Iturriaga Lopategui v. Fernández

78 P.R. 29
CourtSupreme Court of Puerto Rico
DecidedFebruary 28, 1955
DocketNo. 11157
StatusPublished

This text of 78 P.R. 29 (Iturriaga Lopategui v. Fernández) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Puerto Rico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Iturriaga Lopategui v. Fernández, 78 P.R. 29 (prsupreme 1955).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Marrero

delivered the opinion of the Court.

The appellants are the testamentary heirs or legatees of Manuel Fernández Riesco. Among the debts of the hereditary estate was one in favor of Antonio Manjón Fernández for $3,100, plus interest at 6 per cent per annum, secured by mortgage constituted by public deed of May 23, 1925. When the division of the estate was made, defendant José Fernández bound himself to pay the debt in question and the interest thereon. In return, a property of 58 cuerdas situated in the wards of Cuyón and Roble of the municipality of Aibonito was adjudicated to him, it being stipulated in the deed of protocolization, after setting forth a description of the parcel by its four cardinal points, that:

“This parcel will remain in possession of Fernández to answer for the debts. Although he is not required to pay any rent for the use thereof, he shall pay his proportional share of the full amount of taxes payable on such property, plus interest on the mortgage from June 23 of the present year (1931) until the same is paid in full.
[32]*32“In the event Mr. Manjón’s debt is paid, or if there are no persons with a right thereto, two-thirds of the parcel in question shall be deemed to belong to Fernández’ heirs and the other one-third to José Fernández and his brothers-legatees. If the debt is left unpaid, the parcel shall answer for payment of the debt.”

On March 10, 1952, Gregoria Iturriaga Lopategui filed an “action of debt and recognition of rights” against José Fernández and Osvaldo Ortiz.1 She alleged therein that she was the sole and universal heir of Manjón Fernández, and demanded payment of the said sum of $3,100, plus $1,132 of interest accrued and which might accrue, until the obligation be paid in full. In the alternative, she requested in the prayer of the complaint that the ownership of the property of 58 cuerdas be adjudicated in her favor.

Defendant answered in the form of a writing signed by himself. His only allegation was that the action brought against him had prescribed, because “the claims in actions involving sealed contracts or affecting real-property titles must be filed within twenty (20) years.” Plaintiff next filed a motion to strike said defense and for judgment on the pleadings. Attached to her motion was a statement acknowledged before the United States vice-consul of Bogotá. The lower court set the motion for hearing which was duly notified to defendant Fernández. In view of his failure to appear, plaintiff’s motion was granted on March 11, 1953 and judgment rendered ordering the defendant to pay to the former the sum of $3,100, plus $1,732 of interest accrued and which might accrue as to the date of the judgment, at the legal rate, plus costs and $300 for attorney’s fees. The time to appeal having expired and the judgment having become final and unappealable, the court, on motion of plaintiff ordered the public sale of the 58-cuerda property which [33]*33had been attached to secure the effectiveness of the judgment which might be rendered.

On August 27, 1953, defendant Fernandez, within the period prescribed in Rule 60(6) 2 of the Rules of Civil Procedure and this time represented by an attorney, filed in the lower court a writing entitled “Motion to set aside the judgment and public sale in execution of judgment.” The same day the other appellants filed a writing entitled “Request for intervention to set aside the judgment and to join the appearing parties as defendants.” 3 After hearing the parties the lower court dismissed both motions. Both José Fernández and the presumptive interveners appealed from the orders denying those motions and filed a joint brief for both appeals. They contend that the lower court erred (1) in denying* defendant’s motion to set aside the judgment and the public sale, and to admit the proposed answer which accompanied his motion; and (2) in denying the petition of the inter-veners to be joined as defendants, to set aside the judgment,, and to admit the proposed answer.

Defendant Fernández maintained in his motion that the judgment rendered by the lower court should be set aside (а) on the ground that he committed the mistake and the excusable neglect referred to in Rule 60(6), supra, and (б) because the judgment is void and erroneous. We now turn to discuss the first ground of that motion.

There is no question that the defense of prescription may be raised by motion to dismiss under Rule 12(6). Ramos v. People, 67 P.R.R. 600. Nor is there any [34]*34question, likewise, that before the Rules of Civil Procedure took effect (September 1, 1943) and under the authority of the Code of Civil Procedure, the failure of defendant to appear and argue his demurrer (now motion to dismiss) for insufficiency, might be ground for a dismissal and for a , judgment on the pleadings. Muñoz v. Nieves, 53 P.R.R. 331. The same is true if the demurrer was frivolous. Morales v. Torres, 49 P.R.R. 227; Mora v. Rivera et al., 25 P.R.R. 457. However, a demurrer raising the bar of the statute .of limitations as well as a motion to dismiss on the same .•ground will not be sustained where the complaint does not ,-show on its face any date from which the period of prescription could be computed.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Pueblo v. Rivera
59 P.R. Dec. 976 (Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, 1942)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
78 P.R. 29, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/iturriaga-lopategui-v-fernandez-prsupreme-1955.