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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Perfecting Land Titles: Possession Requirements for Public Land Registration in the Philippines
Understand the possession rules for registering public land under PD 1529, including the June 12, 1945 requirement clarified by the Supreme Court.
Reconstitution of Lost Title: When Courts Can Restore Destroyed Land Records
Explaining the Supreme Court's ruling on judicial reconstitution of lost or destroyed land titles under Republic Act No. 26.
Conflicting Land Titles in the Philippines: Prior Registration vs. Identity of Property
In VSD Realty v. Uniwide Sales, the Supreme Court remanded a land dispute to settle which of two conflicting titles traced back to the genuine OCT No. 994.
Good Faith and Land Titles: Protecting Innocent Purchasers in Real Estate Disputes
When is a bank a mortgagee in good faith? The Supreme Court clarifies the rules on forged deeds and land titles.
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.
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.
Overlapping Land Titles: Resolving Ownership Disputes Through Title Verification
Learn how the Supreme Court resolves property disputes involving overlapping titles, and why verifying technical descriptions matters in Philippine land ownership cases.
Perfecting Land Titles: The Burden of Proof in Land Registration Cases
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies the strict burden of proof in land registration, including possession periods and evidence of alienability.
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.
Perfecting Land Titles: Continuous Possession and the June 12, 1945 Threshold
The Supreme Court clarifies what evidence proves continuous possession since June 12, 1945 for judicial confirmation of imperfect land titles.
Perfecting Land Titles THE Complexities OF Acquisitive Prescription Against THE State IN THE Philippines
Reconstitution of Lost Title: Supreme Court Clarifies Rules on Destroyed Land Records
Supreme Court clarifies rules on reconstituting lost land titles when registry records were destroyed by fire, easing documentary requirements.
Jurisdictional Defect: Strict Compliance in Land Title Reconstitution
Reconstitution of lost land titles requires strict compliance with RA 26's jurisdictional requirements; defects are fatal.
Double Land Titles in the Philippines: How to Determine Ownership and Avoid Legal Battles
Learn how Philippine courts resolve double land titles, verify true ownership, and prevent property disputes with practical legal guidance.
Reconstitution of Lost Title: Supreme Court Clarifies Evidence Rules in Faustino Co Shu Kiam v. Republic
Supreme Court clarifies when courts may reconstitute lost land titles under RA 26, easing rigid evidence standards after disasters.
Land Registration: Proving Ownership and Possession for Public Land Titles
Learn the strict requirements for registering public land under PD 1529, including proof of possession since June 12, 1945.
Reconstitution OF Land Titles Overcoming Insufficient Evidence AND Lost Documents
Perfecting Land Titles: Proving Alienability and Possession Since June 12, 1945
Land registration requires proof of alienable public land and possession since June 12, 1945. The Supreme Court clarifies these indispensable requirements.
Navigating Land Disputes: Reversion, Expropriation, and Title Conflicts Explained
The Supreme Court clarifies how reversion cases, expropriation proceedings, and quieting of title actions interact when land titles are challenged.
When Congress Validates Land Titles After a Final Court Ruling: Alonso v. Cebu Country Club
Explaining Alonso v. Cebu Country Club: how Republic Act No. 9443 validated land titles and what it means for property owners and litigants.
Real Party in Interest Rule in Annulling Land Titles in the Philippines
Learn the real party in interest rule for annulling land titles in the Philippines, explained through the Supreme Court's ruling in Goco v. CA.
Priority of Land Titles: Tracing Back to Original Certificates of Title
When two Torrens titles cover the same land, the earlier one prevails. Tracing back to original certificates of title is key.
Collateral Attack on Titles: Why Quieting of Title Cannot Challenge Land Titles
Philippine Supreme Court explains why land titles cannot be challenged through quieting of title actions, which constitute a prohibited collateral attack.
Good Faith and Land Titles: Resolving Ownership Disputes in the Philippines
Learn how the Supreme Court balances Torrens titles against good faith in ownership disputes, and why buyers must investigate suspicious circumstances.