reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 6 - Organic Products Act (§§ 131 — 141) › § 138 - Use of the term organic, labeling

No person shall market, advertise, label or make any representation that an agricultural product is organic, unless the agricultural product is certified under to this chapter. The organic agricultural products of Puerto Rico that are sold in containers or packages shall have a sticker on the container, package or bottle that includes the phrase “Certified Organic Product of Puerto Rico”.
History —Sept. 2, 2003, No. 228, § 10.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 6 - Organic Products Act (§§ 131 — 141) › § 139 - Denial or revocation

The Department may revoke or deny the organic certificate or accreditation as an organic certifier if: (1) the information furnished were false; or [(2)] for violation, or noncompliance of any provision of this chapter, regulations promulgated hereunder, or any order of the Secretary.
History —Sept. 2, 2003, No. 228, § 11.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 6 - Organic Products Act (§§ 131 — 141) › § 140 - Administrative hearings

Any person who is directly and adversely affected by acts, orders or resolutions issued by the Secretary related to the issue, renewal or revoking of an organic certification or an accreditation as authorized organic certifier may request an administrative hearing pursuant to the provisions of §§ 2101 et seq. of Title 3, known as the “Uniform Administrative Procedures Act”.
History —Sept. 2, 2003, No. 228, § 12.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 6 - Organic Products Act (§§ 131 — 141) › § 141 - Penalties

The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture is hereby empowered to impose administrative sanctions pursuant to §§ 2101 et seq. of Title 3, known as the “Uniform Administrative Procedures Act”, on any person who fails to comply with the provisions of this chapter or the regulations promulgated by virtue thereof.
Any person affected by any decision of the Secretary of Agriculture may resort to the pertinent forum for the review of said determination pursuant to the provisions of §§ 2101 et seq. of Title 3, known as the “Uniform Administrative Procedures Act of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico”.
History —Sept. 2, 2003, No. 228, § 13.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 7 - Agricultural Loans (§§ 151 — 195) › § 151 - Loans on products and agricultural implements

The agriculturists may contract loans on products and agricultural implements, which they shall keep in their hands [sic] carefully and gratuitously [sic] while serving as guaranty for money loaned.
History —Mar. 10, 1904, p. 141, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 7 - Agricultural Loans (§§ 151 — 195) › § 152 - Loans on products and agricultural implements—Guaranty

There shall be admitted, as guaranty for this special kind of loans, crops gathered, or to be gathered, farm products, grain, seeds, vegetables, alcoholic beverages, molasses, sugar, tobacco, sea salts, building lumber, dry plants, cattle, fowls, carts and portable agricultural machinery and implements.
History —Mar. 10, 1904, p. 141, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 7 - Agricultural Loans (§§ 151 — 195) › § 153 - Loans on products and agricultural implements—Execution of certificate in stub book

The agriculturist desirous of contracting a loan upon said articles shall appear before the Court of First Instance with two responsible witnesses, and sign, together with the Judge of the town where said articles may be found, and on the stub book kept for the purpose by the Court of First Instance, a sworn statement clearly detailing the amount, class and current price on said day of the goods which are to act as guaranty, which goods must be of his own property, stating also the amount he is to solicit with the said guaranty. This document shall bear the seal of the Court of First Instance and be signed by the judge and the agriculturist, or by the clerk of said court if the said agriculturist does not know how to sign. The part taken off the stub book, which shall be the same as the original, shall be the certificate enabling the agriculturist to procure the loan.
History —Mar. 10, 1904, p. 141, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 7 - Agricultural Loans (§§ 151 — 195) › § 154 - Loans on products and agricultural implements—Insurance

In the said certificate there shall be stated whether the products are insured or not, and if they be insured, the name and address of the insurer. The holders of the certificate shall have the same right on the insurance as they have on the article insured.
History —Mar. 10, 1904, p. 141, § 4.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 7 - Agricultural Loans (§§ 151 — 195) › § 155 - Loans on products and agricultural implements—Negotiability of certificates

Any person may discount and endorse the said certificates. Credit institutions may negotiate them as commercial articles and dispense with one of the signatures required by their statutes.
History —Mar. 10, 1904, p. 141, § 5.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 7 - Agricultural Loans (§§ 151 — 195) › § 156 - Loans on products and agricultural implements—Forced sale

Within twenty (20) days following the maturity of the loan, if this be not paid, the holder of the certificate may solicit from the Court of First Instance the sale at public auction of the goods specified in the said certificate, and for which the said certificate must necessarily be exhibited. At least three (3) days’ public notice of said sale shall be posted at the front door of the Court of First Instance. The sale at public auction shall take place at the Court of First Instance on the fifth day after application has been made therefor, taking as a basis the price stipulated in the certificate the goods going to the highest bidder, to whom they shall be immediately delivered by the marshal upon an order from the judge.
History —Mar. 10, 1904, p. 141, § 6.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 7 - Agricultural Loans (§§ 151 — 195) › § 157 - Loans on products and agricultural implements—Creditor’s preference

