" relating to documents of title means an order by endorsement

on the documents.

"Quality of goods" includes their state or condition.

"Specific goods" means goods identified and agreed upon at the time
a contract of sale is made.

An antecedent or pre-existing claim, whether for money or not,

constitutes "value" where goods or documents of title are taken either
in satisfaction thereof or as security therefor.

(2) A person is insolvent within the meaning of this Title who either has
ceased to pay his debts in the ordinary course of business or cannot
pay his debts as they become due, whether insolvency proceedings
have been commenced or not.

(3) Goods are in a "deliverable state" within the meaning of this Title
when they are in such a state that the buyer would, under the contract,
be bound to take delivery of them. (n)
Sun Brothers Appliances Inc v Perez 1963 Labrador
Art. 1504. Unless otherwise agreed, the goods remain at the seller's
risk until the ownership therein is transferred to the buyer, but when
the ownership therein is transferred to the buyer the goods are at the
buyer's risk whether actual delivery has been made or not, except that:
(1) Where delivery of the goods has been made to the buyer or to a
bailee for the buyer, in pursuance of the contract and the ownership
in the goods has been retained by the seller merely to secure
performance by the buyer of his obligations under the contract, the
goods are at the buyer's risk from the time of such delivery;
(2) Where actual delivery has been delayed through the fault of either
the buyer or seller the goods are at the risk of the party in fault. (n)
Facts:
Sun Brothers (Seller) sold an airconditioning unit to Perez (Buyer) for
P1,678 under a conditional sale agreement. The aircon was delivered
and installed at Perez’s office after he paid the downpayment (P274).
After a few days from installment, the aircon was totally destroyed by
fire. Perez no longer paid the remaining balance for the aircon
amounting to P1,404. Sun Bros. brought an action to recover from
Perez the remaining balance.
The conditional sale agreement contains the following stipulations:
1. That title to the property shall vest to the buyer only upon full
payment; and
2. That buyer undertakes to suffer the loss if said property is lost,
damaged, or destroyed for any cause (property remains at
buyer’s risk after delivery)
The CFI ruled in favor of Sun Bros and ordered Perez to pay. On
appeal, Perez argues that: (1) the loss of the air conditioner should be
for the exclusive account of the vendor inasmuch as the title to the
property sold shall vest in the buyer only upon full payment of the
price; (2) it was not the intention of the parties that the phrase "for any
cause" used in the agreement include a fortuitous event absolutely
beyond the control of the appellant.
On the other hand, Sun Bros argues that: (1) the risk of loss was
expressly stipulated to be undertaken by the buyer, even if the title to
the property sold remained, also by stipulation, in the vendor; (2) the
phrase “any cause” includes a fortuitous event and such express
stipulation is valid.
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Sun Bros and held that the
express stipulation that the loss by fire or fortuitous event, even if the
title remains in the vendor, was to be borne by the buyer is not contrary
to law and is sanctioned by it as well as by the demands of sound
public policy.
The Court cited an American case, Government vs. Amechazurra,
which provided the rule that “where goods are sold and delivered to
the vendee under an agreement that the title is to remain in the vendor
until payment, the loss or destruction of the property while in the
possession of the vendee before payment, without his fault, does not
relieve him from the obligation to pay the price, and he, therefore,
suffers the loss.”
The case cited three bases for this rule:
1. First is the absolute and unconditional nature of the vendee's
promise to pay for the goods. The promise is nowise dependent
upon the transfer of the absolute title.
2. Second is the fact that the vendor has fully performed his
contract and has nothing further to do except receive payment,
and the vendee received what he bargained for when he
obtained the right of possession and use of the goods and the
right to acquire title upon making full payment of the price.
3. A third basis advanced for the rule is the policy of providing an
incentive to care properly for the goods, they being exclusively
under the control and dominion of the vendee.