Dávila Díaz v. Balet Puig
Dávila Díaz v. Balet Puig
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
By deed executed in Cagtias on the 28th of December, 1927, for the recited sum of $2,100, Rafael Davila Diaz, complain-* ant in the suit before us, assigned to Raimundo Balet Puig’ two mortgage credits ceded to said Diaz, where the mortgage debtors were Jesús Dávila and his wife. The complainant in said deed states that he had received the aforesaid' amount prior to the execution of said deed.
The complainant went on to say that despite the recital of having received said sum, in reality hie never did; that he and his brother Emilio Dávila, in the year 1927-28, planted tobacco in Vega Alta, and that the partnership Balet y
The defendant accepted the allegations of the complaint except in so far as they referred to the fact of the price of the assignments not having been delivered. He also denied all the allegations of the complaint in regard to the ¡crop loans. As a special defense he alleged that the complainant borrowed sums of money from him, Raimundo Balet, and that towards the end of the year 1927, the complainant owed the defendant $1,800, and that in liquidating their
The complainant testified in the district court more or less supporting his allegations. The defendant did likewise. The district court in its opinion found that the complainant had not satisfactorily proven his case and, therefore, dismissed the complaint. The original defendant, Raimundo Balet Puig, died on the 1st of March, 1936, and his heirs, composed of his widow Gloria Fuxá and his children Rai-mundo and Pedro Balet Fuxá were substituted as parties defendant by order of the district court. The complainant appealed from the holding of the district court and alleged two errors, as follows:
“1. That the district court erred in not bolding that the answer admitted all the essential allegations of the complaint, and
“2. That the district court erred in holding that the proof supported the new matter (defensas especiales) alleged by the defendant.”
In a case somewhat similar to the present one — Berríos v. Garáu, 46 P.R.R. 773 — -this court stated as follows;
"... the plaintiff moved the court to render judgment in Ms favor relying on sections 110 and 113 of the Code of Civil Procedure and the cases of Fernández v. Ruiz Soler et al., 27 P.R.R. 74,, Santiago v. Cabán, 23 P.R.R. 472, Delanoy v. Blondet, 22 P.R.R. 217, and Horton et al. v. Robert, 11 P.R.R. 168, all of which uphold the doctrine that where the complaint is verified, the denials contained in the answer must be specific, and if they are not and no new facts constituting a defense are alleged, the facts averred in the complaint shall be taken as true, and a judgment on the pleadings may be rendered on motion.
"The defendant objected:
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“ ‘2. Because, even if that were not so, the special defenses set up by the defendant controvert the allegations of the complaint; and
“ ‘3. Because, even admitting that it was not so, the plaintiff has lost his rights (a) for failure to present a motion for a judgment on the pleadings, and (b) because he offered evidence tending to support those allegations which he now says were admitted.’
“The district court decided against the plaintiff the question raised; and correctly so, in our opinion.
"In the first place, the motion came too late. In the case of Ana Maria Sugar Co. v. Castro et al., 28 P.R.R. 225, 243, this court said:
" ‘ . . . . The appellant also maintains that the court should have rendered judgment on the pleadings. In the first place we are of the opinion that a motion for judgment on the pleadings should be made before the case is called for trial for similar principles that are contained in People v. París, 25 P.R.R. 104. It is to be presumed that if the complainant goes to trial without raising a question of the sufficiency of the answer, either by such a motion or by*487 a motion to strike, he is satisfied with the issues raised. In the interests of justice such a motion should not come as a surprise at the trial.’
“In the second place, the defendant, in his answer, did not confine himself to the denial referred to. He set up twelve special defenses which we have examined, and we agree with the trial court that they constitute a sufficient denial of and opposition to all the facts alleged in the complaint, the defect being thereby cured. In the case of Fajardo v. American Railroad Company, 27 P.R.R. 559, 562, this court held:
“ ‘Although the défendant denied generally the second count of the first cause of action, yet, as it set up matter which is a complete denial of all the particulars contained therein, the allegations were thereby specifically denied, for the averments in an answer contrary to the allegations of the complaint are equivalent to a denial; therefore the lower court did not commit the error assigned.’ ”
The same then was also upheld in Santana v. Orcasitas, 47 P.R.R. 695, as follows:
“The defect in literally denying particular allegations of a verified complaint is cured where the defendant does not limit himself to such denial but also sets up defenses that constitute a sufficient denial of an opposition to the facts stated in said allegations.”
See also Tevis v. Hicks, 41 Cal. 123 and Fitzgerald v. Neustadt, 91 Cal. 600. There was hence no error in the district court, as alleged by the appellant in his first assignment.
Appellant’s second error has no merit whatsoever, inasmuch as it alleges that the court held that the proof supported the new matter (defensas especiales) alleged by the defendant. In examining the opinion of the district court we can find no support for this. The only reference which the court makes to the proof of the parties is when it states as follows:
“Prom a consideration of the pleadings from the parties and after minutely considering the documentary and parol evidence submitted by them and weighing the testimony of the witnesses in connection with the documentary evidence introduced by both parties which has been viewed from every angle, the court has reached the conclusion' that the plaintiff has failed to prove satisfactorily his case and therefore that his complaint must be dismissed.”
Furthermore, we agree with the appellee that the assignment of errors was insufficient.
The judgment appealed from will be affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.