The creditor shall collect his loan from the proceeds of the sale in preference to any other creditor or person who may claim rights upon the agriculturist or upon the goods given as guaranty, except actions originating under the Mortgage Law, Title 30, and the Court of First Instance shall immediately deliver to said creditor the amount of his loan, deducting only the legal costs if there be no resulting excess.
History —Mar. 10, 1904, p. 141, § 7.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 7 - Agricultural Loans (§§ 151 — 195) › § 158 - Loans on products and agricultural implements—Forfeiture of preference

The holder of a certificate who shall allow twenty (20) days to elapse after maturity without claiming payment therefor shall forfeit the preference that §§ 151—163 of this title grant him to effect collection, and can only do so thereafter at a proper trial.
History —Mar. 10, 1904, p. 141, § 8.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 7 - Agricultural Loans (§§ 151 — 195) › § 159 - Loans on products and agricultural implements—Redemption

The farmer may redeem his loan before maturity by paying the value thereof to the holder of the certificate. If the said holder refuses to accept it, he shall deposit the amount in the Court of First Instance, and may deduct interest at the rate of six percent (6%) per annum for advanced payment from the date on which the said payment is made to the date of maturity of the loan. The judge shall give him a receipt and shall order that the charges then standing upon the goods be transferred upon the amount deposited.
History —Mar. 10, 1904, p. 141, § 9.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 7 - Agricultural Loans (§§ 151 — 195) › § 160 - Loans on products and agricultural implements—Penalties

Any farmer who shall exchange, sell, or wilfully injure, to the detriment of his creditor, the articles pledged to him and of which he has been acting as keeper, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
The farmer who shall appraise the goods at a price higher than the market price on the date that he signed the said certificate shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. And the farmer who shall not deliver the goods of which he agreed to be the keeper, when he is required to so deliver them by the Court of First Instance, shall be punished for contempt, according to the provisions of the Penal Code, Title 33.
History —Mar. 10, 1904, p. 141, § 10.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 7 - Agricultural Loans (§§ 151 — 195) › § 161 - Loans on products and agricultural implements—Internal revenue stamp

Every certificate issued by the Court of First Instance, in accordance with §§ 151—163 of this title, shall bear an internal revenue stamp equivalent to one cent (1[) for each dollar up to one hundred dollars ($100), and for amounts in excess thereof one cent (1[) additional for every five dollars ($5) or fraction thereof.
History —Mar. 10, 1904, p. 141, § 11.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 7 - Agricultural Loans (§§ 151 — 195) › § 162 - Loans on products and agricultural implements—Fees

The Court of First Instance shall charge the following fees: For acknowledgment of certificate, forty cents ($0.40); for conducting the sale at public auction until the final adjudication thereof, three dollars ($3). These fees shall be distributed between the judge, the clerk and the marshal (alguacil).
History —Mar. 10, 1904, p. 141, § 12.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 7 - Agricultural Loans (§§ 151 — 195) › § 163 - Loans on products and agricultural implements—Stub books; form

The Secretary of Justice of Puerto Rico shall deliver to the Court of First Instance of Puerto Rico stub books with enumerated pages, having printed on each page the following form:
Form for the Stub Book. AGRICULTURAL LOANS Certificate No................ The District Judge of.............................. CERTIFIES That........................., a resident of......................... SWEARS That he is the owner of the following agricultural products and effects: That the said agricultural products and effects are worth today That he wishes to contract and hereby does contract and acknowledges the receipt of a loan for........................................ which he shall pay on............................................................ to the order of............................................................ [And] the aforesaid goods constitute the guarantee of said loan, and which he will keep carefully and gratuitously and of his own free will in his hands, and shall act as keeper thereof until the day that he pays the said loan, or that he is ordered by the District Court to deliver them to any person, and makes himself amenable to the laws that punish those who shall sell, deteriorate, exchange or conceal goods entrusted to him for keeping; or who represents goods not of his own property, or who appraises them at prices higher than the market price today. And to that effect this Certificate is issued in duplicate, the original of which is filed in the District Court, and the duplicate hereof is delivered to the interested party to contract the loan above referred to, on the............... of.......... at (Signature of the Judge) (Signature of the interested party) (SEAL OF THE COURT) (Place for Internal Revenue stamps that shall be cancelled by the Judge) Witnessed. Witnessed.
History —Mar. 10, 1904, p. 141, § 13.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 7 - Agricultural Loans (§§ 151 — 195) › § 181 - Farm credit security—Purpose of loans

