Legal Insights

Creek Ownership and Land Disputes: Public vs. Private Property Rights

A Supreme Court ruling clarifies that creeks are public property, not private land, and how this affects boundary disputes.

Reconveyance Actions Protecting Land Ownership Despite Title Indefeasibility

Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that Torrens titles become indefeasible after one year, but reconveyance actions remain available to true owners.

When Possession Does Not Equal Ownership: Land Registration and the Alienable and Disposable Requirement

Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when possession of public land can ripen into ownership for registration under the Property Registration Decree.

Deed of Sale Valid Despite Misstated Price and Co-Ownership Limits

A deed of sale with a lower stated price remains binding; selling a portion of co-owned land transfers only the seller's ideal share.

Overlapping Land Titles: Registration Date and Reconstitution Validity in Philippine Property Law

Philippine Supreme Court clarifies how courts resolve conflicting land titles, weighing registration dates, reconstitution validity, and evidence of ownership.

When Can Heirs Sue for Partition: Co-Ownership Rules in Inheritance Disputes

Learn when heirs can demand partition of inherited property, the rules on co-ownership, and how Philippine courts resolve inheritance disputes.

Private Land VS Public Domain Protecting Ownership Rights Against Fraudulent Titles

RES Judicata Prevails When A Prior Judgment ON CO Ownership Blocks A Claim OF Illicit Relationship

Disputes in Land Ownership: The Indispensable Parties in Property Cases

Learn when co-owners and the State must be impleaded in property disputes, based on a Philippine Supreme Court ruling.

Reconstitution of Title: Proving Ownership and Loss Under RA 26

Philippine Supreme Court ruling on what evidence is required to reconstitute a lost or destroyed certificate of title under Republic Act No. 26.

Establishing Land Ownership The Critical Role of Property Identification in Acquisitive Prescription

Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why identifying the exact property is essential before claiming ownership through acquisitive prescription.

Tenancy Rights vs Ownership Claims: DARAB Jurisdiction in Agrarian Land Disputes

Supreme Court clarifies DARAB jurisdiction limits in agrarian disputes, distinguishing tenancy rights from administrative reallocation matters.

Ejectment Actions Ownership Claims DO NOT Oust Court Jurisdiction

Res Judicata and Property Disputes: When an Ejectment Case Does Not Bar a Later Ownership Claim

Explains when res judicata applies in property disputes, distinguishing ejectment from accion reinvindicatoria under Philippine law.

Res Judicata and Property Rights: When a Prior Judgment Does Not Bar a New Case

The Supreme Court explains when res judicata applies and why a dismissed ejectment case does not bar a later action to recover ownership.

Standing to Sue, Co-Ownership Authority, and the Demurrer to Evidence in Philippine Law

Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a co-owner may sue alone and why lack of authority is not a ground for demurrer to evidence.

Ejectment Actions Raising Ownership Issues Does NOT Oust MTC Jurisdiction

A lessee who raises ownership claims inside an ejectment suit cannot strip the MTC of jurisdiction. Find out the binding rule here.

Double Sale Doctrine: Prior Registration and Good Faith in Land Ownership Disputes

When two buyers claim the same land, who wins? The Supreme Court explains the double sale rule under Article 1544 and the crucial role of good faith and Torrens registration.

Prescription and Co-Ownership: When Long Possession Extinguishes Partition Rights

Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a co-owner's long, exclusive possession can extinguish the right to demand partition through prescription.

Double Sale of Land: Good Faith as the Decisive Factor in Ownership Disputes

In double sales of land, good faith determines ownership. The Supreme Court explains why a clean title alone does not protect a buyer who ignores visible occupants.

Squatters' Rights: Prior Possession Prevails in Ejectment Cases

Philippine Supreme Court rules that prior physical possession, not ownership, determines ejectment cases even between squatters on public land.

When a Deed of Absolute Sale Governs: Ejectment, Ownership, and the Kasunduan

The Supreme Court clarifies how courts resolve ejectment cases when a seller claims the deed of sale was incomplete, and what the Kasunduan means.

Confirming Land Titles: Possession Isnt Always Ownership

A Supreme Court ruling on search warrants clarifies that holding a Torrens title does not automatically mean ownership, and explains the limits of seizure.

Security of Tenure: Upholding Tenants' Rights Against Ejectment Despite Landowners' Claims

Philippine Supreme Court clarifies ejectment rules, provisional ownership resolution, and tenants' rights in unlawful detainer cases under Batas Pambansa Blg. 129.