The Recto Law
The Recto Law comprises Articles 1484 to 1486 of the Civil Code. It was added to the Civil Code to prevent abuses in the foreclosure of chattel mortgages, such as when mortgagee-creditors foreclosed mortgaged property, bought them at a low price (on purpose,) then prosecuted the mortgagor-debtors to recover the deficiencies.
In the event a buyer of personal property defaults by failing to pay two or more of the agreed installments, the seller can do any of the following:
1.) Demand that the buyer pay (a.k.a. specific performance)
2.) Cancel or rescind the sale
3.) Foreclose the mortgage on the property bought (if there ever was a chattel mortgage)
Regarding no. 3, this happens when a person takes a loan to buy something and he mortgages the thing he bought to ensure the creditor that he will pay the loan. Remember: If you choose one remedy, you can't choose the others. These remedies, believe it or not, are also available to the buyer. You also can't use all or any of them at the same time. The Recto Law also won't apply to a straight sale (i.e. a sale where there is a downpayment and the balance is payable in the future in a single payment only.) The seller can also assign his credit to another person, making that person the new creditor.
If the buyer refuses to surrender the items to the seller, he becomes a perverse buyer-mortgagor. When that happens, the seller can recover expenses and attorney's fees.
The Recto Law also covers leases with the option to purchase.
The Maceda Law
The Maceda Law, RA 6552, is the real estate equivalent of the Recto Law. Like the Recto Law, it also covers financing of sales of real property (which