The Farm Credit Corporation is hereby empowered to secure loans and credits, it being understood that loans and credits are all types of financing, in cash, purchase of materials and rendering of services, granted by legally-established credit institutions, and private and public corporations, to farmers and to farm entities, including the sugar mills, for farm purposes and for repairs, improvements and operations of sugar mills, as well as to secure interest and/or incidental expenses caused in the transaction and collection of such loans and credits when it is so determined by regulations. For the purposes of securing loans and credits to sugar mills, it shall be a requirement that they pledge and bind the necessary collateral guaranties for their payment. Under the term of §§ 181—185a of this title the Farm Credit Corporation may secure loans and credits for agricultural production, including poultry raising and apiculture, and for the preparation for marketing, warehousing, and transportation of the byproducts thereof. The security of said loans and credits shall be dealt with in accordance with the requirements, standards and regulations the Farm Credit Corporation may establish.
History —Oct. 4, 1954, No. 1, p. 178, § 1; June 16, 1960, No. 93, p. 196; June 19, 1961, No. 76, § 1; June 9, 1971, No. 26, p. 52, § 1; Sept. 19, 1983, No. 15, p. 383, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 7 - Agricultural Loans (§§ 151 — 195) › § 182 - Farm credit security—Farm Credit Security Fund

The sum of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) is hereby appropriated to the Department of Agriculture of Puerto Rico from any available funds in the Treasury of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico not otherwise appropriated. Said amount shall be covered into a fund to be known as the “Farm Credit Security Fund”, and shall be exclusively devoted to the security of crop loans as provided by §§ 181—185a of this title. In addition to the above mentioned sum, the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) is hereby appropriated to the Department of Agriculture of Puerto Rico for administrative expenses in connection with the implementing of said sections.
History —Oct. 4, 1954, No. 1, p. 178, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 7 - Agricultural Loans (§§ 151 — 195) › § 183 - Farm credit security—Administration; personnel

The Farm Credit Security Fund shall be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture. The Secretary of Agriculture is hereby empowered to establish the requirements, norms, and regulations that shall govern the security of crop loans; to create in his Department the necessary organization for the administration and operation of the farm credit security; and to appoint and fix the compensation of the officers charged with the carrying out of the purposes of §§ 181—185a of this title without subjection to the personnel laws of Puerto Rico.
History —Oct. 4, 1954, No. 1, p. 178, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 7 - Agricultural Loans (§§ 151 — 195) › § 184 - Farm credit security—Limitation of loans

The sum total of all loans and credits secured by the Farm Credit Corporation under the terms of §§ 181—185a of this title and §§ 241 et seq. of Title 28 shall not be more than one hundred and twenty million dollars ($120,000,000).
Provided, That under no circumstances shall the security of a loan granted to a natural or juridical person by a legally established credit institution or by a supplier exceed the sum of six million dollars ($6,000,000). If there were a loan or credit application which exceeds the sum of six million dollars ($6,000,000), the determination to grant said loan or credit or not shall be subject to the approval of the Board created hereby.
History —Oct. 4, 1954, No. 1, p. 178, § 4; June 9, 1971, No. 26, p. 52, § 1; June 4, 1979, No. 61, p. 124, § 1; Sept. 19, 1983, No. 15, p. 383, § 1; May 17, 1986, No. 25, p. 61, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 7 - Agricultural Loans (§§ 151 — 195) › § 185 - Farm credit security—Creation of Board

A Board is hereby created which shall be composed of the Secretary of Agriculture, the Agricultural Promotion and Development Administrator, the Chairman of the Farm Credit Corporation, the Chairman of the Government Development Bank, and a farmer, who shall be appointed by the Governor for a four-year term. Said Board shall have the powers and duties determined by regulations, according to the provisions of §§ 181—185a of this title.
History —Oct. 4, 1954, No. 1, p. 178, § 5; June 9, 1971, No. 26, p. 52, § 1; Sept. 19, 1983, No. 15, p. 383, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 7 - Agricultural Loans (§§ 151 — 195) › § 185a - Farm credit security—Disposition of amounts from repayment of loans

It is hereby provided that the resources from the repayment of the principal of the secured loans and credits which have been honored shall become a part of the Farm Credit Security Fund, to comply with the objectives and purposes of §§ 181—185a of this title. To defray the administrative expenses incurred or to be incurred in the Farm Credit Program Operation, the Farm Credit Corporation may use the income that the Farm Credit Security Fund may have had, or has from interest on loans or credits that said Corporation may collect in whole or in part, as well as the interest accrued by the deposits that said Fund has, or may have had, and all other reasonable charges that the Farm Credit Corporation deems necessary for the operation of the program. It is further provided that the Farm Credit Corporation cannot collect interest from the borrowers for having secured their loans and credits.
History —Oct. 4, 1954, No. 1, p. 178, added as § 6 bis on Sept. 19, 1983, No. 15, p. 383, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 7 - Agricultural Loans (§§ 151 — 195) › § 189 - Title

