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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Laches and Land Ownership: Registered Titles Prevail Despite Delayed Action
The Supreme Court clarifies that laches cannot bar a registered landowner's right to recover property, reaffirming the strength of Torrens titles.
Bad Faith in Unregistered Land Sales and Trust Disputes: Belle Corp. v. De Leon-Banks
When can a buyer of unregistered land be sued for bad faith? The Supreme Court clarifies pleading rules in trust and property disputes.
Navigating Land Disputes When Unproven Sales Fail Against Registered Titles
A Supreme Court ruling on why unproven deeds of sale cannot defeat registered land titles, and the limits of prescription in land disputes.
Good Faith and Torrens System Limits to Protection for Purchasers of Registered Land in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on emancipation patents, Torrens titles, and the limits of good faith protection for land purchasers.
Prescription and Laches in Land Disputes: Understanding Time Limits to Protect Your Property Rights
The Supreme Court explains when actions for reconveyance of registered land prescribe and how laches can bar claims, even those based on forged titles.
Buyer Beware: Due Diligence in Philippine Real Estate Transactions
The Supreme Court reminds buyers of registered land that a title is not enough—due diligence requires inquiry beyond its four corners.
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.
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.
Torrens System Prevails: Registered Land Protected Against Adverse Claims
When registered land is sold to innocent buyers, claims of long possession cannot defeat the Torrens title, the Supreme Court rules.
Protecting Registered Landowners: Injunction Against Unlawful Property Seizure
When can a registered landowner stop a sheriff from enforcing a writ of execution? The Supreme Court explains the limits of lis pendens and the protection of Torrens titles.
Lis Pendens and Fraudulent Patents: When a Buyer Is Not in Good Faith
The Supreme Court explains when a notice of lis pendens defeats a claim of good faith purchase of registered land.
Defective Document Repudiates Land Sale Preserving Torrens Title Integrity
A photocopied deed with irregular notarial details cannot defeat a Torrens title. The Supreme Court explains when laches applies to registered land.
Estate Claims and Procedural Rules: Balancing Legal Technicalities With Justice
Heirs of a registered landowner can recover property despite delay; prescription and laches do not bar Torrens title claims.
Heirs Can Invoke Imprescriptibility of Torrens Titles for Inherited Land
Supreme Court rules heirs inherit the right to claim registered land without prescription, even after long possession by another party.
Unregistered Land Sale Loses To Registered Levy Protecting Third Party Rights
Learn how buying unregistered land during litigation can bind buyers to court rulings, and why registered levies protect third-party rights.
Reversion Suit Barred: Protecting Land Titles From Delayed Government Action
Learn how the Supreme Court protects registered land titles from belated government reversion suits, ensuring stability and security of land ownership.
Double Sale OF Registered Land Good Faith Registration Prevails
Torrens Title vs. Laches: When Delay Bars a Quieting of Title Claim
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on whether laches can bar a quieting of title action over registered land, and the limits of Torrens title protection.
Mortgage on Unregistered Land in the Philippines: Risks and Due Diligence for Banks and Borrowers
Learn the risks of mortgaging unregistered land in the Philippines and the due diligence banks and borrowers must perform before foreclosure.
Verbal Promises and Land Ownership: Why Word of Honor Fails in Philippine Property Disputes
A Torrens title is indefeasible. Learn how the Supreme Court ruled that verbal promises cannot defeat a registered landowner's rights in the Philippines.
Forged Deeds and Property Rights: Protecting Your Land Title in the Philippines
A forged deed cannot transfer ownership. Learn how Philippine courts protect registered landowners from fraudulent sales.
Eminent Domain and Injunction: Protecting Property Rights in the Philippines
Explore how the Supreme Court protected a registered landowner's rights against the government's expropriation claim in Federated Realty v. Republic.
Buyer Beware: The Limits of Good Faith in Land Purchases When Red Flags Appear
When buying registered land, good faith has limits. Learn when red flags defeat a buyer's claim of innocence in Philippine property law.
Torrens Title vs Adverse Possession: Protecting Property Rights in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies how registered land under the Torrens system is protected against adverse possession claims.