Statute
Civil Code
Article
Art. 1359
Topic
Reformation of Instruments
Status
In force
Book
BOOK IV Obligations and Contracts
Title
TITLE II CONTRACTS
Chapter
CHAPTER 4 Reformation of Instruments
Year
1949
Cited by
Multiple Supreme Court decisions

The provision

When, there having been a meeting of the minds of the parties to a contract, their true intention is not expressed in the instrument purporting to embody the agreement, by reason of mistake, fraud, inequitable conduct or accident, one of the parties may ask for the reformation of the instrument to the end that such true intention may be expressed. If mistake, fraud, inequitable conduct, or accident has prevented a meeting of the minds of the parties, the proper remedy is not reformation of the instrument but annulment of the contract.

Intellegal Wiki · In plain terms

Provides that when the parties truly reached agreement but their written contract fails to reflect it because of mistake, fraud, inequitable conduct, or accident, either party may sue to reform the document so it states their real intention. But if those same causes actually prevented any meeting of the minds, the remedy is annulment of the contract, not reformation.

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

Cases applying this article

Related provisions in this Chapter

Civil Code, Art. 1359 is found in CHAPTER 4 Reformation of Instruments of TITLE II CONTRACTS of BOOK IV Obligations and Contracts 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 Provisions may have been amended or repealed.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.