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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Builders in Good Faith: Resolving Land Ownership Disputes and Improvement Rights
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies rights of builders in good faith when land ownership is disputed, applying Civil Code articles on accession.
Possession vs Ownership: Resolving Land Disputes in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on land disputes, possession, accretion, and Torrens title conclusiveness explained in plain language.
Ejectment Cases and Land Ownership: When Prior Possession Does Not Bar Unlawful Detainer
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on unlawful detainer, COSLAP jurisdiction, and Torrens title imprescriptibility in Cayabyab v. Gomez de Aquino.
Inheritance Disputes: Redemption, Co-Ownership, and Prescription in Family Estates
When one heir redeems family property, does she own it? The Supreme Court clarifies co-ownership, prescription, and reimbursement rules.
Indefeasibility of Title: Why Land Ownership Can't Be Attacked Decades After Registration
A Torrens title becomes incontrovertible after one year. Learn why a collateral attack on a 1973 title failed in Ingusan v. Heirs of Reyes.
Contract to Sell vs Contract of Sale: How Ownership Transfers in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court explains the key difference between a contract to sell and a contract of sale, and when property ownership actually transfers.
Jurisdictional Boundaries Resolving Ownership Issues In Forcible Entry Cases
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that MTCs retain jurisdiction over forcible entry cases even when ownership issues arise, resolving only for possession.
Unlawful Detainer: Proving Possession and Ownership Claims in Ejectment Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on unlawful detainer cases, possession vs. ownership claims, and evidence rules in ejectment proceedings.
Prior Possession vs Ownership: Resolving Property Disputes in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the distinction between forcible entry, accion publiciana, and accion reivindicatoria in property disputes.
Res Judicata and Land Ownership: Why a Final Judgment Bars Relitigation
A final judgment on land ownership bars relitigation through res judicata. Learn how the doctrine protects Torrens titles from collateral attacks.
From Public Land to Private Right: Establishing Land Ownership Through Acquisitive Prescription
How long possession of alienable public land can ripen into private ownership, explained through a 2007 Supreme Court ruling.
Prescription AND Implied Trusts When Possession AND Time Determine Land Ownership
Prior Possession Prevails in Forcible Entry: Claudio v. Quebral
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that in forcible entry cases, prior physical possession—not ownership—determines who recovers the property.
Possession Beyond Ownership: Constructive Possession in Drug Cases
The Supreme Court explains constructive possession in drug cases—control and dominion matter more than ownership. Learn the rules from Quelnan v. People.
Upholding Ejectment: Why Ownership Disputes Don't Halt Possession Orders
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that pending ownership cases do not stop execution of ejectment judgments, protecting the summary nature of unlawful detainer.
Express Trusts in Property Disputes: When Co-Ownership Prevails Over Title
Learn how express trusts can override technical title in Philippine property disputes, and what co-owners must prove.
Res Judicata and Property Disputes: Why a Final Judgment Bars a Second Suit
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains how res judicata prevents relitigation of property ownership after a final judgment.
Public Land Rights Municipal Powers VS State Ownership IN Land Disputes
Formal Offer of Evidence: Why Failure Can End a Land Ownership Case
A missed deadline to formally offer evidence can doom a land dispute. Learn the rule from Heirs of Pasag v. Parocha.
Resolutory Conditions and Airport Expansion: Land Ownership Reversion in Philippine Law
When government stops using expropriated land for its stated purpose, ownership may revert to the original owner under a resolutory condition.
Overcoming Documentary Evidence Proving True Ownership IN Philippine Property Disputes
Learn how Philippine courts weigh documentary evidence in property disputes, and how to overcome challenges to prove true ownership.
Can Co-Owned Property Be Sold When One Owner Refuses? A Philippine Case Study
Explore when co-owned property can be sold against an owner's wishes, plus key lessons from a Philippine Supreme Court ruling on ownership disputes.
Public Land vs Private Rights: Resolving Fishpond Ownership Disputes in the Philippines
Supreme Court ruling on fishpond sales patents, public land classification, and the limits of government reversion actions.
Paraphernal Property vs Conjugal: When Improvements Don't Change Ownership
When does a wife's inherited land become conjugal property? The Supreme Court clarifies the rule on improvements in Heirs of Vicente Reyes.