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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Navigating Anti-Graft Laws in Philippine Government Transactions: Good Faith and Due Diligence
Learn how Philippine courts apply good faith and due diligence standards in government asset sales under the Anti-Graft Law.
Equitable Mortgage vs Pacto de Retro Sale: Philippine Real Estate Security Rules
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a deed of sale with right to repurchase is actually an equitable mortgage, protecting borrowers from losing property.
Meeting of Minds in Property Sales: Why Price Agreement Is Key in Philippine Contracts
Philippine contract law requires a meeting of minds on price for property sales. Learn from a Supreme Court ruling on consent and judicial ethics.
Equitable Mortgage vs Absolute Sale: Protecting Your Property Rights in the Philippines
When is a deed of absolute sale actually an equitable mortgage? Philippine law protects borrowers who sign sale documents to secure loans.
Area vs Boundaries in Philippine Property Sales: What Buyers Must Know
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when stated land area prevails over boundaries in property sales, and when price adjustments apply.
Estafa When A Cancelled Property Sale Leads TO Criminal Liability
Succession in Lease Agreements: Heirs' Obligations and Contractual Liabilities
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on lease succession, heirs' obligations, and contractual liabilities in property sales with boundaries.
Forum Shopping One Bite at the Apple in Philippine Courts
Learn how the Supreme Court barred a co-owner's legal redemption claim for being filed seven years after actual knowledge of the sale, applying laches and the relaxed written notice rule.
Co-Owner Redemption Rights: When Actual Knowledge Overrides Written Notice
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on legal redemption rights of co-owners, actual knowledge vs written notice, and laches in property sales.
Sheriff’s Duties and the Boundaries of Conduct in Foreclosure Sales
A sheriff’s fee demand before an auction can breach decorum. The Court fines a sheriff for conduct that put the judiciary in a compromising light.
Good Faith in Property Sales: Protecting Buyers From Fraudulent Land Titles
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on void reconstituted titles and the rights of innocent purchasers for value in property sales.
Contractual Obligations: When Agreed Interest Rates in Land Sales Are Upheld
The Supreme Court upheld a 24% annual interest rate in an installment land sale, ruling that parties are bound by their contract absent any legal prohibition.
Seafarer Disability Claims: When Repatriation Doesn't End Your Rights
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that seafarers repatriated due to vessel sale may still claim disability benefits under POEA contract.
Land Dispute Prior Rights Fraud Allegations IN Property Sales
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on land disputes, prior rights, and fraud allegations in property sales explained for everyday readers.
Defiance and Dismissal: Upholding Employers' Right to Terminate for Insubordination and Loss of Trust
Supreme Court affirms dismissal of sales supervisor for willful disobedience and loss of trust, clarifying employer rights under Article 282.
Chattel Mortgage vs Installment Sales: Creditor Remedies in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a creditor may collect the unpaid balance after repossessing a vehicle under a chattel mortgage.
Illegal Dismissal and Labor-Only Contracting: When a Salesman's Driver Is the Company's Employee
Acevedo v. Advanstar explains labor-only contracting, employer-employee relationship, and due process in illegal dismissal cases.
Tax Sale Invalidity: Strict Compliance With Notice Requirements Protects Property Rights
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how failure to give proper notice in tax delinquency sales invalidates the sale and protects property owners' rights.
Foreclosure Sales and Labor Claims: When Buyers Are Not Liable for a Mortgagor's Debts
The Supreme Court clarifies that a mortgagee-creditor who buys foreclosed assets does not automatically assume the mortgagor's labor liabilities.
When Good Faith Fails: Financing Firm's Foreclosure Voided for Ignoring Occupants' Rights
A financing firm's foreclosure was voided for bad faith because it ignored occupants' notice of a prior unregistered sale. Learn the due diligence rule.
Double Sale Prior Good Faith Purchaser Prevails Over Subsequent Mortgagee
Contract to Sell vs. Sale: What Buyers Must Know Under Philippine Law
A buyer who stops paying installments in a contract to sell may lose ownership rights. Learn the key differences and protections.
Double Sale Doctrine Protecting THE Rights OF First Buyers IN Real Estate Transactions
Equitable Mortgage vs Absolute Sale: Protecting Borrowers in Land Transactions
When is a deed of sale actually a loan secured by property? The Supreme Court explains equitable mortgage protections for borrowers.