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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Acquisitive Prescription: Good Faith and Just Title in Land Ownership Disputes
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies that a compromise agreement and a sale made during litigation cannot establish the good faith and just title needed for ordinary acquisitive prescription.
Good Faith Construction: Defining Landowner and Builder Rights in Property Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies rights of good faith builders and landowners under Civil Code Articles 448, 546, and 548.
Void Contracts and Recovery: The Good Faith Exception Under Article 1412
When a contract is void for illegality, can an innocent party recover what was paid? Magoyag v. Maruhom explains the good faith exception.
Tax Credit Certificates: Good Faith Transferees Protected Despite Fraudulent Origins
Philippine Supreme Court rules that a good faith transferee of tax credit certificates cannot be reassessed when the original grantee committed fraud.
Mortgage Validity, Good Faith, and Due Diligence in Property Transactions
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on mortgage validity, good faith, and the due diligence required of banks before accepting property as collateral.
Good Faith Prevails: Protecting Innocent Purchasers in Property Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on innocent purchasers for value, good faith, and extinguishment of claims in property disputes.
Due Diligence in Mortgage Transactions: Protecting Landowners From Fraudulent Transfers
When a bank accepts a mortgaged property with suspicious title transfers, it cannot claim good faith. Learn from this Supreme Court ruling.
Perfected Sales vs Contracts to Sell: Ownership Transfer and Good Faith in Property Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the difference between a contract of sale and a contract to sell, and how good faith determines ownership in double sales.
VAT Liability of Pawnshops: Clarifying Tax Obligations and Documentary Stamp Tax Implications
The Supreme Court clarifies when pawnshops are VAT-liable and confirms documentary stamp tax on pawn tickets, with relief from surcharges in good faith.
Good Faith vs Torrens Title Resolving Land Ownership Disputes in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on whether a Torrens title or a deed of sale prevails in land possession disputes.
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.
Good Faith VS Notice Priority Rights IN Double Sale OF Land
Reconveyance and Good Faith: Protecting Land Ownership in the Philippines
A look at how Philippine courts handle reconveyance actions, good faith purchasers, and the limits of Torrens titles in land disputes.
Reconveyance and Good Faith: Protecting Land Ownership in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies reconveyance actions, good faith purchasers, and why registration alone does not vest land ownership in the Philippines.
Good Faith in Profit-Sharing Agreements: Lessons from Silverio v. Almeda
When a land sale includes a profit-sharing clause, the seller must act in good faith and disclose all resale details to the buyer.
Mortgage Rights Prevail Over Prior Unregistered Sale: Good Faith Purchasers Protected
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how a registered mortgage prevails over an earlier unregistered sale, protecting good faith purchasers.
Government Contracts and Eminent Domain: Scrutinizing Good Faith in Land Acquisition
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that just compensation in agrarian reform must follow RA 6657 and DAR formulas, not market data alone.
Good Faith Exception Illegal Salary Increases Need NOT Always BE Refunded
Forgery Undermines Real Estate Sale: Protecting Property Rights in the Philippines
The Supreme Court explains how forged deeds transfer no rights, and why good faith buyers can still be protected under Philippine property law.
Good Faith Prevails When Public Officials ACT Without Malice IN Granting Benefits
Supreme Court ruling on good faith as a defense in graft cases under RA 3019, Section 3(e), for public officials relying on agency issuances.
Title Registration vs Fraudulent Claims: Protecting Good Faith Purchasers in Land Disputes
When two titles cover the same land, the Torrens system protects innocent buyers for value, even if the original patent was fraudulent.
Double Sale: Good Faith Registration Prevails Over Prior Knowledge in Land Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies double sale rule: bad faith registration confers no right, even if registered first.
Double Sale and Good Faith Registration: Pagaduan v. Ocuma on Property Rights
Explore how the Supreme Court ruled on double sale, good faith registration, and prescription in Pagaduan v. Ocuma.
Good Faith and the Lis Pendens Rule: Lessons from Cunanan v. Jumping Jap Trading
A Supreme Court ruling shows why a cancelled notice of lis pendens does not always protect a mortgagee, and how bad faith can void a real estate mortgage.