When a typhoon wipes out or floods a property youโre still paying for, the rules change depending on where you are in the process: pre-turnover (equity stage) or post-turnover (already amortizing). Under the Civil Code (fortuitous events), PD 957 (developer duties), the Maceda Law (installment buyersโ rights), and the Insurance Code (claims for typhoon/flood), you may have clear remediesโfrom demanding restoration or delivery, to filing an insurance claim, or even pursuing a refund/cancellation in specific cases. Read on for the quick checklist so you donโt miss deadlines or lose money.
๐) ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ: ๐๐ก๐จ ๐๐ฅ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ค ๐จ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ?
โก๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐๐, risk generally follows ownership (โres perit dominoโ). Title usually passes upon delivery (actual or constructive), or as the contract stipulates. In many โcontract-to-sellโ arrangements, developers reserve ownership until full payment, but may already give possession; the contractโs wording is crucial.
โก๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ/๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ (๐ญ๐ฒ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ โ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒโ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ ๐): Developer still bears the primary duty to deliver per plan; typhoon/flood is a fortuitous event under Art. 1174, so parties arenโt liable for each otherโs damages due to the disasterโbut the duty to complete/restore and deliver per PD 957 remains on the developer within regulatory timelines. You may pursue remedies if they fail to deliver.
โก๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ/๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ (๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎโ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง): You (the owner) generally bear the loss from a fortuitous event; the bank loan does not stop just because the house was damagedโinsurance is your financial backstop.
๐) ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ง
โก๐๐ซ๐ญ. ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐๐ โ Fortuitous events. Typhoons/floods are acts of God; parties arenโt liable for such events unless the law or contract says otherwise.
Legal Resource PH
โก๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ. ๐๐๐๐ & ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐๐ โ Ownership & reservation. Ownership transfers on delivery; parties may stipulate that title passes only after full payment (typical in contract-to-sell). This allocation influences who bears risk.
ChanRobles
โก๐๐ ๐๐๐ (๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง & ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐๐ฎ๐ฒ๐๐ซ๐ฌโ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐). Developer must complete and deliver according to approved plans and advertised warranties (Sec. 20), and buyers have remedies (regulatory sanctions; civil actions) if the developer fails to deliver/complete on timeโeven after calamities.
โก๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฐ โ ๐.๐. ๐๐๐๐. If youโre buying on installment and decide to cancel (e.g., developer non-delivery or you canโt continue), this law gives refund/grace rights depending on how long youโve been paying. Itโs often used together with PD 957 when thereโs non-delivery.
โก๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ (๐.๐. ๐๐๐๐๐). You must have an insurable interest at the time the policy takes effect and at the time of loss to claim (property policies + riders for typhoon/flood). Banks typically require fire insurance; typhoon/flood are add-onsโcheck your policy.
๐) ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฌ, ๐ฌ๐๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐ข๐จ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐ข๐จ
๐) ๐๐ซ๐-๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ (๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐ โ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒโ ๐จ๐ง ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐-๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ/๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐-๐๐ง๐-๐ฅ๐จ๐ญ)
Developer must repair/restore and deliver per approved plans and within PD 957 timelines. If they fail or abandon, you can demand delivery, suspend payments, or cancel and seek refund, invoking PD 957 (and, where applicable, Maceda Law). Courts and DHSUD have backed buyer remedies in non-delivery/delay cases.
๐) ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ-๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ (๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ฅ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ค ๐จ๐ซ ๐ข๐ง-๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐)
You remain obliged to pay the loan. Claim on your property insuranceโensure it covers Acts of Nature (typhoon/flood). MRI (mortgage redemption insurance) pays the loan only upon the borrowerโs death, not property damage.
๐) ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ โ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐๐ฒ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ,โ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ฅ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ฒ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง (๐ฆ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง)
Many CTS reserve title to the developer (Art. 1478) but give possession; risk allocation may be stated in the CTS. If silent, courts look at delivery/possession and stipulations. Practically, once in possession, insurers and lenders treat you as the one to insure and claim for property damage. Check your CTS and policy endorsements.
๐) ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐๐ค ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ ๐ญ๐ฒ๐ฉ๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ง ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ
๐) ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐/๐๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ & ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฒ. Check turnover date, delivery acceptance, and whether Acts of Nature (typhoon/flood) riders are included.
๐) ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐-๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ: ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ ๐จ๐ง ๐ฐ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ง ๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐. ๐๐; if timelines slip, demand remedies (specific performance, or cancellation/refund).
Lawphil
๐) ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ-๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ: ๐
๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ; keep paying the loan while the claim is processed. Insurable interest exists, so you can claim for your loss.
Insurance Commission
๐) ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ฎ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐: Explore Maceda Law rights (installment refunds/grace) plus PD 957 non-delivery remedies (if applicable).
๐
๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐๐, ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฐ:
Jan Erwin Ferrer, REB | Sienna May Pepito, REB
at m.me/smartpinoyhomeowners or via Viber/Whatsapp: 09165995537 or 09277255665
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