When a right to sue upon a civil obligation has lapsed by extinctive prescription, the obligor who voluntarily performs the contract cannot recover what he has delivered or the value of the service he has rendered.
Civil Code · Book IV: Obligations and Contracts · Title III: Natural Obligations
Current text, as of October 24, 2026
When a right to sue upon a civil obligation has lapsed by extinctive prescription, the obligor who voluntarily performs the contract cannot recover what he has delivered or the value of the service he has rendered.
Consolidated by Alleba from the text of Republic Act No. 386 (Lawphil and the Supreme Court E-Library). Book I provisions on marriage, family relations and parental authority were repealed by the Family Code (Executive Order No. 209, 1987) and are shown for reference only. For information and research only, and not legal advice. For certified copies, refer to the Official Gazette or the issuing agency.