Sections 189—195 of this title shall be known as the “Agricultural Loan and Loan Warranty Act”.
History —Aug. 17, 2001, No. 117, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 7 - Agricultural Loans (§§ 151 — 195) › § 190 - Definitions

(a) Economic Development Bank for Puerto Rico. — The Economic Development Bank, for Puerto Rico created by §§ 611 et seq. of Title 7.
(b) Agricultural eligibility certificate. — The written concession granted pursuant to the provisions of §§ 189—195 of this title whereby the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture shall notify his/her approval of eligibility to the petitioner for an agricultural loan and loan warranty application.
(c) Department of Agriculture. — The Department of Agriculture of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, created by Article IX, § 8 of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(d) Fund. — The Agricultural Loan and Loan Warranty Fund Program created by § 192 of this title.
(e) Petitioner. — The farmer who submits an application for an Agricultural Loan and Loan Warranty pursuant to §§ 189—195 of this title.
(f) Program. — The Agricultural Loan and Loan Warranty Program created by §§ 189-195 of this title.
(g) Secretary of Agriculture. — The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture or the official on whom he/she delegates his/her powers and prerogatives under the Department of Agriculture Organic Act.
History —Aug. 17, 2001, No. 117, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 7 - Agricultural Loans (§§ 151 — 195) › § 191 - Administration

(a) The Department of Agriculture and the Economic Development Bank for Puerto Rico, in close collaboration, shall develop the Agricultural Loan and Loan Warranty Program as follows:
(1) The Department of Agriculture shall:
(A) Establish the principles, requirements and purposes of the program.
(B) Appoint personnel for its promotional activities.
(C) Gather information from farmers interested in obtaining agricultural loans and loan warranties.
(D) Establish operational mechanisms corresponding to the agricultural phase of the program.
(E) Issue an agricultural eligibility certificate establishing the agricultural use of the loan warranty or direct loan applied for by the petitioner.
(2) The Economic Development Bank for Puerto Rico shall:
(A) Require the petitioner to submit the agricultural eligibility certificate issued by the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture.
(B) Evaluate the information submitted by the Department of Agriculture with regard to the petitioner and extend the Agricultural Loan Warranty or Direct Agricultural Loan, according to the standards established for the program, as set forth by common accord between the Economic Development Bank for Puerto Rico and the Department of Agriculture.
(C) Administer the Agricultural Loan Warranty and Direct Agricultural Loan portfolios according to the standards established for the program, as set forth by common accord between the Economic Development Bank for Puerto Rico and the Department of Agriculture.
History —Aug. 17, 2001, No. 117, § 4.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 7 - Agricultural Loans (§§ 151 — 195) › § 192 - Agricultural Loan and Loan Warranty Fund

A fund is hereby created of up to a total of one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) to be distributed within a term of four (4) years. This Fund shall be administered by the Economic Development Bank for Puerto Rico.
History —Aug. 17, 2001, No. 117, § 5.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 7 - Agricultural Loans (§§ 151 — 195) › § 193 - Approval of application

(a) Criteria. — The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture shall evaluate each application for an Agricultural Loan Warranty and Agricultural Loan pursuant to the regulations adopted under §§ 189-195 of this title. If the application is approved, the Secretary shall issue an Agricultural Eligibility Certificate to the petitioner.
(b) Evaluation. — The Economic Development Bank for Puerto Rico shall evaluate the application for financing in all its items and require the submittal of the Agricultural Eligibility Certificate issued by the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture.
History —Aug. 17, 2001, No. 117, § 6.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 7 - Agricultural Loans (§§ 151 — 195) › § 194 - Appropriation of funds

The Land Authority shall initially appropriate the funds needed for the creation of the Agricultural Loan Warranty and Agricultural Loan Fund in the Economic Development Bank for Puerto Rico. The funds thus appropriated shall be solely for the use of the Fund and the Program created by §§ 189-195 of this title. Subsequently, the Office of Management and Budget shall consign the necessary funds in the General Expenses Budget for the continuation and development of the Fund and the Program, taking into account the provisions of § 192 of this title for said appropriation.
History —Aug. 17, 2001, No. 117, § 7.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 7 - Agricultural Loans (§§ 151 — 195) › § 195 - Regulations

