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MALBAROSA V COURT OF APPEALS CALLEJO; April 30, 2003 NATURE Petition for review on certiorari of the decision of the CA. FACTS - The petitioner Salvador Malbarosa was the president and general manager of Philtectic Corporation and an officer of other corporations belonging to the SEADC group of companies. SEADC assigned to him a 1982 model Mitsubishi Gallant Super Saloon car and was also issued membership certificates in the Architectural Center, Inc. - On January 8, 1990, Malabarosa tendered his resignation from all his positions in the SEADC group of companies and reiterating his request for the payment of his incentive compensation for 1989 which is approximately P395,000.00 according to him. - SEADC, through its President Louis Da Costa, accepted his resignation and entitled him to an incentive amounting to P251,057.67, which was lower than Malbarosa's expectation. It is to be satisfied by transferring to him the car assigned to him, which estimated fair market value is P220,000.00 and the membership share of SEADC subsidiary, Tradestar International Inc. in the Architectural Center, Inc. amounting to P60,000.00. - The respondent prepared the letter-offer dated march 14, 1990 and required Malbarosa to affix his conformity on the space provided therefor and the date thereof on the right bottom position of the letter. - On March 16, 1990, Da Costa met with the petitioner and handed to him the original copy of the letter-offer for his consideration but he refused to sign it, instead said that he will review the offer first. More than two weeks have passed and Da Costa never heard feedback from Malbarosa. Thus he decided to finally withdraw his offer on April 3, 1996. However, Malbarosa transmitted the copy of the signed Letter-offer to respondent on April 7, 1996 and he alleged that he had already accepted the offer of the respondent when he affixed his conformity thereto on the space provided therefor on March 28, 1990 and had sent to the respondent corporation on April 7, 1990 a copy of said March 14, 1990 Letter-offer bearing his conformity to the offer of the respondent; hence, the respondent can no longer demand the return of the vehicle in question. He further avers that he had already impliedly accepted the offer when after said respondent’s offer, he retained possession of the car. Procedure - Due to petitioner's refusal to return the vehicle after April 3, 1996, the respondent filed a complaint for recovery of personal property with replevin, with damages and atty's fee. - RTC – issued a writ of replevin - CA – affirmed RTC's decision ISSUES 1. WON there was a valid acceptance on Malbarosa's part of the March 14, 1990 letter-offer of respondent 2. WON there was an effective withdrawal by the respondent of said Letter-offer HELD 1. NO. - Article 1318 of CC says that “There is no contract unless the following requisites concur: (1) consent of the contracting parties; (2) object certain which is the subject matter of the contract (3) cause of the obligation which is established In this case, there is no contract as Malbarosa failed to meet the requirements of a valid acceptance to wit: (a) may be express or implied (b) must be absolute, unconditional and without variance of any sort from the offer © must be made known to the offeror

Malbarosa v Court of Appeals

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Malbarosa v Court of Appeals

