Thursday, June 11, 2015

Legal Interest




"x x x.

Eastern Shipping Lines, Inc. synthesized the rules on the imposition of interest, if proper, and the applicable rate, as follows: The 12% per annum rate under CB Circular No. 416 shall apply only to loans or forbearance of money, goods, or credits, as well as to judgments involving such loan or forbearance of money, goods, or credit, while the 6% per annum under Art. 2209 of the Civil Code applies “when the transaction involves the payment of indemnities in the concept of damage arising from the breach or a delay in the performance of obligations in general,” with the application of both rates reckoned “from the time the complaint was filed until the [adjudged] amount is fully paid.” In either instance, the reckoning period for the commencement of the running of the legal interest shall be subject to the condition “that the courts are vested with discretion, depending on the equities of each case, on the award of interest.” (Emphasis ours)

Thus, from the finality of the judgment awarding a sum of money until it is satisfied, the award shall be considered a forbearance of credit, regardless of whether the award in fact pertained to one. Pursuant to Central Bank Circular No. 416 issued on July 29, 1974, in the absence of written stipulation the interest rate to be imposed in judgments involving a forbearance of credit was twelve percent (12%) per annum, up from six percent (6%) under Article 2209 of the Civil Code. This was reiterated in Central Bank Circular No. 905, which suspended the effectivity of the Usury Law beginning on January 1, 1983.

But since July 1, 2013, the rate of twelve percent (12%) per annum from finality of the judgment until satisfaction has been brought back to six percent (6%). Section 1 of Resolution No. 796 of the Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas dated May 16, 2013 provides: “The rate of interest for the loan or forbearance of any money, goods or credits and the rate allowed in judgments, in the absence of an express contract as to such rate of interest, shall be six percent (6%) per annum.” Thus, the rate of interest to be imposed from finality of judgments is now back at six percent (6%), the rate provided in Article 2209 of the Civil Code.”

x x x."










G.R. No. 212689, August 11, 2014, ECE REALTY AND DEVELOPMENT, INC., PETITIONER, VS. HAYDYN HERNANDEZ, RESPONDENT.