Alonso Riera & Co. v. Abruña González
Alonso Riera & Co. v. Abruña González
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the Court.
An attachment was presented for record in the registry of property Angnst 19, 1927, and recorded September 13. A mortgage on the attached property, executed August 22, was presented for recdrd August 27, and recorded September 17.
On November. 30, the property in question was sold under execution to satisfy a money judgment obtained.by the attaching creditor, Alonso Riera & Company, against the attachment debtor. .
On December 20, Alonso Riera & Company, who.were also the purchasers at the marshal’s sale., moved .for .an order directing the registrar of property to cancel the record entry concerning the mortgage. This motion was denied on the ground that the mortgagees, Roses & Co., Sneers., had not been notified of the marshal’s sale, nor had their day in court.
Later, on motion for rehearing, the district court set aside the order last mentioned, and issued an order to show cause why the record entry should not be canceled.
On. the day set for a hearing Roses & Co., Sneers., appeared, and moved for a continuance. The motion was granted arid another day was fixed. At the second hearing Roses & Co., Sneers., did not appear. Plaintiff offered to submit the question by brief. The court ordered that a copy of the brief be served on Roses & Co., Sneers., and gave it five days in which to reply. Both briefs were filed.
Thereafter the court ratified and reaffirmed its original ruling.
No question was raised by Roses & Co., Sneers., in the court below as to the propriety of proceeding by motion 'instead of bringing an independent action, and no such question has been raised by them as appellees.
When Roses &' Co., Sneers., took from the attachment debtor a mortgage on the attached property, it had constructive notice of the attachment, and of the pendency of the action in which the mortgagor was a defendant. Presumably it had further notice of these facts when the registrar returned the mortgage, with his endorsement thereon, after recording it. The title of the purchaser at-the execution sale related back to the date of the levy. The attachment lien took priority over that of -the mortgage. If the attachment was .valid, and if the proceedings subsequent' thereto were regular, the purchaser at the execution sale took his title to the attached property free from all encumbrances. Appellee does not "question the validity of the attachment, nor, save as above indicated, allege any defect or irregularity in the subsequent proceedings. There is no statutory provision, nor is there any principle of law, which requires that actual notice of an execution sale be given to a junior lien holder in a case of this kind.
.The cases relied upon by the court below, and by appellee, are not in point. They are Montés de Oca v. Báez, et al. 23 P.R.R. 656; Suc. of Orcasitas et al. v. A. M. Somoza & Co., 27 P.R.R. 462; González Calderón & Co. v. Córdova Dávila, 25 P.R.R. 627; Alayón v. Registrar, decided on June 2, 1900; Mengell v. Registrar, 31 P.R.R. 320; Bestard et al. v. Serrallés, 27 P.R.R. 456, 462.
Appellee also suggests "that the appeal should be dismissed upon the authority of Del Rosario v. Allende, 35 P.R.R. 440, and cases cited. In the instant case, the order appealed from is not an order overruling a motion for rehearing. The mo
. The order appealed from will be reversed, and the cancellation ordered.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.