Legal Insights

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.

Clean Hands Doctrine Bars Relief in Alleged Illegal Land Ownership Case

Philippine Supreme Court applies clean hands doctrine to deny claims based on alleged illegal foreign land ownership arrangements.

Extinguishment of Easement When Ownership Unites Rights May Fade

When one person owns both the dominant and servient estates, an easement of right of way may be extinguished by operation of law.

Foreshore Land Claims: Proving Ownership Against Government Reversion Suits

Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when the government can cancel free patents over alleged foreshore lands, and the burden of proof in reversion cases.

Adverse Possession Claim OF Title AND THE Acquisition OF Land Ownership

Good Faith vs Torrens Title Resolving Land Ownership Disputes in the Philippines

Philippine Supreme Court ruling on whether a Torrens title or a deed of sale prevails in land possession disputes.

Adverse Possession Claiming Ownership Through Continuous USE

Good Faith and Land Titles: Resolving Ownership Disputes in the Philippines

Learn how the Supreme Court balances Torrens titles against good faith in ownership disputes, and why buyers must investigate suspicious circumstances.

Prior Title Prevails Resolving Land Ownership Disputes Through Registration Date

Retention Rights Under Agrarian Reform: Balancing Land Ownership and Social Justice

The Supreme Court clarifies when landowners can retain land under agrarian reform, applying restrictions from LOI 474 to RA 6657.

Ejectment Actions Ownership Disputes DO NOT Suspend Ejectment Proceedings

Filing an ownership dispute does not suspend an ejectment case. The Supreme Court explains why in Samonte v. Century Savings Bank.

Reconveyance and Good Faith: Protecting Land Ownership in the Philippines

A Supreme Court ruling clarifies reconveyance actions, good faith purchasers, and why registration alone does not vest land ownership in the Philippines.

Reconveyance and Good Faith: Protecting Land Ownership in the Philippines

A look at how Philippine courts handle reconveyance actions, good faith purchasers, and the limits of Torrens titles in land disputes.

Forcible Entry: Prior Possession Matters More Than Land Ownership

Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that in forcible entry cases, prior physical possession—not ownership—determines who stays on the property.

Dacion en Pago Perfecting Ownership Despite Prior Encumbrances

Philippine Supreme Court ruling on dacion en pago, mortgage liens, and the right to compel surrender of a certificate of title.

Unregistered Land Sales: Why Registration Matters in Ownership Disputes

A Supreme Court ruling explains why an unregistered deed of sale cannot bind third parties in property disputes over unregistered land.

Resolving Church Disputes: Jurisdiction and the Right to Possess Religious Property

A Supreme Court ruling clarifies that ejectment cases involving church property are not intra-corporate disputes, and explains the limits of ownership claims.

Rental Income in Co-Ownership Disputes: Protecting Rights During Partition

When co-owners dispute rental income during a partition case, courts can order deposits to protect rights—but only within proper limits.

Protecting Public Assets: Court Approves Conversion of Coconut Levy-Funded Shares Amidst Ownership Dispute

The Supreme Court allows converting sequestered SMC shares into preferred shares to protect public assets during the coconut levy ownership dispute.

Residency vs. Domicile in Philippine Elections: The Pundaodaya Ruling

The Supreme Court clarifies that voter registration and property ownership do not prove election residency, which legally means domicile.

Prior Possession Prevails in Forcible Entry Disputes: The Lopez v. Espinosa Case

The Supreme Court clarifies that prior physical possession, not ownership, determines forcible entry cases, even when the intruder holds title.

Untangling Title Disputes: Prescription, Laches, and Diligence in Land Ownership Claims

A Supreme Court ruling on how prescription and laches bar late claims to registered land, even when fraud is alleged.

Protecting Property Rights: The Validity of Sales by Thumbprint in Philippine Law

Explaining the Supreme Court ruling that a thumbmark on a deed of sale is valid consent, and the duty of buyers to verify ownership.

Unlawful Detainer: Prior Tolerance Not Required When Encroachment Is Discovered Later

Supreme Court clarifies when prior tolerance is needed in unlawful detainer cases, and how ownership claims affect ejectment suits.