reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHTEEN - Education (§§ 1 — 3510-3520) › PART VI - Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2320) › Chapter 121 - Regulation of Operation of Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2133) › Subchapter II - Establishment and Operation of Private Educational Institutions at the Preschool, Elementary, High School, Vocational, Technical or Non-University Post-Secondary Levels (§§ 2111 — 2125) › § 2124 - Penalties; injunctions

Any natural or juridical person who operates a private educational institution as defined in this subchapter without the proper license provided therein shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished with a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500). In the event that a private educational institution covered by this subchapter persists or insists on operating without the license after being admonished about it by the Secretary of Education, the latter may resort to the Court of First Instance of Puerto Rico and obtain an injunction against said institution, its promoters or its officials, who shall be subject to all the legal consequences provided by law.
History —May 10, 1976, No. 31, p. 78, added as § II-14 on June 30, 1988, No. 49, p. 220, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHTEEN - Education (§§ 1 — 3510-3520) › PART VI - Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2320) › Chapter 121 - Regulation of Operation of Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2133) › Subchapter II - Establishment and Operation of Private Educational Institutions at the Preschool, Elementary, High School, Vocational, Technical or Non-University Post-Secondary Levels (§§ 2111 — 2125) › § 2125 - Issuance of license

The educational institutions subject to the regulations of this subchapter and that at the time all the provisions thereof take effect, hold a license, whether it be of authorization or renewal issued by the Secretary of Education, they shall automatically be granted the corresponding institutional license, being subject to the provisions of this subchapter concerning the renewal, suspension and cancellation of licenses.
History —May 10, 1976, No. 31, p. 78, added as § II-15 on June 30, 1988, No. 49, p. 220, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHTEEN - Education (§§ 1 — 3510-3520) › PART VI - Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2320) › Chapter 121 - Regulation of Operation of Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2133) › Subchapter III - Provisions of General Application (§§ 2131 — 2133) › § 2131 - License; requirements

The standards that may be established in accordance with this Chapter shall include those minimum requirements of physical plant, academic preparation of the directing and teaching personnel, related library and laboratory services, curriculum, and financial support capacity that shall guarantee the continuity of the teaching, the protection of health, the safety of the students, and the fulfillment of the commitments made by the institution, as provided by the regulations of the agencies concerned. Such standards shall in no way impair the right of parents to send their children to the schools of their choice.
History —May 10, 1976, No. 31, p. 78, § 3, renumbered as § III-1 on June 30, 1988, No. 49, p. 220, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHTEEN - Education (§§ 1 — 3510-3520) › PART VI - Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2320) › Chapter 121 - Regulation of Operation of Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2133) › Subchapter III - Provisions of General Application (§§ 2131 — 2133) › § 2132 - Board of Directors

The government, control or the actual managerial responsibility of every educational institution subject to the provisions of this chapter shall rest in a Board of Directors, or its juridical equivalent, which shall be constituted in such a manner that all its members shall have citizenship or legal residence in Puerto Rico.
History —May 10, 1976, No. 31, p. 78, § 6, renumbered as § III-2 on June 30, 1988, No. 49, p. 220, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHTEEN - Education (§§ 1 — 3510-3520) › PART VI - Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2320) › Chapter 121 - Regulation of Operation of Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2133) › Subchapter III - Provisions of General Application (§§ 2131 — 2133) › § 2133 - Authorizations by other agencies prohibited

No department, instrumentality, office, board, bureau or commission of the Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico shall make determinations, authorizations or accreditations of educational institutions or recognize or accredit degrees, diplomas, certificates or courses pertinent to the matters covered by this chapter. Employment by any agency of persons with titles or degrees from institutions without due accreditation as set forth herein, when the holding of such title or degree is a condition of employment, shall be deemed as a violation of the law and the official or employee who so acts shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and if convicted, the provisions of Title 33 for this kind of offense shall be applied to him.
History —May 10, 1976, No. 31, p. 78, § 7, renumbered as § III-3 on June 30, 1988, No. 49, p. 220, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHTEEN - Education (§§ 1 — 3510-3520) › PART VI - Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2320) › Chapter 123 - Church-School Regulations (§§ 2301 — 2320) › § 2301 - Definitions

