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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Balancing Landlord Rights and Tenant Protection When Personal Use Justifies Eviction
Explore how Philippine courts balance a landlord's need to repossess property for personal use against a tenant's rights under urban land reform laws.
When Police Power Oversteps: The Marikina Fence Ordinance and Property Rights
The Supreme Court struck down Marikina's fence ordinance as an oppressive exercise of police power, protecting private property and privacy rights.
Public Easements in Land Disputes: Private Rights vs Public Welfare
The Supreme Court clarifies that 3-meter easements along rivers and streams are public property, limiting private landowner rights.
Estafa and Erroneous Designation of Offended Party in Property Offenses
When a wrong name appears in an estafa charge, the accused's right to be informed may still be protected. Learn the rules.
Movable or Immovable: How Mortgage Agreements Define Property in Foreclosure
A Supreme Court ruling on whether machineries are movable or immovable property in mortgage foreclosures, explained in plain language.
Balancing Due Process and Anti-Money Laundering: Freeze Orders and Property Rights
Supreme Court rules indefinite freeze orders violate due process; six-month extension limit applies under the Rule in Civil Forfeiture Cases.
Annulment of Judgment: Extrinsic Fraud and Due Process in Property Disputes
When a property owner loses title without notice, annulment of judgment may lie. The Supreme Court clarifies extrinsic fraud and due process rules.
Annulment of Judgment Protects Due Process in Property Disputes
Supreme Court clarifies that failure to state "extrinsic fraud" verbatim does not doom a petition for annulment of judgment.
Void Writ of Execution: Supreme Court Nullifies Property Seizure and Auction
A void writ of execution invalidates all actions taken under it, including property levies and auction sales. Learn the rules.
Protecting Land Ownership: The Limits of Good Faith in Real Estate Transactions
The Supreme Court clarifies when a property owner's claim of fraud in a real estate mortgage fails for lack of evidence.
Rescission Rights When Developers Fail to Deliver on Property Sales
Buyers who fully paid for a lot can rescind the contract and recover the property's market value when the developer fails to deliver title.
Challenging Residency Claims: The Supreme Court on Election Eligibility
A candidate's one-year residency requirement for local office demands clear proof of domicile, not just property ownership or voter registration.
Banks Must Exercise Higher Diligence: Land Bank v. Poblete on Mortgage in Bad Faith
When a bank accepts a mortgage over property it failed to verify, it risks losing protection as a mortgagee in good faith.
Co-Ownership, Partition, and Prescription in Disputed Land Titles: Key Lessons from Figuracion
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies co-owners' rights to partition property, the limits of prescription, and why Torrens titles are not absolute.
Land Reclassification and Agrarian Reform: Prior Local Government Authority Prevails
Local government reclassification of land before June 15, 1988 can exempt property from CARP coverage, as the Supreme Court clarified in Heirs of Luna v. Afable.
Parking Liability When Negligence Doesn't Extend to the Property Owner
When a car is stolen from a paid parking lot, who pays? The Supreme Court explains when the property owner escapes liability.
Reconstitution of Lost Titles: Why Original Documents Matter for Property Ownership
Philippine Supreme Court explains strict requirements for reconstituting lost land titles under RA 26, emphasizing original documents over substitutes.
Mandatory Injunctions When Possession of Titles Must Be Returned
When can a court order the return of property titles before trial? The Supreme Court explains the rules on preliminary mandatory injunctions.
Redemption Rights Upheld: SSS Bound by Repurchase Agreement Despite Procedural Lapses
Supreme Court rules SSS must honor deed of conditional sale for foreclosed property, despite expired redemption period and internal procedural lapses.
Breach of Lease: Lessor’s Duty to Ensure Peaceful Enjoyment of Property
When can a lessee rescind a lease? The Supreme Court explains the lessor's duty to maintain peaceful enjoyment of the property.
Quieting OF Title Establishing Legal OR Equitable Interest IN Property
Mortgagee in Good Faith Doctrine Protects Banks Despite Simulated Property Sales
Philippine Supreme Court rules banks can retain mortgage rights even when mortgagors' titles trace back to simulated sales, if bank acted in good faith.
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.
Unraveling Sequestration When Government Claims Meet Private Property Rights IN THE Philippines
The Supreme Court upheld key provisions of the Migrant Workers Act, including illegal recruitment penalties and the joint liability rule for corporate officers.