Moraza v. Registrar of Property of San Juan
Moraza v. Registrar of Property of San Juan
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the Court.
Manuel Moraza purchased at a public sale, held on February 29, 1932, by the collector of internal revenue of this city for the collection of certain taxes owed by the taxpayer
“Record of this document is denied because it is observed that the mortgage credit of J. Clivillés and Company, Successors, S. en C., represented by a promissory note, has been assigned by the indorsement of said note in favor of The National City Bank of New York, as appears from the mention thereof made by the bank in acknowledging a partial cancellation of said credit and from a notice of the pendency of a suit to foreclose the same credit; and said creditor has not been notified of the sale, nor has it been shown that service by publication has been made to notify any person who may be the holder of the said note, all in accordance with section 315 of the Political Code; and a cautionary notice has been entered for 120 days, at folio 205, volume 161 of Santurce, North Section, property No. 6943, inscription A.”
The registrar says that the legal requirements regarding mortgages represented by obligations to bearer were not complied with in the proceeding, the service of notice made in the case at bar being insufficient. There is no doubt that the collector had knowledge that the property sold was subject to a mortgage recorded in favor of the mercantile firm J. Clivillés & Co., Succrs., S. en C., to secure a promissory, note subscribed by the debtor Octaviano J. Herrera. In a communication addressed to the collector of internal revenue on April 7, 1932, and subscribed by the registrar A. Mala-ret, it is said that this property is subject to a mortgage in favor of J. Clivillés & Co., Succrs., S. en C., for $700, according to the first inscription, and to another mortgage in favor of the bearer of a promissory note for $700, according to the second inscription.
“When the grantee presented this title for record, we found that the real right was originally recorded in favor of J. Clivillés & Co., Succrs., S. en C., to secure a promissory note, and there was no formal entry of the assignment of the credit, although the note representing the same appeared indorsed in favor of The National City Bank of New York, which ‘as the present holder’ of the note partially cancels the mortgage, the reduction being entered on the back of the note. We now find that The National City Bank, indorsee of the note which was originally issued in favor of J. Clivillés & Co., Succrs., S. en C., has not been served with notice of the sale made by the collector of internal revenue in accordance with sec. 315 P. C., and similarly no notice to a third indorsee of said note appears from the certificate, on the assumption that the bank transferred such obligation. It is our opinion that the collector, in order to comply with the provisions of sec. 315 P. C., should not only have served notice of the sale on J. Clivillés & Co., as the probable original holder of the note, and to The National City Bank of New York, as indorsee, but also on any unknown holder of the said mortgage obligation, in order that such unknown holder might exercise his right in accordance with the law. Hence it is necessary to show that service by publication has been made notifying said unknown holder of the note.”
The appellant urges that even in case service by publication were required, the registrar should have made the record with a curable defect, since such requisite might be complied with at any time, if necessary. The registrar argues that the failure to serve notice of the sale by publication precludes the recording of the certificate, and that such failure can not be regarded as a curable defect. In our opinion the record can not be made. Section 348 of the Political Code provides that the period allowed for redemption of the property sold is to be counted from the date of the certificate of purchase. The collector of internal revenue should not issue said certificate until all the requisites prescribed by law have been complied with, including service of the notice of the sale on the owner, his heirs, or assigns, or on any other person having a right or interest in the property, so that the right of redemption
The decision appealed from must be affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.