For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms and phrases shall have the meaning stated hereinafter, except when the context clearly states otherwise:
(1) General Council on Education. — The autonomous government body empowered to issue of licenses authorizing public and private educational institutions at a preschool, elementary, secondary and special levels to operate.
(2) Church-schools. — Those churches which include in their religious practices, academic and religious offerings, so that both activities are inseparable, thus conserving their faith and beliefs as fundamental elements in the teaching system, perceiving that the classroom is an extension and space of family worship and part of the churches’ ministry.
(3) Non-traditional educational institutions. — Those schools that do not have an organizational scheme as required by the General Council on Education.
History —July 19, 1995, No. 82, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHTEEN - Education (§§ 1 — 3510-3520) › PART VI - Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2320) › Chapter 123 - Church-School Regulations (§§ 2301 — 2320) › § 2302 - Registration procedure

The student coming from a church-school may be registered in a State school, pursuant to the following procedure:
(a) The student shall be evaluated by a unit or division equivalent to the Department of Education in order to determine the grade in which the student shall be registered.
(b) The director of the school where the [parent] or guardian goes to register a student coming from a church-school shall proceed to admit the student on[c]e he or she completes a placement test prepared by the Department of Education[’s] main office. The student’s admission and/or placement shall be made pursuant to the results of said examination.
(c) The registration procedures and the placement test and its results shall be completed no later than three working days after the date the corresponding admission application was filed during the school year, and no later than two weeks during academic recess. The student applicant shall be included in the school’s registration at any moment within the first seven (7) months of the school year.
History —July 19, 1995, No. 82, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHTEEN - Education (§§ 1 — 3510-3520) › PART VI - Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2320) › Chapter 123 - Church-School Regulations (§§ 2301 — 2320) › § 2303 - Requirements for operation

The church-schools shall not operate unless they have, or are in the process of getting, in good faith, the permits issued by the Puerto Rico Firefighters Department, the Permit Management Office, and the Department of Health. They shall also obtain public liability insurance. All these documents shall be publicly displayed in the director’s office of the church-school.
History —July 19, 1995, No. 82, § 4.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHTEEN - Education (§§ 1 — 3510-3520) › PART VI - Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2320) › Chapter 123 - Church-School Regulations (§§ 2301 — 2320) › § 2304 - Security plan

The church-schools shall coordinate a security plan with the pertinent government agencies.
History —July 19, 1995, No. 82, § 5.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHTEEN - Education (§§ 1 — 3510-3520) › PART VI - Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2320) › Chapter 123 - Church-School Regulations (§§ 2301 — 2320) › § 2305 - Compliance with labor laws

The church-schools shall comply with the laws and regulations of the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and the Federal Department of Labor regarding reasonable standards and salaries. However, any individual may volunteer his or her services full or part-time. They shall likewise comply with the standards established by the State Insurance Fund related to employers.
History —July 19, 1995, No. 82, § 6.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHTEEN - Education (§§ 1 — 3510-3520) › PART VI - Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2320) › Chapter 123 - Church-School Regulations (§§ 2301 — 2320) › § 2306 - Exemptions and guarantees

The church-schools shall be exempted from the payment required by the Department of the Treasury, corresponding to the operation of a school establishment. They shall also guarantee the payment of salaries and the partial reimbursement of the enrollment fee in the event that the school closes, through a written agreement signed by the parents and directors of the church-schools.
History —July 19, 1995, No. 82, § 7.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHTEEN - Education (§§ 1 — 3510-3520) › PART VI - Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2320) › Chapter 123 - Church-School Regulations (§§ 2301 — 2320) › § 2307 - Complaints

Each church-school shall adopt a plan to receive and solve complaints. Any person who is aware of any school situation that involves physical punishment and/or physical, mental or emotional abuse, may file a complaint before any public agency with jurisdiction.
History —July 19, 1995, No. 82, § 8.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHTEEN - Education (§§ 1 — 3510-3520) › PART VI - Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2320) › Chapter 123 - Church-School Regulations (§§ 2301 — 2320) › § 2308 - Proof of compliance; certification

At the beginning of each school year, the president or superintendent of the church-schools educational system’s board of directors shall submit to the General Council on Education evidence of their compliance with the requirements of the Permit Management Office, the Puerto Rico Firefighters Department and the Department of Health, as established in this chapter. The Board of Directors shall also submit a copy of the curriculum or study program to the Council.
The General Council on Education shall certify the legitimacy of the same.
History —July 19, 1995, No. 82, § 9.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHTEEN - Education (§§ 1 — 3510-3520) › PART VI - Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2320) › Chapter 123 - Church-School Regulations (§§ 2301 — 2320) › § 2309 - Notification