The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, in coordination with the Economic Development Bank for Puerto Rico, shall establish the norms and procedures and promulgate such regulations that are needed to ensure compliance with and implement the provisions and purposes of §§ 189-195 of this title.
History —Aug. 17, 2001, No. 117, § 8.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 9 - Sharecropping Contracts (§§ 201 — 217) › § 201 - Contract defined; validity

By “sharecropping contract” shall be understood any verbal or written agreement by virtue of which one of the parties agrees to cultivate tillable land of the other party and the latter agrees to pay to the former for said work a share of the crops harvested or of the market value thereof.
Said contracts, whatever the manner in which they have been executed, shall be binding, provided they have the essential conditions for their validity.
History —May 4, 1931, No. 76, p. 466, § 1, eff. 90 days after May 4, 1931.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 9 - Sharecropping Contracts (§§ 201 — 217) › § 202 - Definitions

The following shall be accepted as definitions of words and phrases used in this chapter:
Cropper. — Shall include any farm hand, laborer or agricultural worker who binds himself to cultivate on shares [of] any tillable land belonging to another person.
Landholder. — Shall include any farmer, proprietor, owner, lessee, administrator and usufructuary of tillable land, and shall also include any natural or juridical person in possession of such land.
Tillable land. — Shall include any farm or property, field or arable land, and any rural or urban land [capable] of being cultivated.
History —May 4, 1931, No. 76, p. 466, § 2, eff. 90 days after May 4, 1931.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 9 - Sharecropping Contracts (§§ 201 — 217) › § 203 - Duration

When the duration of a contract has not been fixed, it shall be understood to cover all such time as may be necessary to gather and utilize the crops yielded by the whole farm in a year or at one time, even if two (2) or more years are required to secure such crops.
History —May 4, 1931, No. 76, p. 466, § 3, eff. 90 days after May 4, 1931.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 9 - Sharecropping Contracts (§§ 201 — 217) › § 204 - Sharecropper’s share; kinds of crops

In default of a special agreement, the sharecropper shall have the right to half (½) of the crops cultivated by him on the farm of the landholder, or to fifty percent (50%) of the market value thereof. The sharecropper shall not be entitled to plant crops other than those the object of the contract.
History —May 4, 1931, No. 76, p. 466, § 4, eff. 90 days after May 4, 1931.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 9 - Sharecropping Contracts (§§ 201 — 217) › § 205 - Landholder’s obligations

The landholder shall be obliged to:
(1) Furnish the cropper the land agreed upon, seeds, sheds, farm implements and all such things as may be necessary for the cultivation of the farm in accordance with the contract, or in default of such contract, in accordance with the usage of the town.
(2) Make the necessary repairs to the farm in order to maintain it in proper condition for the use to which it has been devoted.
(3) [Allow] the sharecropper the peaceful enjoyment of the farm during the [term] of the contract.
(4) Liquidate and pay sharecropper his share of the crops harvested, if the sale thereof has been agreed upon.
(5) Comply with the provisions of Act No. 85 of May 14, 1928, unless the sharecropping contract is stated in a public deed or in a private instrument subscribed before a notary, district judge or justice of the peace. The [latter] two officers are hereby expressly empowered to authorize said contracts.
History —May 4, 1931, No. 76, p. 466, § 5, eff. 90 days after May 4, 1931.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 9 - Sharecropping Contracts (§§ 201 — 217) › § 206 - Sharecropper’s obligations

The cropper shall be obliged to:
(1) Cultivate the farm, planting it [with] such crops as may have been agreed upon, or in default of an agreement, [with] such as may be most suitable according to the nature of the soil.
(2) Care for all such property as the landholder may have placed under his custody, with the diligence of a good father of a family, and to return it upon the expiration of the contract.
(3) Deliver to the landholder his share of the crops harvested.
(4) Notify the landholder, within the shortest possible time, of any usurpation or harmful change carried out or openly attempted by another against the property under contract.
(5) Return the property, upon the expiration of the contract, in the same condition as when received, except such things as may have perished or deteriorated by the action of time or other unavoidable cause.
History —May 4, 1931, No. 76, p. 466, § 6, eff. 90 days after May 4, 1931.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 9 - Sharecropping Contracts (§§ 201 — 217) › § 207 - Fortuitous events

The landholder shall have no right to any claim against the sharecropper for the sterility of the land or for the loss of crops caused by fortuitous events, whether ordinary or extraordinary.
Neither shall the sharecropper have any right to any claim against the landholder in said cases.
History —May 4, 1931, No. 76, p. 466, § 7, eff. 90 days after May 4, 1931.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 9 - Sharecropping Contracts (§§ 201 — 217) › § 208 - Housing

