Contractual Relationship Governs Return of Items Over Property Law Claims

Where parties concerning demanded items are in a contractual relationship, the claim for return is determined solely by contractual rules, not property law rules, because the contract establishes a specific relative relationship that acts as a *lex specialis*. In the present dispute where one party claimed items were on loan and the other asserted they were a gift, the court reasoned that the pre-existing contractual link negated the need to examine underlying property rights (such as ownership under Art. 641 of the Civil Code or possessor presumptions under Art. 930 of the Civil Code), as the contractual obligations (e.g., under loan agreements governed by Art. 305 of the Code of Obligations) dictate the outcome.