The General Council on Education shall notify the pertinent agencies of the name and address of any church-school that has not furnished evidence of their compliance with any requirement.
History —July 19, 1995, No. 82, § 10.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHTEEN - Education (§§ 1 — 3510-3520) › PART VI - Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2320) › Chapter 123 - Church-School Regulations (§§ 2301 — 2320) › § 2310 - Noncompliance; notification

The Council shall issue a notice to any church-school that has not complied with any of the requirements. The church-school shall submit in writing its reasons for its noncompliance, after which the Council shall proceed to issue a warning for the church-school to comply with the corresponding requirements within a term of sixty (60) days. The Council shall notify the Commonwealth University or any other higher education institution in Puerto Rico of the action taken.
History —July 19, 1995, No. 82, § 11.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHTEEN - Education (§§ 1 — 3510-3520) › PART VI - Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2320) › Chapter 123 - Church-School Regulations (§§ 2301 — 2320) › § 2311 - Intervention

Any authorized agency may intervene with those church-schools that did not comply with corresponding regulations. The agency shall proceed according to its own regulations until the lapse has been corrected.
History —July 19, 1995, No. 82, § 12.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHTEEN - Education (§§ 1 — 3510-3520) › PART VI - Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2320) › Chapter 123 - Church-School Regulations (§§ 2301 — 2320) › § 2312 - Facilities

The church-schools shall have the proper library and lunch or cafeteria services.
History —July 19, 1995, No. 82, § 13.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHTEEN - Education (§§ 1 — 3510-3520) › PART VI - Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2320) › Chapter 123 - Church-School Regulations (§§ 2301 — 2320) › § 2313 - Faculty—Experience

The Board of Directors or the church-school directing body shall have among its faculty members experienced teachers with the highest academic, spiritual and religious training.
History —July 19, 1995, No. 82, § 14.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHTEEN - Education (§§ 1 — 3510-3520) › PART VI - Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2320) › Chapter 123 - Church-School Regulations (§§ 2301 — 2320) › § 2314 - Faculty—Evidence of academic preparation

The church-schools Board of Directors shall submit to the parents evidence of the academic preparation of the teachers on the faculty, and a copy of the curriculum and the study plan.
History —July 19, 1995, No. 82, § 15.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHTEEN - Education (§§ 1 — 3510-3520) › PART VI - Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2320) › Chapter 123 - Church-School Regulations (§§ 2301 — 2320) › § 2315 - Freedom to operate

The church-schools shall operate once they submit all the information required under this chapter, without the intervention of the General Council on Education.
History —July 19, 1995, No. 82, § 16.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHTEEN - Education (§§ 1 — 3510-3520) › PART VI - Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2320) › Chapter 123 - Church-School Regulations (§§ 2301 — 2320) › § 2316 - Assistance for school-age minors

Those minors of school age whose parents, tutors or guardians live in segregated collective communities, isolated rural areas, or in urban ghettos under a community life system shall register and attend public or private schools, as provided in the laws regarding education in Puerto Rico.
History —July 19, 1995, No. 82, § 17.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHTEEN - Education (§§ 1 — 3510-3520) › PART VI - Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2320) › Chapter 123 - Church-School Regulations (§§ 2301 — 2320) › § 2317 - Application of this chapter

Those applicable non-traditional educational institutions shall be governed by this chapter.
History —July 19, 1995, No. 82, § 18.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHTEEN - Education (§§ 1 — 3510-3520) › PART VI - Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2320) › Chapter 123 - Church-School Regulations (§§ 2301 — 2320) › § 2318 - Penalties

The first failure to comply with the provisions of this chapter shall incur a fine of five hundred dollars ($500).
The second violation of the provisions of this chapter shall incur a fine of up to one thousand dollars ($1,000) or imprisonment for a term of six months, or both penalties, at the discretion of the court, executed against the director of the educational institution, or its board or directors, or both.
The entities empowered to file the proper complaint shall be those agencies responsible for granting the corresponding permits required by this chapter.
History —July 19, 1995, No. 82, § 19.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHTEEN - Education (§§ 1 — 3510-3520) › PART VI - Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2320) › Chapter 123 - Church-School Regulations (§§ 2301 — 2320) › § 2319 - Immunization

The church-school students shall receive their immunization shots under the immunization program of the Health Department with regard to elementary school children.
History —July 19, 1995, No. 82, § 20.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHTEEN - Education (§§ 1 — 3510-3520) › PART VI - Private Schools (§§ 2101 — 2320) › Chapter 123 - Church-School Regulations (§§ 2301 — 2320) › § 2320 - Public disclosure