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MALBAROSA V COURT OF APPEALSCALLEJO; April 30, 2003NATUREPetition for review on certiorari of the decision of the CA.FACTS- he petitioner !alvador "al#arosa was the president and $eneral %ana$er ofPhiltectic Corporation and an o&cer of other corporations #elon$in$ to the !EA'C$ro(p of co%panies. !EA'C assi$ned to hi% a )*+2 %odel "its(#ishi ,allant !(per!aloon car and was also iss(ed %e%#ership certi-cates in the Architect(ral Center,.nc.- On Jan(ar/ +, )**0, "ala#arosa tendered his resi$nation fro% all his positions inthe !EA'C $ro(p of co%panies and reiteratin$ his re0(est for the pa/%ent of hisincentive co%pensation for )*+* which is appro1i%atel/ P3*2,000.00 accordin$ tohi%.- !EA'C, thro($h its President Lo(is 'a Costa, accepted his resi$nation andentitled hi% to an incentive a%o(ntin$ to P22),023.43, which was lower than"al#arosa5s e1pectation. .t is to #e satis-ed #/ transferrin$ to hi% the car assi$nedto hi%, which esti%ated fair %ar6et val(e is P220,000.00 and the %e%#ershipshare of !EA'C s(#sidiar/, radestar .nternational .nc. in the Architect(ral Center,.nc. a%o(ntin$ to P40,000.00.- he respondent prepared the letter-o7er dated %arch )8, )**0 and re0(ired"al#arosa to a&1 his confor%it/ on the space provided therefor and the datethereof on the ri$ht #otto% position of the letter.- On "arch )4, )**0, 'a Costa %et with the petitioner and handed to hi% theori$inal cop/ of the letter-o7er for his consideration #(t he ref(sed to si$n it,instead said that he will review the o7er -rst. "ore than two wee6s have passedand 'a Costa never heard feed#ac6 fro% "al#arosa. h(s he decided to -nall/withdraw his o7er on April 3, )**4. 9owever, "al#arosa trans%itted the cop/ ofthe si$ned Letter-o7er to respondent on April 3, )**4 and he alle$ed that he had alread/ accepted the o7er of the respondent when he a&1ed his confor%it/ thereto on the space provided therefor on "arch 2+, )**0 and had sent to the respondent corporation on April 3, )**0 a cop/ of said "arch )8, )**0 Letter-o7er #earin$ his confor%it/ to the o7er of the respondent; hence, the respondent can no lon$er de%and the ret(rn of the vehicle in 0(estion. 9e f(rther avers that he had alread/ i%pliedl/ accepted the o7er when after said respondent:s o7er, he retained possession of the car.Procedure- '(e to petitioner5s ref(sal to ret(rn the vehicle after April 3, )**4, the respondent-led a co%plaint for recover/ of personal propert/ with replevin, with da%a$es andatt/5s fee.- ;C < iss(ed a writ of replevin- CA < a&r%ed ;C5s decisionISSUES). =O> there was a valid acceptance on "al#arosa5s part of the "arch )8, )**0 letter-o7er of respondent2. =O> there was an e7ective withdrawal #/ the respondent of said Letter-o7erHELD). >O.- Article )3)+ of CC sa/s that ?here is no contract (nless the followin$ re0(isitesconc(r@A)B consent of the contractin$ parties;A2B o#Cect certain which is the s(#Cect %atter of the contractA3B ca(se of the o#li$ation which is esta#lished.n this case, there is no contract as "al#arosa failed to %eet the re0(ire%ents of avalid acceptance to wit@AaB %a/ #e e1press or i%pliedA#B %(st #e a#sol(te, (nconditional and witho(t variance of an/ sort fro% the o7erD %(st #e %ade 6nown to the o7erorAdB %(st #e %ade in the %anner prescri#ed #/ the o7erorReasoning "ala#arosa co%%(nicated his acceptance onl/ after the 6nowled$e ofrevocation or withdrawal of his o7er. 9e failed to trans%it his confor%it/while the o7er was s(#sistin$. An acceptance which is not %ade in the %anner prescri#ed #/ the o7eror is not e7ective #(t constit(tes a co(nter-o7er which the o7eror %a/ accept or reCect. he respondent re0(ired the petitioner to accept the o7er #/ a&1in$ his si$nat(re on the space provided in said letter-o7er and writin$ the date of said acceptance, th(s foreclosin$ an i%plied acceptance or an/ other %ode of acceptance #/ the petitioner. 9owever, when the letter-o7er of the respondent was delivered to the petitioner on "arch )4, )**0, he did not accept or reCect the sa%e for the reason that he needed ti%e to decide whether to reCect or accept the sa%e.here was no contract perfected #etween the petitioner and the respondent corporation he petitioner:s plaint that he was not accorded #/ the respondent reasona#le ti%e to accept or reCect its o7er does not pers(ade..t %(st #e (nderscored that there was no ti%e fra%e -1ed #/ the respondent for the petitioner to accept or reCect its o7er.=hen the o7eror has not -1ed a period for the o7eree to accept the o7er, and the o7er is %ade to a person present, the acceptance %(st #e %ade i%%ediatel/. .n this case, the respondent %ade its o7erto the petitioner when 'a Costa handed over on "arch )4, )**0 to the petitioner its "arch )8, )**0 Letter-o7er #(tthat the petitioner did not accept the o7er.he respondent, th(s, had the option to withdraw or revo6e the o7er, which the respondent did on April 8, )**0.2. EE!- .%plicit in the a(thorit/ $iven to Philtectic Corporation to de%and for and recoverfro% the petitioner the s(#Cect car and to instit(te the appropriate action a$ainsthi% to recover possession of the car is the a(thorit/ to withdraw the respondent5sLetter-o7er.Disposition 'ecision of the CA is AFF.;"E'.