G.R. No. 524 : April 29, 1902
RAMON MORTERA, plaintiff-appellee, vs. LI CHING-TING, ET AL., defendants-appellants.
FACTS:
The plaintiff, Ramon Mortera, filed an action for unlawful detainer against the defendants, Li Ching-Ting and others, for breach of a contract of lease. A specific condition (“A”) in the contract expressly prohibited the lessees from subleasing the property or assigning their rights under any circumstance or pretext. During the trial, it was established that the defendants did not personally appear, and the defense was presented by Tan Ching Kay, who admitted to being a partner of the defendants and the manager of their firm. Tan Ching Kay further admitted that he received a monthly rent of 120 pesos from another individual, Ching Sang, for the use of the upper story and part of the lower story of the leased house. The defense argued that the contractual clause only prohibited the sublease of the entire property, not a partial sublease.
ISSUE:
Whether the defendants violated the contract by subleasing a portion of the leased property, thereby justifying an action for unlawful detainer.
RULING:
Yes. The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment ordering the eviction of the defendants. The Court held that the contractual clause absolutely and unequivocally prohibited any sublease. The natural and reasonable interpretation of such a prohibition encompasses both total and partial subleasing. No statute or legal principle supports the defendants’ interpretation that only a complete sublease is forbidden. Therefore, by subleasing a portion of the premises, the defendants breached the contract, giving the plaintiff a valid cause for unlawful detainer. The decision of the lower court was affirmed, with costs against the appellants.
