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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Quieting Title and Fake Titles in Philippine Real Property Disputes
Learn how Philippine courts void fake titles in quieting title cases, using the CLT Realty vs. Phil-Ville Maysilo Estate ruling.
Ejectment vs Ownership: Defining Jurisdiction in Philippine Property Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a property dispute is ejectment or an ownership action, and limits RTC appellate powers.
Priority OF Registered Levy Over Unregistered Sale Protecting Creditors Rights IN Property Disputes
Unlawful Detainer and Possession Rights in Philippine Property Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies when a case is unlawful detainer versus accion publiciana, and why the complaint's allegations determine jurisdiction.
Loan vs Donation: Proving Intent in Property Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when payments for another's property are loans, not donations, and the formal requirements for valid donations.
Res Judicata vs Ownership Claims: Understanding Property Disputes in the Philippines
A forcible entry ruling does not bar a later ownership-based recovery case. Learn the key distinctions from a 2014 Supreme Court decision.
Mortgage Disputes, Good Faith, and Final Judgments in Philippine Foreclosure
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on mortgage foreclosure, good faith of banks, and the finality of judgments in property disputes.
Unraveling Implied Trusts Protecting Family Interests in Property Disputes
The Supreme Court explains implied resulting trusts in family property disputes, clarifying prescription, parol evidence, and ownership rights.
Property Disputes: Jurisdiction and Estoppel in Free Patent Repurchase Cases
Learn how the Supreme Court ruled on RTC jurisdiction over free patent repurchase actions and the principle of jurisdiction by estoppel.
Nominal Damages Liability of a Third Party Transferee in Property Disputes
A third-party buyer of property cannot be held liable for nominal damages unless it violated the plaintiff's rights.
Indispensable Parties Protecting Lienholder Rights IN Property Disputes
When the government takes private land for public use, it must pay just compensation—even if the owner once reserved the lot for road widening.
Attachment Liens Priority AND Protection IN Real Property Disputes
A prior attachment lien survives title cancellation and transfers, binding the property and subsequent purchasers until the debt is paid.
Attachment Liens Priority Rights AND Protection IN Property Disputes
Learn how prior attachment liens survive property transfers and title cancellations, and why courts must preserve these encumbrances.
Forum Shopping and Attorney Sanctions for Relitigating Settled Property Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court sanctions lawyer for forum shopping in relitigating settled estate property claims, explaining the rules and consequences.
Overcoming Document Regularity Evidence To Prove Forgery In Property Disputes
The Supreme Court explains how clear and convincing evidence can overturn the presumption of regularity of a notarized deed of sale in property disputes.
Tenancy Rights vs Ejectment: Landowner Obligations in Philippine Property Law
Understand the 2013 Mirallosa ruling on unlawful detainer, landowner rights, and good faith builders in Philippine property disputes.
Jurisdiction in Property Disputes: Nullifying Contracts vs. Recovering Land Rights
When can the government nullify land titles? The Supreme Court clarifies jurisdiction rules in property disputes involving military reservations.
Oral Partition of Inheritance: How Heirs' Rights Prevail in Property Disputes
Learn how the Supreme Court protects heirs' rights in oral partition agreements and what this means for property disputes among family members.
Extrinsic Fraud and Road Lots: When Final Judgments in Property Disputes Stand
The Supreme Court clarifies when extrinsic fraud justifies annulling a final judgment in property disputes, using a road lots redemption case.
Equitable Mortgage Ruling Reasserts Mortgagor Rights in Property Disputes
Supreme Court clarifies that in equitable mortgages, reconveyance to the mortgagor is the principal remedy—not payment of fair market value.
Protecting Possessory Rights When A Writ Of Possession Clashes With Third Party Claims
Understand how Philippine courts resolve property disputes when a writ of possession faces third-party claims, based on a landmark Supreme Court ruling.
Superior Right Prior Land Decree Prevails Over Tax Declarations in Property Ownership Disputes
In property disputes, a prior decree of registration prevails over tax declarations. The Supreme Court explains why in Heirs of Delfin v. Rabadon.
Due Process Prevails: Protecting the Rights of Unheard Parties in Property Disputes
A property buyer not impleaded in a prior case cannot be bound by its ruling. The Supreme Court affirms the right to due process in separate actions.
Upholding Prior Possession in Forcible Entry and the Burden of Proof in Property Disputes
Philippine Tourism Authority v. Sabandal-Herzenstiel clarifies prior possession and burden of proof in forcible entry cases.