- Statute
- Civil Code
- Article
- Art. 22
- Topic
- Human Relations (n)
- Status
- In force
- Book
- Preliminary Title
- Chapter
- CHAPTER 2 Human Relations (n)
- Year
- 1949
- Cited by
- Multiple Supreme Court decisions
The provision
Every person who through an act of performance by another, or any other means, acquires or comes into possession of something at the expense of the latter without just or legal ground, shall return the same to him.
Intellegal Wiki · In plain terms
States the rule against unjust enrichment: anyone who acquires or ends up holding something at another person's expense, without any just or legal basis, must return it. It lets a person recover what someone else obtained from them without a valid legal ground.
An editorially maintained plain-language explanation of this provision — not legal advice.
Intellegal Wiki · How the courts apply it
In Land Bank of the Philippines v. Alfredo Ong, the Supreme Court held: A person not a party to or interested in an obligation cannot compel the creditor to accept his payment (Article 1236); but a bank that accepts a conditional payment and misleads the payer is liable to return it under unjust enrichment (Article 22).
One leading Supreme Court case applying this provision.
Cases applying this article
- Land Bank of the Philippines v. Alfredo Ong
- Yon Mitori International Industries v. Union Bank of the Philippines
- Republic of the Philippines v. Great Riverland Development Corporation
- Philippine Stock Exchange v. Antonio K. Litonjua
- Dr. Jose Cesar Cabrera v. Ameco Contractors Rental
- Development Bank of the Philippines v. Ben P. Medrano
- Privatization v. Legaspi Towers 300
- Goldenrod v. Court of Appeals
Other Supreme Court decisions also apply this article.