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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Essential Co-Owner: Indispensable Parties in Property Donation Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on co-owners as indispensable parties in donation disputes, and the requisites of a valid tenancy relationship.
Bigamous Marriage and Property Rights: When No Contribution Means No Co-Ownership
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on property acquired during a bigamous marriage and the crucial role of actual contribution in determining ownership.
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.
Inheritance Disputes: Redemption, Co-Ownership, and Prescription in Family Estates
When one heir redeems family property, does she own it? The Supreme Court clarifies co-ownership, prescription, and reimbursement rules.
Express Trusts in Property Disputes: When Co-Ownership Prevails Over Title
Learn how express trusts can override technical title in Philippine property disputes, and what co-owners must prove.
Unmarried Cohabitation: Proving Joint Contribution for Property Co-Ownership
A common-law partner married to another must prove actual joint contribution to co-own property; mere allegation is not enough.
Co-Owner's Sale of Undivided Share: When a Second Sale Is Void
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on co-ownership, double sale, and reconveyance actions. Learn the rules on land titles and fraud.
Unmarried Couples Property Rights Understanding Co-Ownership in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine law treats property acquired by unmarried couples, including co-ownership rules, rights, and practical implications.
Co-Ownership Lost by Sale: Acquired Title Prevails Over Unasserted Heirship
When siblings sell inherited land without one heir, the buyer's 30-year possession can defeat the omitted heir's claim. Here's why.
Unmarried Cohabitation and Property Rights in the Philippines: A Comprehensive Guide
Learn how Philippine law treats property acquired during unmarried cohabitation, including co-ownership rules, judicial separation, and practical legal tips.
Protecting Your Inheritance: Co-Ownership and Prescription in Philippine Property Law
Learn how Philippine law protects co-owners from prescription and laches, and the rules on legal redemption when a co-heir sells property.
Res Judicata in Philippine Property Disputes: Preventing Endless Litigation
When can a co-owner file ejectment alone? The Supreme Court clarifies Article 487 and the rules on indispensable parties.
Can One Co-Owner File an Ejectment Case in the Philippines? Yes, Under Article 487
A single co-owner can file an ejectment suit without the others. The Supreme Court explains how Article 487 of the Civil Code works.
When Can a Co-Owner File an Ejectment Suit in the Philippines? The Adlawan Rule
Philippine law lets a co-owner file ejectment, but only for the benefit of all co-owners—not for sole personal gain. Here's what Adlawan v. Adlawan teaches.
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.
Partition of Property and Co-Ownership Claims in Unlawful Detainer Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how ejectment cases handle co-ownership claims and Torrens title holders' right to possession.
Proving Co-Ownership in Philippine Property Disputes: The Bulawin Case
Supreme Court clarifies what evidence proves co-ownership of inherited land, and what does not, in a dispute over a Camiguin rice field.
Partition Ends Co-Ownership: Mortgage on Divided Property Valid
Supreme Court rules that a deed of partial partition ends co-ownership, making a subsequent mortgage on an adjudicated property valid without other heirs' consent.
Property Rights and Due Process: Lessons from Barcenas v. Tomas on Appeals and Co-Ownership
A Supreme Court ruling reminds property owners that procedural rules on appeals are strict, and that a co-owner may validly sell an undivided share without the consent of the others.
Co-Ownership and Ejectment: Clarifying Rights and Remedies in Property Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that any co-owner may file ejectment against occupants by mere tolerance, even before partition.
Void Marriages and Property Rights: Ownership in Cohabitation After Bigamous Marriage
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on property ownership when a marriage is void due to bigamy. Learn the rules on co-ownership and creditor claims.
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.
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.