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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Property Rights in Cohabitation: Ownership Rules for Unmarried Couples in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine law divides property for unmarried couples, the limits on donations, and key lessons from the Agapay case.
Void Sales and Repurchase Agreements: Property Rights in the Philippines
When a seller has no title, the sale is void—and so is any right to repurchase. Learn the rules from a Supreme Court case.
Equitable Mortgage vs Sale: Protecting Property Rights in Philippine Ejectment Cases
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a deed of sale is actually an equitable mortgage, and how courts may rule on ownership in ejectment suits.
Equitable Mortgage vs Absolute Sale: Protecting Property Rights in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine courts distinguish equitable mortgages from absolute sales to protect property owners from hidden credit arrangements.
Family Disputes and Property Rights: Extrajudicial Settlements and Reconveyance
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when family members must attempt compromise before suing and how reconveyance works for wrongfully registered property.
Foreclosure Sales Ensuring Validity AND Protecting Property Rights IN THE Philippines
Learn how Philippine courts validate foreclosure sales and protect property rights through strict procedural compliance and equitable remedies.
Prior Land Title Prevails: Property Rights and Good Faith in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on ejectment, lease obligations, and why historical landmark status does not override property rights.
Combating Land Title Fraud: Reopening Decrees and Protecting Property Rights in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies that reconstituted titles obtained through fraudulent or defective proceedings are void and cannot defeat actual possession.
Reconstitution of Land Titles: Ensuring Validity and Protecting Property Rights in the Philippines
Learn the strict requirements for judicial reconstitution of lost land titles under R.A. 26 and why non-compliance voids the proceedings.
Equitable Mortgage vs Absolute Sale: Protecting Property Rights in the Philippines
When is a deed of sale actually an equitable mortgage? The Supreme Court explains the legal presumption protecting property owners.
Land Ownership Disputes: How Government Reservations Affect Property Rights in the Philippines
Learn how government reservations like national parks affect land ownership rights in the Philippines, based on a landmark Supreme Court ruling.
Lis Pendens in the Philippines: Preventing Multiple Lawsuits and Wasted Resources
Learn how lis pendens works in the Philippines to prevent multiple lawsuits, protect property rights, and avoid wasted judicial resources.
Encroachment Disputes: Property Rights and Ejectment in the Philippines
When a neighbor's house encroaches on your land, can you file ejectment? The Supreme Court explains your rights and remedies.
Execution of Judgments: Timelines, Third-Party Claims, and Property Rights in the Philippines
Understand the five-year rule for executing judgments, third-party claims, and why a buyer's title can be upheld despite procedural delays.
Buyer Beware Protecting Yourself From Land Title Fraud IN THE Philippines
Learn how Philippine courts view taxpayer suits and land transactions, and what this means for protecting property rights.
Forged Deeds and Property Rights: Understanding Acquisitive Prescription in the Philippines
Can a forged deed ripen into ownership through prescription? The Supreme Court explains why bad faith blocks acquisitive prescription on titled land.
Ownership Disputes and Government Sequestration: Protecting Property Rights After PCGG Lifting
When the government sequesters property, owners may face long battles to reclaim it. This case clarifies the finality of delisting orders.
Injunctions and Property Rights: When Courts Will Intervene
A clear property right is essential for an injunction. The Supreme Court explains the rules in Far East Bank v. Court of Appeals.
Protecting Your Property Rights: The Importance of Notice in Title Cancellation Cases
A Supreme Court ruling reminds courts that property owners with annotated interests must be notified before cancellation of title entries.
Land Disputes When Informal Agreements Fail Understanding Property Rights in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why informal land agreements without formal deeds do not defeat ejectment suits or transfer ownership.