When agreed upon, the sharecropper shall have the right of habitation, for himself and family, in any house or hut on the property [that is] the object of the contract. Should there be no house on the property for the habitation of the sharecropper, and should the landholder fail to construct one in accordance with the contract, the sharecropper may build such house with his own money and means; Provided, That in such case, when the contract expires, the sharecropper shall be bound to sell, and the landholder to buy the house, in accordance with such appraisal as may be made by experts appointed for the purpose.
History —May 4, 1931, No. 76, p. 466, § 8, eff. 90 days after May 4, 1931.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 9 - Sharecropping Contracts (§§ 201 — 217) › § 209 - Unlawful detainer

The landholder may bring an action of unlawful detainer against the sharecropper for any of the following reasons:
(1) Expiration of the term stipulated, or of that fixed in § 203 of this title.
(2) Violation of any of the conditions stipulated in the contract; Provided, That in such case the cropper shall have the right to be paid his proportionate share of the crops planted, upon appraisal of experts appointed for the purpose.
History —May 4, 1931, No. 76, p. 466, § 9, eff. 90 days after May 4, 1931.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 9 - Sharecropping Contracts (§§ 201 — 217) › § 210 - Sharecropper’s rights upon transfer

When a property subject to a sharecropping contract is sold, ceded, or leased to another person, (or sold at public auction), the sharecropper may demand that he be permitted to harvest the crop corresponding to the current agricultural year, and the sharecropper may claim as his the work, planting, or other thing to which he may be entitled.
History —May 4, 1931, No. 76, p. 466, § 10; Apr. 23, 1936, No. 45, p. 278, § 1, eff. 90 days after Apr. 23, 1936.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 9 - Sharecropping Contracts (§§ 201 — 217) › § 211 - Expulsion

The landholder may demand of the sharecropper that he vacate the property before the expiration of the contract or before the time established in § 203 of this title; but in that case the former shall be obliged to compensate the latter for any damages suffered, and also to pay him such proportionate part of the crops planted as may belong to the said sharecropper, in accordance with an appraisal by experts appointed for the purpose.
History —May 4, 1931, No. 76, p. 466, § 11, eff. 90 days after May 4, 1931.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 9 - Sharecropping Contracts (§§ 201 — 217) › § 212 - Holdover

If upon the expiration of the contract the cropper continues to cultivate the farm for thirty (30) days with the acquiescence of the landholder, it shall be understood that the contract has been renewed for a term equal to that of the original contract or for the term established in § 203 of this title, unless previous demand has been made to the contrary.
History —May 4, 1931, No. 76, p. 466, § 12, eff. 90 days after May 4, 1931.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 9 - Sharecropping Contracts (§§ 201 — 217) › § 213 - Legal actions

Any civil action which the sharecropper may have to exercise against the landholder may be instituted in accordance with the provisions of Act No. 10 of 1917, as subsequently amended.
Costs, including attorney’s fees, may be taxed against a landholder when a judgment is rendered against him in an action instituted by a cropper.
History —May 4, 1931, No. 76, p. 466, § 13, eff. 90 days after May 4, 1931.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 9 - Sharecropping Contracts (§§ 201 — 217) › § 214 - Applicable law

Such matters in connection with sharecropping contracts as are not provided for in this chapter shall be governed by the provisions relative to partnership contracts and, in default thereof, by the customs of the land.
History —May 4, 1931, No. 76, p. 466, § 14, eff. 90 days after May 4, 1931.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 9 - Sharecropping Contracts (§§ 201 — 217) › § 215 - Penalties

Any landholder who, by himself or through any of his employees, wilfully and maliciously damages or destroys the crop, or a part thereof, of a sharecropper, or who tears down any fence or paling of the property cultivated by the sharecropper, or who turns his cattle loose on the farm of the sharecropper, with the intention of damaging the crops, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and punished by a fine of not less than twenty-five ($25) or more than five hundred dollars ($500).
In any of the above cases, the sharecropper shall have a right to a claim for damages through a civil action; Provided, That when malice on the part of the landlord is proved, the court shall sentence him, as a punishment, to pay to the sharecropper an additional sum of not to exceed fifty dollars ($50).
History —May 4, 1931, No. 76, p. 466, § 15, eff. 90 days after May 4, 1931.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 9 - Sharecropping Contracts (§§ 201 — 217) › § 216 - Gratuitous cession; prescription; ejection; appeal

