First Buyer vs. Seller: Contract Breach and Prior Registration Conflict

A seller, having contracted to sell an immovable property to a buyer with a promise to transfer ownership upon full payment, subsequently sold the same property to a third party who completed the registration of their deed prior to the first buyer. The first buyer sued the seller for breach of contract and demanded rescission of the sale and damages, arguing that the seller's prior sale to the third party rendered full performance impossible. The court held that the first buyer, having only a contractual right, could not oppose the second buyer who had perfected their right to ownership through prior registration, as the principle of *res inter alios acta* means that the second sale, though a breach of contract toward the first buyer, was valid between the contracting parties, thus affirming the trial court's dismissal of the claim for rescission and upholding the award of damages solely for breach of the promise to sell.