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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Enforcement OF Estate Obligations Probate Courts Power TO Execute Sales Agreements
Timeshare Contracts and SEC Registration: What Buyers Should Know
Supreme Court clarifies that unregistered timeshare sales violate the Securities Act, and buyers may rescind such contracts.
Equitable Mortgage vs Sale With Right of Repurchase: How Courts Classify Real Estate Deals
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a sale with option to repurchase is an equitable mortgage, and how to rebut the legal presumption.
Equitable Mortgage vs Sale With Right to Repurchase: Price and Intent
When is a "sale with right to repurchase" really an equitable mortgage? The Supreme Court explains the role of price adequacy and intent.
Perfecting a Contract of Sale: Price and Payment Terms in Real Estate Transactions
Learn how Philippine courts treat price and payment terms in contracts of sale, and what makes a sale perfected and binding.
Perfected Sale vs Contract to Sell: Distinguishing Ownership Transfer in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the difference between a contract of sale and a contract to sell, and when ownership actually transfers to the buyer.
Proving Illegal Sale of Shabu: The Role of Informants and Buy-Bust Operations
A Supreme Court ruling explains what prosecutors must prove in illegal drug sales cases and when an informant's testimony is dispensable.
The Boundaries of Buy-Bust Operations: Safeguarding Rights in Drug Sale Convictions
The Supreme Court clarifies the rules on buy-bust operations, evidence, and penalties in illegal drug sale cases under Philippine law.
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.
Unjust Enrichment in Foreclosure: A Mortgagee's Duty to Return Excess Proceeds
The Supreme Court ruled that a bank must return surplus proceeds from an extrajudicial foreclosure sale and cannot unilaterally apply them to unsecured debts.
Untimely Appeal Dooms Land Dispute: Finality of Judgments and Prior Registered Liens
The Court explains when a missed appeal is fatal, why judgments must become final, and how a registered execution levy beats an unregistered sale.
Genuine Sale vs Equitable Mortgage: When a Deed of Sale Stands in Land Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies when a deed of sale is genuine and not an equitable mortgage, and how buyers in good faith are protected in land disputes.
Writ of Possession Annulment Case Does NOT Halt Ex Parte Issuance
The Supreme Court affirms that a pending annulment of foreclosure sale does not stop the ex parte issuance of a writ of possession.
Equitable Mortgage vs Absolute Sale: Intent and Prescription in Property Disputes
Supreme Court clarifies when a sale is an equitable mortgage and why fraud claims can prescribe. Learn the rules.
FAX Transmissions Are Not Electronic Evidence: MCC Industrial Sales v. Ssangyong
The Supreme Court clarifies that ordinary fax transmissions are not electronic evidence under R.A. 8792, but photocopies may still be admitted under the Rules of Court.
Sale vs Equitable Mortgage: When a Deed of Sale Is Considered a Loan
Philippine Supreme Court explains when a deed of absolute sale may be treated as an equitable mortgage or loan, and when courts will uphold the sale.
Double Sale of Immovable Property: Good Faith as the Decisive Factor in Land Ownership Disputes
Learn how good faith determines ownership in double sale cases under Philippine law, and what buyers must do to protect their property rights.
Double Sale OF Registered Land Good Faith Registration Prevails
Double Sale of Land: Priority of Registered Title in Good Faith
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on double sale of land: who owns the property when the same parcel is sold twice.
Partitioning Property Understanding Co-Ownership and Heirs' Rights in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine law resolves double sales of inherited property, the role of registration, and heirs' rights in co-ownership disputes.
Mootness in Corporate Mergers: SSS Investment Disposition Examined
When a corporate merger dissolves the subject shares, a case over their sale becomes moot. The Supreme Court explains.
Double Sale Doctrine, Good Faith Registration, and Forged Deeds in Philippine Land Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies when the double sale rule applies and why good faith registration cannot cure a forged deed in land disputes.
When Foreclosure Becomes Inevitable: Understanding the Limits of Injunctive Relief
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when courts cannot stop a government bank's foreclosure, and why a completed sale makes an injunction pointless.
Auction Sale Perfection and Judicial Discretion: Lessons from Dizon v. Dizon
When is a bid at an auction sale final? The Supreme Court clarifies the rules on auction perfection and judicial discretion in Dizon v. Dizon.