Cesaní Vargas v. Superior Court of Puerto Rico
Cesaní Vargas v. Superior Court of Puerto Rico
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the Court.
On October 21, 1963, Úrsula Teillard Cristy et al. filed an action of accession in the Mayagiiez Part of the Superior Court against Carmelo Cesaní Vargas.
Plaintiffs alleged that they are joint owners of an undivided lot situated on Cristy Street in the city of Maya-giiez; that the said lot is occupied by defendant as lessee
Defendant was summoned on October 23, 1963, and several days later answered the complaint admitting certain facts and denying others. As special defenses he alleged that the action was not interposed in good faith, since the purpose sought by plaintiffs was to force him to pay a higher rent.
After several incidents defendant filed a motion to dismiss the complaint, alleging that accession did not lie because the lot was subject to a lease contract.
The trial court granted the motion on May 15, 1964, and granted 10 days to plaintiffs to amend their complaint. On the same day of May 15 plaintiffs filed within the action a memorandum whereby, and in order to prevent legal technicalities, they notified defendant, through his attorney, that they were terminating the verbal lease contract which expired each month. Three days later, namely, May 18, plaintiffs filed
Alleging that the amended complaint did not state facts constituting a cause of action, defendant moved for dismissal. This motion was denied and a term to answer was granted to defendant.
To review the proceedings we issued a writ of certiorari.
Petitioner maintains that the trial court erred (a) in granting a term to plaintiffs to amend the original complaint, (b) in considering valid the notice of the termination of the lease made by motion served on the attorney for defendant instead of on the latter personally, and (c) in holding that there was no implied renewal.
We shall examine jointly the errors assigned.
The contract in this case is a verbal lease contract made for indefinite time. However, since the parties fixed a monthly rent, the lease is understood to be made from month to month. Section 1471 of the Civil Code (31 L.P.R.A. § 4092); Rodríguez v. Bosch Hermanos, 32 P.R.R. 554 (1923); People v. Carrasquillo, 58 P.R.R. 178 (1941); Roselló Hnos. v. Figueroa, 74 P.R.R. 403 (1953); Toro v. Mojica, 79 P.R.R. 593 (1956). “In every case — the same § 1471 provides — the lease ceases without the necessity of a special notice upon the expiration of the term.” Therefore, where the lease is on a month-to-month basis, the lessor may terminate the same at the end of any month. Roselló Hnos. v. Figueroa, supra; Toro v. Mojica, supra. If upon expiration of the contract (in this case at the end of the month) the lessee continues enjoying the thing leased for 15 days, it shall be understood that there is an implied renewal for
The renewal is not in strict law an extension of the original contract because by express provision of law the lease ceases or terminates upon expiration of the term thereof without the necessity of special notice.
Let us examine next the facts of this case in order to determine whether the notice necessary to prevent the renewal of the contract by implied renewal was given.
Defendant was summoned personally on October 23, 1963, and in addition to the summons a copy of the complaint of accession was delivered to him, in which, as we already know, plaintiffs exercised their right to take defendant’s house for themselves, urging also his eviction. It is evident that as of that date plaintiffs refused to acquiesce in defendant’s continuance in the enjoyment of the property at the end of October 1963, the expiration date of the contract on a month-to-month basis. The notice of the complaint on defendant destroys the presumption that defendant continued enjoying the property as of November 1, 1963, with the les-
Defendant’s challenge of the complaint, based on the fact that the lease contract had not expired, should not prosper. In this case the contract expired, and there is nothing to prevent plaintiffs from asserting their right of accession. Toro v. Mojica, 79 P.R.R. 593, 596 (1956).
However, both the original complaint and the amended complaint have a dual purpose: first, to acquire ownership title over the house; and, second, to acquire possession thereof by means of defendant’s eviction.
Section 12 of the Reasonable Rents Act,
The amended complaint does not allege any of. the exceptions authorizing plaintiffs to refuse the extension and, consequently, to commence unlawful detainer proceedings.
This notwithstanding, plaintiffs may prosecute the present action solely for the purpose of claiming by accession dominion title over the house constructed on their lot.
Since the order of the trial court denying the motion to dismiss the amended complaint is not erroneous, the writ issued is quashed and the case remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
Sections 1455 and 1471 of the Civil Code (31 L.P.R.A. §§ 4062 and 4092).
212 Revista General de Legislación y Jurisprudencia 508.
17 L.P.R.A. § 192.
Section 12H of the Rents Act prevents the evasion of the involuntary extension by the institution of actions that may finally bring about the tenant’s ejectment, and among the actions mentioned is that of accession.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.