Legal Insights
Plain-language guides and case briefs on Philippine law — researched from the firm's law library of 184,000+ statutes, Supreme Court decisions, and agency issuances, and written so non-lawyers can understand and act on them.
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Reconstitution of Lost Titles: Proving Ownership Through Deeds and Documents
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a lost land title may be reconstituted from a deed of transfer, and what evidence suffices.
Preliminary Injunction and Possession Rights: Maunlad Homes v. Union Bank
When can a property owner be barred from collecting rentals? The Supreme Court explains the limits of ownership rights versus possession in Maunlad Homes v. Union Bank.
Co-Ownership in the Philippines: Inheritance and Property Rights Explained
Understand co-ownership in Philippine inheritance law, including property rights, partition rules, and how courts resolve disputes among co-owners.
Trademark Ownership: Prior Use Trumps Earlier Filing in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that in trademark disputes, actual prior use in commerce prevails over an earlier filing date under RA 8293.
Foreshore Land vs Private Property: Clarifying Ownership Rights in Coastal Areas
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on possession, prescription, and jurisdiction in disputes over untitled coastal and ancestral lands.
Possession vs Ownership: When Land Status Determines Rights
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how land classification as public domain affects possessory rights and estoppel claims.
Quieting Title Establishing Ownership Despite Reconstituted Titles
Mortgaged Property Sales Upholding Ownership Rights Despite Unapproved Transfers
Encroachment Disputes and Land Ownership Rights: A Philippine Supreme Court Guide
The Supreme Court clarifies how registered owners can recover encroached land through accion reivindicatoria, demolition, and damages.
Friar Lands and Faulty Signatures: When Government Neglect Jeopardizes Land Ownership
The Supreme Court's Manotok ruling shows how documentary gaps in friar land sales can undermine even long-standing property claims.
Res Judicata and Land Ownership: When a Criminal Ruling Does Not Bind a Civil Case
A criminal conviction for theft does not automatically settle land ownership in a separate civil case. Learn how res judicata applies.
When a Deed Speaks Louder Than a Title: Co-Ownership and Reconveyance
A deed of reconveyance can establish co-ownership even when the certificate of title names only some owners. Learn the rule.
Acquisitive Prescription: Good Faith and Just Title in Land Ownership Disputes
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies that a compromise agreement and a sale made during litigation cannot establish the good faith and just title needed for ordinary acquisitive prescription.
Laches and Land Ownership: Protecting Established Rights Against Delayed Claims
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on accion publiciana, Torrens titles, and laches in land ownership disputes.
Proving Land Ownership: Open, Continuous Possession Since June 12, 1945 Required
Land registration requires proof of open, continuous possession since June 12, 1945, plus evidence the land is alienable and disposable.
Trust and Tax: Protecting Pension Funds Through Beneficial Ownership
How the Supreme Court protected a pension fund's tax-exempt income by recognizing beneficial ownership under Article 1452 of the Civil Code.
Oral Partition of Land: Proving Agreements and Challenging Ownership Claims
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on proving oral partition of inherited land, parol evidence rule, and where to litigate ownership claims in expropriation.
Challenging Notarized Documents in Philippine Property Co-Ownership Disputes
When can a notarized affidavit be challenged in a Philippine property dispute? The Supreme Court explains the limits of notarization.
Possession Follows Ownership Clearing Improvements After Land Reconveyance
When a court orders reconveyance of land, does possession automatically follow? The Supreme Court clarifies the rules on removing improvements.
When a Family Trust Fails: Proving Partnership and Ownership After Death
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies how to prove a partnership existed and who owns family assets when a relative dies without formal documents.
Prior Physical Possession Prevails in Forcible Entry Cases: Lagazo v. Soriano
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that prior physical possession, not ownership, decides forcible entry cases. Learn the rule from Lagazo v. Soriano.
Estafa and the Essence of Deceit: Delgado v. People Explained
The Supreme Court affirms that false pretenses, not ownership of funds, define estafa under Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code.
Prior Physical Possession Prevails: Understanding Forcible Entry in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies forcible entry rules: prior physical possession, not ownership, determines who stays on the property until lawful ejectment.
Double Sale or Ownership: Resolving Property Disputes in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine courts resolve property disputes, from double sales to registration issues, and what the Diaz v. Republic ruling means for landowners.