The directive [sic] members and the directors of church-schools shall divulge the following information to the parents or guardians of students or other persons who request it:
(a) This educational system is not licensed by the General Council on Education.
(b) This system is not applying for the services available for private school students under the sponsorship of the State.
Nevertheless, the admonitions of this chapter shall not be understood as an action to relegate these schools to a second category before their sponsors with regard to the other public and private schools.
History —July 19, 1995, No. 82, § 22.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 41 - Special Provisions (§§ 401 — 458) › Subchapter I - Subject Matter and Definitions (§§ 401 — 408) › § 401 - Purposes; rules of construction; variation by agreement

(1) Sections 401 et seq. of this title shall be liberally construed and applied to promote its underlying purposes and policies.
(2) Underlying purposes and policies of §§ 401 et seq. of this title are:
(a) To simplify, clarify and modernize the law governing commercial transactions.
(b) To permit the continued expansion of commercial practices through custom, usage and agreement of the parties.
(c) To make uniform the law among the various jurisdictions.
(3) The effect of provisions of §§ 401 et seq. of this title may be varied by agreement, except as otherwise provided in §§ 401 et seq. of this title.
(4) The absence in certain provisions of §§ 401 et seq. of this title of the words “unless otherwise agreed” or words of similar import does not imply that such provisions may not be varied by agreement under subsection (3) of this section.
(5) In §§ 401 et seq. of this title unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) Words in the singular number include the plural, and in the plural include the singular.
(b) Words of the masculine gender include the feminine and the neuter, and when the sense so indicates words of the neuter gender may refer to any gender.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, §§ 1-102; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 41 - Special Provisions (§§ 401 — 458) › Subchapter I - Subject Matter and Definitions (§§ 401 — 408) › § 402 - Supplementary general principles of law applicable

Unless displaced by the particular provisions of §§ 401 et seq. of this title, the general principles of law of our jurisdiction shall supplement its provisions.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 1-103; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 41 - Special Provisions (§§ 401 — 458) › Subchapter I - Subject Matter and Definitions (§§ 401 — 408) › § 403 - Construction against implicit repeal

None of the parts of §§ 401 et seq. of this title shall be implicity repealed by subsequent legislation if such construction can reasonably be avoided.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 1-104; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 41 - Special Provisions (§§ 401 — 458) › Subchapter I - Subject Matter and Definitions (§§ 401 — 408) › § 404 - Territorial application of the act; parties' power to choose applicable law

(1) The parties may agree as to the law that shall govern their rights and duties, be it the law of Puerto Rico or of any state or nation.
(2) Where one of the following provisions of this subtitle specifies the applicable law, that provision governs and a contrary agreement is effective only to the extent permitted by the law (including the conflict of laws rules) so specified:
Section 802 (Applicability of the Chapter on Bank Deposits and Collections)
Section 1167 (Governing law in the Chapter on Funds Transfers)
Section 1235 (Letters of Credit)
Section 1710 (Applicability of the Chapter on Investment Securities)
Sections 2251–2257 (Law governing perfection, the effect of perfection or nonperfection, and the priority of security interests and agricultural liens)
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 1-105; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 1; Sept. 19, 1996, No. 241, § 2; Jan. 17, 2012, No. 21, § 12, eff. 1 year after Jan. 17, 2012.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 41 - Special Provisions (§§ 401 — 458) › Subchapter I - Subject Matter and Definitions (§§ 401 — 408) › § 405 - Remedies to be liberally administered

(1) The remedies provided by §§ 401 et seq. of this title shall be liberally administered to the end that the aggrieved party may be put in as good a position as if the other party had fully performed.
(2) Any right or obligation declared by §§ 401 et seq. of this title is enforceable by judicial action unless the provision declaring it specifies a different and limited effect.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 1-106; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 41 - Special Provisions (§§ 401 — 458) › Subchapter I - Subject Matter and Definitions (§§ 401 — 408) › § 406 - Waiver or renunciation of claim or right after breach

Any claim or right for breach of an obligation arising under § 401 et seq. of this title can be waived by a waiver or renunciation in writing signed and delivered by the aggrieved party, or its representative, except if the waiver or renunciation are contrary to the law, public interest or public order.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 1-107; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 41 - Special Provisions (§§ 401 — 458) › Subchapter I - Subject Matter and Definitions (§§ 401 — 408) › § 407 - Severability

