Anton v Oliva
G.R. No. 182563. April 11, 2011
Justice Abad
Warning: Another one of Atty. Coch’s favorite cases back in agency class. Read by heart.
FACTS:
1. Respondents Ernesto and Corazon Oliva the Olivas filed an action for accounting and specific performance with
damages against petitioner spouses Jose Miguel and Gladys Miriam Anton (the Antons) before the RTC. The
Olivas alleged that they entered into MOA with Gladys Miriam, their daughter, and Jose Miguel, their son-in-
law, setting up a business partnership covering three fast food stores, known as "Pinoy Toppings" that were to
be established at SM Megamall, SM Cubao, and SM Southmall. Under the MOAs, the Olivas were entitled to
30% share of the net profits of the SM Megamall store and 20% in the cases of SM Cubao and SM Southmall
stores.
2. The Olivas alleged that while the Antons gave them a total of P2,547,000.00 representing their monthly shares
of the net profits from the operations of the SM Megamall and SM Southmall stores, the Antons did not give
them their shares of the net profits from the store at SM Cubao. Further, Jose Miguel did not render to them
an account of the operations of the three stores. And, beginning November 1997, the Antons altogether
stopped giving the Olivas their share in the net profits of the three stores. The Olivas demanded an accounting
of partnership funds but, in response, Jose Miguel terminated their partnership agreements.
3. Jose Miguel alleged that he and his wife, Gladys Miriam, never partnered with the Olivas in the operations of
the three stores. The Antons merely borrowed money from the Olivas to finance the opening of those stores.
Gladys Miriam, who managed the operations of the business, remitted to the Olivas the amounts due them
even after the loans had been paid. If any accounting was needed, it should only be for the purpose of
ascertaining the correctness the payments made.
4. RTC held that no partnership relation existed between the Olivas and the Antons but Jose Miguel had an
obligation to render an accounting from the start of the business until the termination of their MOAs and,
thereafter, pay the Olivas their share of the net profits, if any, plus interests.
5. Petitioner Jose Miguel points out that since the Olivas were not the Antons' partners in the stores, they were
not entitled to receive percentage shares of the net profits from the stores' operations.
ISSUE: Whether there was a partnership established between the parties.
HELD: NO.
RATIONALE:
1. Although the MOA denominated the Olivas as “partners”, the amounts they gave did not appear to be
capital contributions to the establishment of the stores. The MOAs forbade the Olivas from interfering with
the running of the stores. At any rate, none of the parties has made an issue of the common nding of the courts
below respecting the nature of their relationship.
2. Although the Olivas were mere creditors, not partners, the Antons agreed to compensate them for the
risks they had taken. The Olivas gave the loans with no security and they were to be paid such loans only if the
stores made pro ts. Had the business suffered loses and could not pay what it owed, the Olivas would have
ultimately assumed those loses just by themselves. Still there was nothing illegal or immoral about this
compensation scheme. Thus, unless the MOAs are subsequently rescinded on valid grounds or the parties
mutually terminate them, the same remain valid and enforceable.
3. It did not matter that the Antons had already paid for two of the loans and their interests. Their obligation
to share net profits with the Olivas was not extinguished by such payment. The Antons paid the Olivas their
share of the pro ts from two stores although the loans corresponding to them had in the meantime been paid.
Only after Jose Miguel's marital relation with Gladys Miriam turned sour in November 1997 did he cease to pay
the Olivas their shares of the profits.
4. Since the Olivas were mere creditors, not partners, they had no right to demand that the Antons make an
accounting of the money loaned out to them. Still, the Olivas were entitled to know from the Antons how
much net profits the three stores were making annually since the Olivas were entitled to certain percentages
of those profits. Indeed, the third and second MOA directed the Antons to provide the Olivas with copies of the
monthly sales reports from the operations of the stores involved, apparently to enable them to know how much
were due them. There is no reason why the Antons should not furnish the Olivas copies of similar reports from
the operations of the store at SM Megamall, this merely being a consequence of the Antons' obligation to share
with the Olivas the net profits from that store.
