Bistranco v. Sanchez

BISTRANCO v.
Sanchez
GR # 74623 | Aug. 31, 1987
Petitioner: Bisaya Land Transportation Co. Inc, Antonio V. Cuenco, and Benjamin Roa
Respondent: Marciano Sanchez, and IAC
(Article 1403 of the Civil Code, Contracts)
DOCTRINE
The determination, therefore, of whether the questioned contracts are void or merely
unenforceable is important, because of the settled distinction that a void and inexistent contract
can not be ratified and become enforceable, whereas an unenforceable contract may still be
ratified and, thereafter, enforced.
FACTS
1. Petitioner Bisaya Land Transportation Company, Inc. (BISTRANCO, for short) has been
engaged in the shipping business, operating several passenger-cargo vessels, and
among the ports of call of these vessels has been Butuan City. As early as 1954, private
respondent Marciano Sanchez (Sanchez, for short) was an employee of BISTRANCO,
specifically, a quartermaster in one of its vessels, In 1959, he ceased to be an employee
as he engaged in stevedoring services in the port of Butuan City and rendered
steverdoring services for the vessels of BISTRANCO.
2. A formal Contract of Agency, was executed between BISTRANCO, represented by
Receiver Atty. Adolfo V. Amor and Marciano C. Sanchez, represented by his authorized
representative Exequiel Aranas. Sanchez found that Paragraph 16 of the Contract of
agency was quite prejudicial to him, he executed with BISTRANCO a Supplemental
Shipping Agency Contract, which was duly signed by Receiver Atty. Adolfo V. Amor on
behalf of BISTRANCO and Marciano C. Sanchez himself. But, both the Contract of
Agency and the Supplemental Shipping Agency Contract were never submitted by
Atty. Adolfo Amor to the receivership court for its approval.
3. By virtue of the Contract of Agency and the Supplemental Shipping Agency Contract
(hereinafter referred to as Contracts), Sanchez performed his duties as shipping agent of
BISTRANCO, and he received his corresponding commissions as such shipping agent.
Pursuant to the Contracts, Sanchez leased a parcel of land which was used as the wharf
and berthing facilities of BISTRANCO. Sanchez also constructed a bodega. He
constructed an office for the agency, he had an office force of 13 employees, all paid
and maintained by him. Sanchez operated six (6) cargo trucks and one (1) jeep for the
service of the shipping agency. As shipping agent, Sanchez put up billboards and other
forms of advertisement to enhance the shipping business of BISTRANCO. In these
endeavors, Sanchez succeeded in increasing the volume of the shipping business of
BISTRANCO at the Butuan City port, so much so that his earnings on freight alone
increased from an average of P8,535.00 a month in 1975 to an average of about
P32,000.00 a month in the last seven months of 1979.
4. Co-petitioner Benjamin G. Roa, as Executive Vice-President of BISTRANCO, wrote
Sanchez a letter advising Sanchez that Bistranco will commence its own branch in
Butuan City.
5. Realizing that the letter was in effect a repudiation of the Contracts,Sanchez filed an
action for specific performance with preliminary injunction and damages with the
Regional Trial Court of Cebu City.
6. BISTRANCO actually opened and operated a branch office in Butuan City. BISTRANCO
through its new representative contacted the shippers in Butuan City and neighboring
towns, advising them to transact their business directly with its new branch office in
Butuan City. Under these circumstances, the business of Sanchez, was seriously
impaired and undermined because the passenger tickets issued to him by BISTRANCO
were limited. The cargoes solicited by Sanchez were loaded on a "chance basis"
because those that were solicited by the branch office were given priority.
7. RTC ruled in favor of Sanchez, declared the Contracts valid and ordered BISTRANCO to
pay 588k as unearned commission and damages plus 15k for atty fees. CA affirmed
RTC.
ISSUE/S
1. Are the RTC and CA correct in considering that the Contracts were binding?
PROVISIONS
Article 1403. The following contracts are unenforceable, unless they are ratified:
(1) Those entered into in the name of another person by one who has been given no
authority or legal representation, or who has acted beyond his powers;
RULING & RATIO

1. YES
- The general powers of a court-appointed receiver are provided in Section 7, Rule 59 of the
Rules of Court. Under such rule, the receiver is "subject to the control of the court in which the
action is pending" and he can "generally do such acts respecting the property as the court may
authorize". The act of Receiver Amor in entering into a contract of agency with Sanchez is not
one of the acts specifically allowed in the mentioned rule. As held in one case, a court-
appointed receiver cannot validly enter into a contract without the approval of the court.
- The petitioners allege in their Memorandum submitted to this Court that they are void
contracts under Article 1409(l) of the Civil Code, whereas, in their Petition, they labelled the
contracts as unenforceable under Article 1403(l) of the Civil Code. The determination, therefore,
of whether the questioned contracts are void or merely unenforceable is important, because of
the settled distinction that a void and inexistent contract can not be ratified and become
enforceable, whereas an unenforceable contract may still be ratified and, thereafter, enforced.
- The petitioners allege that the Contracts are void, citing Article 1409(l) of the Civil Code which
provides that contracts whose cause, object or purpose is contrary to law, morals, good
customs, public order or public policy, are inexistent and void from the beginning. But a perusal
of the Contracts in question would show that there is nothing in their cause, object or purpose
which renders them void.
- On the other hand, in relation to Article 1403 of the Civil Code the questioned Contracts can
rightfully be classified as unenforceable for having been entered into by one who had acted
beyond his powers, due to Receiver Amor's failure to secure the court's approval of said
Contracts.
- These unenforceable Contracts were nevertheless deemed ratified in the case at bar, based
upon the facts and circumstances on record which have led this Court to conclude that
BISTRANCO had actually ratified the questioned Contracts. Private respondent Sanchez filed
his complaint in the lower court. But, copetitioner Benjamin G. Roa, as Executive Vice-President
of BISTRANCO, still sent Sanchez three (3) separate letters containing the reduction his
passage commission from 10%, to 7-1/2% "as stated in the agency contract. The three (3)
letters of Benjamin G. Roa in effect recognized and gave efficacy to the Contracts in question.
- The doctrine of estoppel precludes BISTRANCO from repudiating an obligation voluntarily

assumed by it, after having accepted benefits therefrom. To countenance such, repudiation
would be contrary to equity and would put a premium on fraud or misrepresentation.
- Considering that the contract of agency and the supplemental shipping agency contract are
valid and binding, the former's opening of a branch in Butuan City was, in effect, a violation of
the Contracts. A provision in the Supplemental Shipping Agency Contract reads:
6. That in consideration of the foregoing additional particular obligations of the AGENT, the
COMPANY agrees not to appoint or employ another agent in Butuan City or in any of the City's
neighboring towns without the written consent of the AGENT first obtained.
DISPOSITION
WHEREFORE, the petition is denied. The decision of the respondent Court is affirmed.
NOTES
1. There was no novation. There was a subsequent Memorandum of Agreement and a
Working Agreement after the Contracts which reduced the amount of commission, changed the
manner of liquidation of collections, and the mode of payment. These were not really substantial
to bring about novation.

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RULING & RATIO

- The doctrine of estoppel precludes BISTRANCO from repudiating an obligation voluntarily

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