Whenever a landholder voluntarily and gratuitously cedes a parcel of land to any farmhand, laborer or agricultural worker for the purpose of cultivating it, and of building his house thereon if he so wishes, except in case of an agreement to the contrary, the cession shall be understood to have been made for the time specified in § 203 of this title.
Provided, That in such case the farmer may exercise actions analogous to those provided for in benefit of the sharecropper; Provided, further, That no sharecropper or farmer included in this chapter may, by virtue of this occupation of the land, allege any right to the property of the landholder, or prescription against the rights of said landholder to the parcel or lands cultivated by said sharecropper or farmer, nor shall he have any rights other than those specifically granted him by this chapter and no sharecropper or farmer cultivating lands under the conditions prescribed in this chapter shall be allowed to challenge in any court the title of ownership of his landlord.
The landlord cannot judicially eject the farmer on the pretext of a strike, disagreement, or conflict, or of need of the land for agricultural or other purposes, before the harvest and complete utilization of such crop as the property may yield in one year or at one time, even though two or more years may elapse to obtain such crop. In case the landlord demands of the cropper the vacation of the property before the expiration of this term, the parties, or either of them, may refer the matter to the Secretary of Labor and Human Resources and to the Secretary of Agriculture. The decision of said Secretaries rendered after an investigation of the facts and a hearing of the interested parties shall be final and binding on the parties; Provided, That if in any case the Secretary of Labor and Human Resources and the Secretary of Agriculture fail to agree, the Secretary of Justice of Puerto Rico shall act as the third referee, and such decision as they may render by majority vote shall be binding on all parties.
History —May 4, 1931, No. 76, p. 466, § 16; Apr. 25, 1940, No. 62, p. 446, § 1; Apr. 24, 1951, No. 124, p. 274, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 9 - Sharecropping Contracts (§§ 201 — 217) › § 217 - Enforcement

The Secretary of Labor and Human Resources shall see to the enforcement of this chapter. He may intervene in disagreements or conflicts arising between croppers and landholders with a view to reconciling the interests in dispute, and he shall prepare blank forms for sharecropping contracts in accordance with the terms of this chapter and shall furnish them free of charge to any person requesting them.
History —May 4, 1931, No. 76, p. 466, § 17, eff. 90 days after May 4, 1931.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 11 - Puerto Rico Soil Conservation (§§ 241 — 253) › § 241 - Definitions

Whenever used or referred to in §§ 241—252 of this title, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:
(1) District or soil conservation district.— Means a governmental subdivision of Puerto Rico, and a public body corporate and politic, organized in accordance with the provisions of §§ 241—252 of this title.
(2) Supervisor.— Means one of the members of the governing body of a district.
(3) Committee or Puerto Rico Soil Conservation Committee.— Means the agency created in § 242 of this title.
(4) Land occupier or occupier of land.— Includes any person, firm or corporation who shall hold title to, or shall be in possession of, any lands lying within a district organized under the provisions of §§ 241—252 of this title, whether as owner, lessee, tenant, or usufructuary.
(5) Due notice.— Means notice published at least twice, with an interval of at least 6 days between the two publication dates, in a newspaper or other publication of general circulation within the appropriate area, or if no such publication is available, by bulletins posted at a reasonable number of conspicuous places within the area. At any hearing held pursuant to such notice, adjournment may be made from time to time without the necessity of renewing such notice for such adjourned dates.
History —Mar. 26, 1946, No. 211, p. 374, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 11 - Puerto Rico Soil Conservation (§§ 241 — 253) › § 244 - Appointment, qualifications, and tenure of supervisors

The term of office of each supervisor shall be two (2) years, except that those first appointed shall be designated to serve for terms of one (1) and two (2) years, respectively. Vacancies may be filled for unexpired terms by express designation and direct appointment by the Committee, of a farmer qualified for the office, upon recommendation of the Board of Supervisors where the vacancy has occurred. The supervisor so designated and appointed shall serve for the unexpired portion of the term of his predecessor. The supervisors shall designate a chairman, who shall serve as such for a term of one year, but who may be reelected every year. A majority of the supervisors shall constitute a quorum, and the concurrence of a majority upon any official matter shall be necessary. Supervisors shall receive no compensation for their services, but shall be entitled to reimbursement of expenses authorized by the Committee, upon presentation of the proper vouchers. The Secretary of Agriculture shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Soil Conservation Committee, the officials and employees that the Board of Supervisors and the Committee itself may require, according to the funds that the Committee may have available for such purposes, and in harmony with the statutes, regulations, standards and rules existing in the Office of Personnel of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Supervisors shall keep a record of the proceedings, resolutions, regulations, and orders promulgated and adopted, and of the accounts of receipts and disbursements, and shall furnish to the Committee copies of such documents, instruments, or information concerning their activities.
History —Mar. 26, 1946, No. 211, p. 374, § 5; May 27, 1954, No. 41, p. 218, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 11 - Puerto Rico Soil Conservation (§§ 241 — 253) › § 245 - Powers of districts and supervisors