If any provision or clause of §§ 401 et seq. of this title or application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of §§ 401 et seq. of this title which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of §§ 401 et seq. of this title are declared to be severable and independent.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 1-108; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 41 - Special Provisions (§§ 401 — 458) › Subchapter I - Subject Matter and Definitions (§§ 401 — 408) › § 408 - Section captions

Section captions are parts of §§ 401 et seq. of this title.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 1-109.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 41 - Special Provisions (§§ 401 — 458) › Subchapter II - General Definitions and Principles of Interpretation (§§ 451 — 458) › § 452 - Prima facie evidence by third party documents

A document in due form purporting to be a bill of lading, policy or certificate of insurance, official weigher’s or inspector’s certificate, consular invoice, or any other document authorized or required by the contract to be issued by a third party shall be prima facie evidence of its own authenticity and genuineness and of the facts stated in the document by the third party.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 1-202; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 41 - Special Provisions (§§ 401 — 458) › Subchapter II - General Definitions and Principles of Interpretation (§§ 451 — 458) › § 453 - Obligation of good faith

Every contract or duty within §§ 401 et seq. of this title imposes an obligation of good faith in its performance or enforcement.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 1-203; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 41 - Special Provisions (§§ 401 — 458) › Subchapter II - General Definitions and Principles of Interpretation (§§ 451 — 458) › § 454 - Time; reasonable time; “seasonably”

(1) Whenever §§ 401 et seq. of this title requires any action to be taken within a reasonable time, any time which is not manifestly unreasonable may be fixed by agreement.
(2) What is a reasonable time for taking any action depends on the nature, purpose and circumstances of such action.
(3) An action is taken “seasonably” when it is taken at or within the time agreed or if no specific time is agreed at or within a reasonable time.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 1-204; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 41 - Special Provisions (§§ 401 — 458) › Subchapter II - General Definitions and Principles of Interpretation (§§ 451 — 458) › § 455 - Course of dealing and usage of trade

(1) A course of dealing is a sequence of previous conduct between the parties to a particular transaction which is fairly to be regarded as establishing a common basis of understanding for interpreting their expressions and other conduct.
(2) A usage of trade is any practice or method of dealing having such regularity of observance in a place, vocation or trade as to justify an expectation that it will be observed with respect to the transaction in question. If it is established that such a usage is embodied in a written trade code or similar writing the interpretation of the writing is for the court [to decide].
(3) A course of dealing between parties and any usage of trade in the vocation or trade in which they are engaged or of which they are or should be aware give particular meaning to and supplement or qualify terms of an agreement.
(4) The express terms of an agreement and an applicable course of dealing or usage of trade shall be construed wherever reasonable as consistent with each other; but when such construction is unreasonable, express terms control both course of dealing and usage of trade and course of dealing controls usage of trade.
(5) An applicable usage of trade in the place where any part of performance is to occur shall be used in interpreting the agreement as to that part of the performance.
(6) Evidence of a relevant usage of trade offered by one party is not admissible unless and until he has given the other party such notice as the court finds sufficient to prevent unfair surprise to the latter.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 1-205; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 41 - Special Provisions (§§ 401 — 458) › Subchapter II - General Definitions and Principles of Interpretation (§§ 451 — 458) › § 456 - Property located in Puerto Rico and subject to its laws

As used in this chapter the following terms have the following meaning when they refer to property that is located in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and is subject to its law:
(a) Intangible and tangible. — When referring to property, mean incorporeal and corporeal, respectively.
(b) Interest in property. — Means a real right in movable or immovable property”.
(c) Personal property. — Means movable property.
(d) Real estate. — Means immovable property and real rights therein, and leases of immovables which have been recorded in the Registry of Property.
(e) Statutory lien. — Means a preference or priority created by App. I of Title 10, or §§ 1 et seq. of Title 31, or other statutory authority.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, added as § 1-206 on Sept. 19, 1996, No. 241, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 41 - Special Provisions (§§ 401 — 458) › Subchapter II - General Definitions and Principles of Interpretation (§§ 451 — 458) › § 457 - Performance or acceptance under reservation of rights

(1) A party who, with explicit reservation of rights performs or promises performance or assents to performance in a manner demanded or offered by the other party does not thereby prejudice the rights reserved. Such words as “without prejudice”, “under protest” or the like are sufficient to reserve its rights.
(2) Subsection (1) of this section does not apply to an accord and satisfaction.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 1-207; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 41 - Special Provisions (§§ 401 — 458) › Subchapter II - General Definitions and Principles of Interpretation (§§ 451 — 458) › § 458 - Option to accelerate at will

