Hernández v. Algarín
Hernández v. Algarín
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
This was an action of unlawful detainer. It was originally brought against José Algarin, but thereafter Justa González, the wife of the defendant, became a party defendant to the action without objection on the part of the plaintiff and with the permission of the lower court.
The plaintiff alleged that he was the owner of a certain urban property situated in the town of Las Piedras; that the defendants were occupying the house without paying any rent, with the consent of the owner, of whom José Algarin was an employee, and that demand had been made upon them to vacate it which they refused to do. The defendants specifically denied the allegations of the complaint and as new matter in opposition alleged that Justa González was the sole owner of the urban property involved in the action; that she acquired it from Julio Camacho with the intervention of Manuel Márquez in whose name the deed was drawn because Justa González was not present when the deed was executed.
After a trial of the case the court rendered judgment sustaining the complaint and from that judgment the present appeal was taken.
The only assignment by the appellant is that the trial court erred in weighing the evidence and sustaining the complaint.
The appellant maintains that Justa González is the owner of the property and attempts to show that there is a conflict of titles which could not be adjusted in a special and summary proceeding like an action of unlawful detainer. In
Tbe plaintiff acquired tbe urban property described in bis complaint by purchase from Avelino Márquez Díaz by a deed executed before notary Carlos Travecier on August 2, 1921. Avelino Márquez Díaz and Emilia Roig Hernandez were adjudged to be tbe sole and universal beirs of their son, Manuel Márquez Roig, wbo died on January 15, 1919, after having acquired the said property by purchase from Julio Camacho Ramirez by a deed executed before tbe same notary on March 21, 1918. This is tbe documentary evidence as it appears in tbe record, and now we shall transcribe tbe testimony, which seems to be more favorable to tbe cause of tbe defendant. In tbe first place, her own testimony is that she •sustained amorous relations with Manuel Márquez as a result of which be seduced her and they went to live in a bouse that belonged to him; that be told her that be was going to buy a bouse for her and spoke to Julio Camacho, tbe vendor of the bouse; that be bought tbe house and they lived together in it for three months and then Manuel Már-quez died; that about nine months after bis death she married José Algarin and then went to Caguas where she stayed about six months, leaving the house rented; that she rented it and collected the rent; that Enrique Martinez lived in the house and paid the rent to her personally; that while she was in Caguas Avelino Márquez collected the rent and took it to Caguas to her when she did not go to Las Piedras; that Avelino Márquez was the father of Manuel Márquez and knew that she lived with his son and everything about it; that immediately after the death of Manuel Márquez she went to live at Avelino’s house, because they did not want her to live alone, and it was then that she rented the house to Enrique Martinez.
The testimony of the vendor of the property, Julio Camacho, and that of one of the lessees of the house, Enrique
It can not be denied that the property was purchased by Manuel Márquez Eoig while he was sustaining amorous relations with defendant Justa González and they were living together as husband and wife. This relationship between them of living under the same roof is the basis of the allegation of Justa González that Manuel Márquez Eoig purchased the house for her as a gift to his mistress as a token of his affection for her. Manuel Márquez Eoig seems to have seduced her and then conceived the idea of making her a present of the house in which they sustained amorous relations as a recompense for her love for him as well as
“Sec. 641. — In order that a gift of real property may be valid it shall be made in a public instrument, stating therein in detail the property bestowed as a gift and the amount of the charges, which the donee must satisfy.
“The acceptance may be made in the same instrument bestowing the gift or in a different one; but it shall produce no effect if not made during the life of the donor.”
Scaevola, Civil Code, vol. 11, 565, says:
“If the Code orders that gifts of real property shall be made and accepted in a public deed and that otherwise they shall be void, the deed to set out in detail the properties donated and the amount of the encumbrances which the donee must satisfy, • it should be seen without the least effort that its purpose is not only to authenticate and act of such importance as the gift of real property by attaching to it the pennanence, solemnity and effects of a public deed, but also to place it, by express mandate of the law, in the position required by the Mortgage Law for its record in the public registry, thus avoiding its legal invalidity as to third persons.”
In tlie face of tlie statute cited and tlie comment on the same, tlie testimony of the original vendor of the property,.
For the foregoing reasons the judgment must be
Affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.