Atty. Dionisio Calibo, Jr. v. Court of Appeals

Summary

Pablo Abella filed a replevin action to recover his agricultural tractor that his son Mike allegedly pledged to Dionisio Calibo Jr. as security for unpaid rent and utilities. The Supreme Court affirmed lower courts' rulings that no valid pledge existed because Mike was not the owner of the tractor and lacked authority to pledge it. The Court rejected arguments of implied agency or valid deposit, emphasizing that only the absolute owner or someone legally authorized can validly pledge property. The decision reinforces fundamental Civil Code principles regarding pledge contracts and property rights, establishing that a non-owner cannot bind property he does not own regardless of the creditor's good faith reliance.