A term providing that one party or his successor in interest may accelerate payment or performance or require collateral or additional collateral “at will” or “when he deems himself insecure” or in words of similar import shall be construed to mean that he shall have power to do so only if he is [sic] in good faith believes that the prospect of payment or performance is impaired. The burden of establishing lack of good faith is on the party against whom the power has been exercised.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 1-208; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 43 - General Provisions (§§ 501 — 755) › Subchapter I - General Provisions and Definitions (§§ 501 — 519) › § 501 - Title

Sections 501-755 of this title may be cited as Chapter 43: Negotiable Instruments.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 2-101; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 43 - General Provisions (§§ 501 — 755) › Subchapter I - General Provisions and Definitions (§§ 501 — 519) › § 502 - Subject matter

(a) Sections 501-755 of this title apply to negotiable instruments. They do not apply to money, to payment orders governed by §§ 1021-1167 of this title, or to securities governed by §§ 1701-1911 of this title.
(b) If there is conflict between §§ 501-755 of this title and §§ 801-1004 of this title or §§ 2001-2207 of this title, §§ 801-1004 of this title or §§ 2001-2207 of this title govern.
(c) Regulations of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and operating circulars of the Federal Reserve Banks supersede any inconsistent provision of this chapter to the extent of the inconsistency.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 2-102; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 2; Sept. 19, 1996, No. 241, 4.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 43 - General Provisions (§§ 501 — 755) › Subchapter I - General Provisions and Definitions (§§ 501 — 519) › § 504 - Negotiable instrument

(a) Except as provided in subsections (c) and (d) of this section, “negotiable instrument” means an unconditional promise or order to pay a fixed amount of money, with or without interest or other charges described in the promise or order, if it:
(1) Is payable to bearer or to order at the time it is issued or first comes into possession of a holder;
(2) is payable on demand or at a definite time, and
(3) does not state other undertaking or instruction by the person promising or ordering payment to [perform] any act in addition to the payment of money, but the promise or order may contain:
(A) An undertaking or power to give, maintain, or protect collateral to secure payment;
(B) an authorization or power to the holder to confess judgment or realize on or dispose of collateral, or
(C) a waiver of the benefit of any law intended for the advantage or protection of an obligor.
(b) Instrument. — Means a negotiable instrument.
(c) An order that meets all of the requirements of subsection (a) of this section, except clause (1) of subsection (a) of this section, and otherwise falls within the definition of “check” in subsection (f) of this section is a negotiable instrument and a check.
(d) A promise or order other than a check is not an instrument if, at the time it is issued or first comes into possession of a holder, it contains a conspicuous statement, however expressed, to the effect that the promise or order is not negotiable or is not an instrument governed by §§ 501-755 of this title.
(e) An instrument is a “note” if it is a promise and is a “draft” if it is an order. If an instrument falls within the definition of both “note” and “draft,” a person entitled to enforce the instrument may treat it as either.
(f) Check. — Means:
(1) A draft, other than a documentary draft, payable on demand and drawn on a bank, or
(2) a cashier’s check or teller’s check. An instrument may be a check even though it is described on its face by another term, such as “money order.”
(g) Cashier’s check. — Means a draft with respect to which the drawer and drawee are the same bank or branches of the same bank.
(h) Teller’s check. — Means a draft drawn by a bank:
(1) On another bank, or
(2) payable at or through a bank.
(i) Traveler’s check. — Means an instrument that:
(1) Is payable on demand;
(2) is drawn on or payable at or through a bank;
(3) is designated by the term “traveler’s check” or by a substantially similar term, and
(4) requires, as a condition to payment, a countersignature by a person whose specimen signature appears on the instrument.
(j) Certificate of deposit. — Means an instrument containing an acknowledgment by a bank that a sum of money has been received by the bank and a promise by the bank to repay the sum of money. A certificate of deposit is a note of the bank.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 2-104; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 43 - General Provisions (§§ 501 — 755) › Subchapter I - General Provisions and Definitions (§§ 501 — 519) › § 505 - [Issuance] of instrument

