Statute
Civil Code
Article
Art. 1142
Topic
Prescription of Actions
Status
In force
Book
BOOK III DIFFERENT MODES OF ACQUIRING OWNERSHIP Preliminary Provision
Title
TITLE V PRESCRIPTION
Chapter
CHAPTER 3 Prescription of Actions
Formerly
Art. 1964a of the old Civil Code
Year
1949
Cited by
Multiple Supreme Court decisions

The provision

A mortgage action prescribes after ten years. (1964a)

Intellegal Wiki · In plain terms

Sets a ten-year prescriptive period for a mortgage action: the creditor must enforce the mortgage in court within ten years, after which the right to sue on it is barred by prescription.

An editorially maintained plain-language explanation of this provision — not legal advice.

Intellegal Wiki · How the courts apply it

In Irene Benedicto v. Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court held: Dismissed the petition and affirmed the CA, holding that both the mortgage-foreclosure action and the underlying debt had prescribed under the 10-year period of Article 1142 (mortgage executed in 1966, partition filed in 1977); with no valid outstanding debt, partition could properly proceed under Article 1078.

One leading Supreme Court case applying this provision.

Cases applying this article

Other Supreme Court decisions also apply this article.

Related provisions in this Chapter

Civil Code, Art. 1142 is found in CHAPTER 3 Prescription of Actions of TITLE V PRESCRIPTION of BOOK III DIFFERENT MODES OF ACQUIRING OWNERSHIP Preliminary Provision of the Civil Code of the Philippines (Republic Act No. 386).

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Reviewed by the Intellegal Legal Team for currency against amending laws and Supreme Court jurisprudence.

Research aid — not legal advice. Verify the current text against the Official Gazette. Provisions may have been amended or repealed. Using this page creates no attorney-client relationship. For legal advice, consult a Philippine lawyer.