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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Public Use Prevails Over Private Claims in Road Right-of-Way Dispute
Supreme Court rules that road rights-of-way are public dominion property, and private claimants cannot demand just compensation for land never validly acquired.
Eminent Domain and Just Compensation: Valuing Property at the Time of Taking
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling that just compensation for expropriated property is valued at the time of taking, not when the complaint is filed.
Inheritance Limits: Heirs' Liability in Property Disputes Clarified
The Supreme Court rules that heirs impleaded in property cases are liable only up to their inherited shares, not beyond.
Ownership Disputes: When a Lawyer Cannot Acquire a Client's Property in Litigation
The Supreme Court suspends a lawyer for acquiring property in litigation and selling client land without authority—key rules for family property disputes.
Easement Rights and Property Development: Clarifying Limits and Obligations in Construction Projects
Understand how the Supreme Court distinguishes reversion from annulment of titles, and what this means for property owners and developers.
Grave Misconduct for Teachers Who Leased School Property Without Authority
Supreme Court holds school officials liable for grave misconduct for unauthorized lease of school premises, affirming dismissal from service.
Breach of Public Trust: Unauthorized School Lease Leads to Dismissal
Public school officials dismissed for grave misconduct after leasing school property without authority and mishandling funds. Learn the legal rules.
Forged Signatures and Imprescriptibility in Co-Ownership Property Disputes
Forged deed transfers property by fraud; co-owner in possession can file imprescriptible quieting of title action.
Upholding Land Ownership After Fraudulent Free Patents and the Right to Reclaim Property
A Supreme Court ruling explains when builders on land they do not own are presumed in good faith, and why the landowner must choose between buying the house or selling the land.
Spousal Consent in Property Sales: Why a Sale Without Written Consent Is Void
Selling conjugal property without the other spouse's written consent is void under Philippine law. Learn the rules and buyer protections.
Eminent Domain and Just Compensation: Valuing Land Beyond BIR Zonal Valuation
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that BIR zonal values are mere guides, not binding limits, in determining just compensation for expropriated property.
Right of Way vs Just Compensation: Property Disputes in Infrastructure Projects
When government projects use private land, a pre-existing right of way can bar compensation claims. Learn the rules from a recent Supreme Court ruling.
Expropriation and Capital Gains Tax: Who Pays When Government Takes Property?
Supreme Court rules property owners, not the government, pay capital gains tax in expropriation cases. Learn the tax implications.
Constitutional Limits on Alien Land Ownership: Reversion of Property Acquired in Violation of the Constitution
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on reversion of land acquired by aliens in violation of the constitutional ban on foreign land ownership.
Perfecting Land Sales Understanding Contractual Obligations AND Legal Timelines IN Philippine Property LAW
Learn the legal rules on perfecting land sales in the Philippines, including contractual obligations and critical timelines under property law.
Protecting Public Interest: Fraudulent Land Patents and Prior Rights of Occupancy
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on tenant redemption rights, public property protection, and the limits of agrarian reform adjudication.
Senior Citizen and PWD Discounts: Police Power, Not Unconstitutional Taking
The Supreme Court upholds the 20% discount for senior citizens and PWDs as a valid exercise of police power, not an unconstitutional taking of property.
Upholding Land Ownership: Technicalities Yield to Substantive Rights in Property Disputes
SC rules procedural lapses cannot defeat a registered owner's right to recover property from tolerated occupants.
Tolerance Ends Land Recovery and the Limits of Procedural Technicalities in Property Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on recovery of possession, tolerance, and why procedural technicalities cannot defeat a registered owner's substantive rights.
Protecting Property Rights When Courts CAN Order Padlocks Pending Litigation
Learn when corporate rehabilitation stay orders can cover properties owned by stockholders, not just the corporation, under Philippine law.
Protecting Conjugal Property DUE Process IN Summons AND Third Party Claims
Co-Ownership and Lease Agreements: Property Rights After a Spouse's Death
Learn how the Supreme Court resolved lease, co-ownership, and property rights disputes after a spouse's death in Uy v. Estate of Vipa Fernandez.
Eminent Domain and Just Compensation: How Courts Value Expropriated Property
Philippine Supreme Court explains how courts determine just compensation in expropriation cases, using Republic v. Heirs of Santiago as guide.
Automatic Revocation Clauses in Donations: When Breach Immediately Returns the Property
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that automatic revocation clauses in donations take effect immediately upon breach, without need for judicial action.