(a) Issue. — Means the first delivery of an instrument by the maker or drawer, whether to a holder or nonholder, for the purpose of giving rights on the instrument to any person.
(b) An unissued instrument, or an unissued incomplete instrument that is completed, is binding on the maker or drawer, but nonissuance is a defense. An instrument that is conditionally issued or is issued for a special purpose is binding on the maker or drawer, but failure of the condition or special purpose to be fulfilled is a defense.
(c) Issuer. — Applies to issued and unissued instruments and means a maker or drawer of an instrument.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 2-105; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 43 - General Provisions (§§ 501 — 755) › Subchapter I - General Provisions and Definitions (§§ 501 — 519) › § 506 - Unconditional promise or order

(a) Except as provided in this section, for the purposes of § 504(a) of this title, a promise or order is unconditional unless it states: (1) an express condition to payment, (2) that the promise or order is subject to or governed by another writing, or (3) that rights or obligations with respect to the promise or order are stated in another writing. A reference to another writing does not of itself make the promise or order conditional.
(b) A promise or order is not made conditional: (1) by a reference to another writing for a statement of rights with respect to collateral, prepayment, or acceleration, or (2) because payment is limited to resort to a particular fund or source.
(c) If a promise or order requires, as a condition to payment, a countersignature by a person whose specimen signature appears on the promise or order, the condition does not make the promise or order conditional for the purposes of § 504(a) of this title. If the person whose specimen signature appears on an instrument fails to countersign the instrument, the failure to countersign is a defense to the obligation of the issuer, but the failure does not prevent a transferee of the instrument from becoming a holder of the instrument.
(d) If a promise or order at the time it is issued or first comes into possession of a holder contains a statement, required by applicable statutory or administrative law, to the effect that the rights of a holder or transferee are subject to claims or defenses that the issuer could assert against the original payee, the promise or order is not thereby made conditional for the purposes of § 504(a) of this title; but if the promise or order is an instrument, there cannot be a holder in due course of the instrument.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 2-106; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 43 - General Provisions (§§ 501 — 755) › Subchapter I - General Provisions and Definitions (§§ 501 — 519) › § 507 - Instrument payable in foreign money

Unless the instrument otherwise provides, an instrument that states the amount payable in foreign money may be paid in the foreign money or in an equivalent amount in dollars calculated by using the current bank-offered spot rate at the place of payment for the purchase of dollars on the day on which the instrument is paid.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 2-107; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 43 - General Provisions (§§ 501 — 755) › Subchapter I - General Provisions and Definitions (§§ 501 — 519) › § 508 - Payable on demand or at definite time

(a) A promise or order is “payable on demand” if it: (1) states that it is payable on demand or at sight, or otherwise indicates that it is payable at the will of the holder, or (2) does not state any time of payment.
(b) A promise or order is “payable at a definite time” if it is payable on elapse of a definite period of time after sight or acceptance or at a fixed date or dates or at a time or times readily ascertainable at the time the promise or order is issued, subject to rights of: (1) prepayment, (2) acceleration, (3) extension at the option of the holder, or (4) extension to a further definite time at the option of the maker or acceptor or automatically upon or after a specified act or event.
(c) If an instrument, payable at a fixed date, is also payable upon demand made before the fixed date, the instrument is payable on demand until the fixed date and, if demand for payment is not made before that date, becomes payable at a definite time on the fixed date.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 2-108; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 43 - General Provisions (§§ 501 — 755) › Subchapter I - General Provisions and Definitions (§§ 501 — 519) › § 509 - Payable to bearer or to order

(a) A promise or order is payable to bearer if it:
(1) States that it is payable to bearer or to the order of bearer or otherwise indicates that the person in possession of the promise or order is entitled to payment;
(2) does not state a payee, or
(3) states that it is payable to or to the order of cash or otherwise indicates that it is not payable to an identified person.
(b) A promise or order that is not payable to bearer is payable to order if it is payable: (1) to the order of an identified person, or (2) to an identified person or order. A promise or order that is payable to order is payable to the identified person.
(c) An instrument payable to bearer may become payable to an identified person if it is specially indorsed pursuant to § 555(a) of this title. An instrument payable to an identified person may become payable to bearer if it is indorsed in blank pursuant to § 555(b) of this title.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 2-109; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 43 - General Provisions (§§ 501 — 755) › Subchapter I - General Provisions and Definitions (§§ 501 — 519) › § 511 - Place of payment