The supervisors of a district organized under §§ 241—252 of this title shall, with the approval and authorization of the Committee, have the following powers, in addition to others granted in other sections of §§ 241—252 of this title:
(1) In cooperation with the Commonwealth or federal government, to carry out and encourage cadasters, investigations, and research relating to soil conservation and the prevention and control of erosion, and to publish and disseminate information concerning such subjects.
(2) In cooperation with the Commonwealth or federal government, to provide for and encourage demonstrations relative to the control and prevention of erosion, and the conservation of soil resources, and carry out preventive and control measures, on publicly owned lands within the district with the consent or cooperation of the agency having jurisdiction thereof, and on other lands in the district with the consent of the occupier of such lands.
(3) To cooperate or enter into agreements with, and to furnish financial or other aid, including labor, machinery, equipment, fertilizer, seeds and other material to, any agency or any occupier of lands within the district, for carrying on erosion control and prevention operations.
(4) To acquire property, real or personal, or rights or interests therein; to maintain, administer, and improve such property, receive income from it, and expend such income in carrying out the purposes of §§ 241—252 of this title; and to sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of any such property.
(5) To construct, improve, and maintain any structures necessary for carrying out the purposes of §§ 241—252 of this title.
(6) To develop plans for the conservation of soil resources and the control and prevention of erosion within the district, and to publish or otherwise bring such plans to the attention of district land occupiers.
(7) To act as agent for the Commonwealth or federal government in connection with the acquisition or administration of any soil conservation or erosion control or prevention project within its boundaries.
(8) To accept contributions in money, services, materials, or otherwise from any source, and to use or expend them in carrying on its operations.
(9) As a condition to the extending of benefits, or the performance of work upon lands under §§ 241—252 of this title, the supervisors may require land occupiers to participate in and perform such agreements or covenants as to the permanent use of such lands as will tend to prevent or control erosion thereon.
History —Mar. 26, 1946, No. 211, p. 374, § 6, eff. July 1, 1946.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 11 - Puerto Rico Soil Conservation (§§ 241 — 253) › § 246 - Land use regulations—Adoption

The supervisors of any district shall, upon the approval and authorization of the Committee, have authority to formulate regulations governing the use of lands within the district to conserve soil resources and prevent and control erosion, and they may conduct such meetings or public hearings as may be necessary therefor; Provided, That the supervisors shall not have authority to enact such regulations into law until after they have conducted a referendum for the purpose of submitting such regulations to the occupiers of lands within the district for approval or disapproval, and unless at least fifty-one percent (51%) of the land occupiers have cast their votes in favor of the proposed regulations. The notices of the referendum shall recite the contents of the proposed regulations, or state where copies of them may be examined. Land-use regulations adopted pursuant to this section shall have the force and effect of law in the said district, and shall be binding upon all occupiers of lands within such district.
Any land occupier of a district may file a petition with the supervisors asking that any such regulations be amended, supplemented, or repealed. Regulations may be amended, supplemented, or repealed in accordance with the procedure prescribed herein for their adoption. Referenda for such purpose shall not be held more often than once in six (6) months.
Such regulations may include, but shall not be limited to, provisions prohibiting or limiting the carrying out of particular operations or practices; requiring the observance of particular methods of cultivation or land use; specifying cropping programs or tillage practices to be observed; requiring the retirement from cultivation of submarginal areas; and provisions requiring any other means, measures, operations, and programs as may assist conservation of soil resources and prevent or control soil erosion in the district. Regulations shall be uniform throughout the district, but the supervisors may classify the lands in the district with reference to such factors as soil type, degree of threatened or existing erosion, and other relevant factors, and may provide regulations varying with the type or class of land affected, but uniform as to all land within each class or type.
History —Mar. 26, 1946, No. 211, p. 374, § 7, eff. July 1, 1946.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 11 - Puerto Rico Soil Conservation (§§ 241 — 253) › § 247 - Land use regulations—Enforcement

The supervisors shall have access to any lands within the district to determine whether land-use regulations are being observed. Violation of any such regulation shall be a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars ($25), or more than one hundred dollars ($100). The supervisors shall make a detailed report to the Committee of any violation before filing complaint against the transgressor.
History —Mar. 26, 1946, No. 211, p. 374, § 8, eff. July 1, 1946.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 11 - Puerto Rico Soil Conservation (§§ 241 — 253) › § 248 - Judicial enforcement

When the district supervisors find that any land-use regulation is not being observed on particular lands, and that such non-observance is interfering with the prevention or control of erosion on other lands within the district, the supervisors may file in the proper part of the Court of First Instance where the lands are located, a petition setting forth the regulation, the violation of said regulation by the land occupier, and the effect of such non-observance; and praying the court to require the land occupier to perform the requirements of the regulation within a reasonable time; Provided, That supervisors shall report the non-compliance with the regulations to the Committee before filing a petition in court.
History —Mar. 26, 1946, No. 211, p. 374, § 9, eff. July 1, 1946.