Salas vs CA (GR No. 76788, 22 January 1990)

Salas vs CA (GR No. 76788, 22 January 1990)

Facts:
Juanita Salas (Petitioner) bought a motor vehicle from the Violago Motor Sales Corporation (VMS) as evidenced by a promissory note. This note was subsequently endorsed to Filinvest Finance & Leasing Corporation (private respondent) which financed the purchase. Petitioner defaulted in her installments allegedly due to a discrepancy in the engine and chassis numbers of the vehicle delivered to her and those indicated in the sales invoice, certificate of registration and deed of chattel mortgage, which fact she discovered when the vehicle figured in an accident. This failure to pay prompted private respondent to initiate an action for a sum of money against petitioner before the Regional Trial Court.

Issue:
Whether or not private respondent is a holder in due course.

Held:
Yes. The Promissory Note was negotiated by indorsement in writing on the instrument itself payable to the Order of Filinvest Finance and Leasing Corporation and it is an indorsement of the entire instrument. Under the circumstances, there appears to be no question that Filinvest is a holder in due course, having taken the instrument under the following conditions: [a] it is complete and regular upon its face; [b] it became the holder thereof before it was overdue, and without notice that it had previously been dishonored; [c] it took the same in good faith and for value; and [d] when it was negotiated to Filinvest, the latter had no notice of any infirmity in the instrument or defect in the title of VMS Corporation.
Accordingly, respondent corporation holds the instrument free from any defect of title of prior parties, and free from defenses available to prior parties among themselves, and may enforce payment of the instrument for the full amount thereof. This being so, petitioner cannot set up against respondent the defense of nullity of the contract of sale between her and VMS.