Except as otherwise provided for items in §§ 801-1004 of this title, an instrument is payable at the place of payment stated in the instrument. If no place of payment is stated, an instrument is payable at the address of the drawee or maker stated in the instrument. If no address is stated, the place of payment is the place of business of the drawee or maker. If a drawee or maker has more than one place of business, the place of payment is any place of business of the drawee or maker chosen by the person entitled to enforce the instrument. If the drawee or maker has no place of business, the place of payment is the residence of the drawee or maker.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 2-111; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 43 - General Provisions (§§ 501 — 755) › Subchapter I - General Provisions and Definitions (§§ 501 — 519) › § 512 - Interest

(a) Unless otherwise provided in the instrument: (i) an instrument is not payable with interest, and (ii) interest on an interest-bearing instrument is payable from the date of the instrument.
(b) Interest may be stated in an instrument as a fixed or variable amount of money or it may be expressed as a fixed or variable rate or rates. The amount or rate of interest may be stated or described in the instrument in any manner and may require reference to information not contained in the instrument. If an instrument provides for interest, but the amount of interest payable cannot be ascertained from the description, interest is payable at the judgment rate in effect at the place of payment of the instrument and at the time interest first accrues.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 2-112; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 43 - General Provisions (§§ 501 — 755) › Subchapter I - General Provisions and Definitions (§§ 501 — 519) › § 513 - Date of instrument

(a) An instrument may be antedated or postdated. The date stated determines the time of payment if the instrument is payable at a fixed period after [the] date. Except as provided in § 951(c) of this title, an instrument payable on demand is not payable before the date of the instrument.
(b) If an instrument is undated, its date is the date of its issue or, in the case of an unissued instrument, the date it first comes into possession of a holder.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 2-113; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 43 - General Provisions (§§ 501 — 755) › Subchapter I - General Provisions and Definitions (§§ 501 — 519) › § 514 - Contradictory terms of instrument

If an instrument contains contradictory terms, typewritten terms prevail over printed terms, handwritten terms prevail over both, and words prevail over numbers.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 2-114; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 43 - General Provisions (§§ 501 — 755) › Subchapter I - General Provisions and Definitions (§§ 501 — 519) › § 515 - Incomplete instrument

(a) Incomplete instrument. — Means a signed writing, whether or not issued by the signer, the contents of which show at the time of signing that it is incomplete but that the signer intended it to be completed by the addition of words or numbers.
(b) Subject to subsection (c) of this section, if an incomplete instrument is an instrument under § 504 of this title, it may be enforced according to its terms if it is not completed, or according to its terms as augmented by completion. If an incomplete instrument is not an instrument under § 504 of this title, but, after completion, the requirements of § 504 of this title are met, the instrument may be enforced according to its terms as augmented by completion.
(c) If words or numbers are added to an incomplete instrument without authority of the signer, there is an alteration of the incomplete instrument under § 657 of this title.
(d) The burden of establishing that words or numbers were added to an incomplete instrument without authority of the signer is on the person asserting the lack of authority.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 2-115; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 43 - General Provisions (§§ 501 — 755) › Subchapter I - General Provisions and Definitions (§§ 501 — 519) › § 516 - Joint and several liability; contribution

(a) Except as otherwise provided in the instrument, two (2) or more persons who have the same liability on an instrument as makers, drawers, acceptors, indorsers who indorse as joint payees, or anomalous indorsers are jointly and severally liable in the capacity in which they sign.
(b) Except as provided in § 669(e) of this title or by agreement of the affected parties, a party having joint and several liability who pays the instrument is entitled to receive from any party having the same joint and several liability contribution in accordance with applicable law in this jurisdiction.
(c) Discharge of one party having joint and several liability by a person entitled to enforce the instrument does not affect the right under subsection (b) of this section of a party having the same joint and several liability to receive contribution from the party discharged.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 2-116; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 43 - General Provisions (§§ 501 — 755) › Subchapter I - General Provisions and Definitions (§§ 501 — 519) › § 517 - Other agreements affecting instrument

Subject to applicable law regarding exclusion of proof of contemporaneous or previous agreements, the obligation of a party to an instrument to pay the instrument may be modified, supplemented, or nullified by a separate agreement of the obligor and a person entitled to enforce the instrument, if the instrument is issued or the obligation is incurred in reliance on the agreement or as part of the same transaction giving rise to the agreement. To the extent an obligation is modified, supplemented, or nullified by an agreement under this section, the agreement is a defense to the obligation.
History —Aug. 17, 1995, No. 208, § 2-117; Aug. 31, 1996, No. 176, § 2.