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.
Get a cited, plain-language answer from 184,000+ statutes and decisions — free, no sign-up.
Overlapping Land Claims Resolving Boundary Disputes IN Property Registration
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies remedies for unpaid sellers in land sales, distinguishing dacion en pago from absolute sale.
Conjugal Property Sales When A Void Contract Still Speaks Volumes
When a deed of absolute sale is void for lack of spousal consent, can it still be used to prove a valid dacion en pago? The Supreme Court weighs in.
Unpaid Purchase Price: When a Deed of Absolute Sale Is Void for Lack of Consideration
A deed of sale without actual payment is void from the start. Learn the Supreme Court's ruling and key lessons.
When a Sale Is Really a Sale: Conditional Sale vs. Contract to Sell in Ejectment
A deed called "conditional" may still be an absolute sale. The Supreme Court explains when ownership passes, and why the wrong remedy can cost you your case.
Equitable Mortgage vs Absolute Sale: How Philippine Courts Protect Borrowers
A Supreme Court ruling shows that a deed of sale used to secure a loan may be treated as an equitable mortgage, not a transfer of ownership.
Equitable Mortgage: When an Absolute Sale Is Really a Loan Security
The Supreme Court explains when a deed of absolute sale is actually an equitable mortgage, and what parties must do to recover property.
Conditional Sale Buyers' Rights and Sellers' Obligations After Partial Payment
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies buyer and seller rights in contracts to sell, including when a buyer can demand a deed of absolute sale.
Equitable Mortgage VS Absolute Sale Protecting Vulnerable Parties IN Property Transactions
Learn how Philippine courts protect vulnerable parties in property deals, distinguishing equitable mortgages from absolute sales to prevent exploitation.
Simulated Sales: When Continued Possession Trumps a Deed of Sale
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on simulated sales: continued possession and tax payments can nullify a deed of absolute sale.
Equitable Mortgage vs Absolute Sale: Intent and Prescription in Property Disputes
Supreme Court clarifies when a sale is an equitable mortgage and why fraud claims can prescribe. Learn the rules.
Sale vs Equitable Mortgage: When a Deed of Sale Is Considered a Loan
Philippine Supreme Court explains when a deed of absolute sale may be treated as an equitable mortgage or loan, and when courts will uphold the sale.
Equitable Mortgage VS Absolute Sale Protecting Property Rights IN Disguised Transactions
The Supreme Court nullifies a bank's foreclosure on property mortgaged without the owner's authority, reinforcing strict rules on special powers of attorney.
Novation in Property Sales: When a Deed of Absolute Sale Supersedes a Conditional Sale
Explaining when a later deed of absolute sale novates or supersedes an earlier conditional sale, based on a Philippine Supreme Court ruling.
Equitable Mortgage vs Absolute Sale: What Philippine Courts Look For
When is a deed of sale really a mortgage? The Supreme Court explains the rules on equitable mortgage in Cirelos v. Hernandez.
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.
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.
Equitable Mortgage: When a Deed of Sale Disguises a Loan Security
Philippine Supreme Court explains when a deed of absolute sale is really an equitable mortgage securing a debt.
Equitable Mortgage vs Absolute Sale: When a Deed of Sale Is Really a Loan Security
Philippine Supreme Court explains when a deed of absolute sale is actually an equitable mortgage protecting borrowers from predatory lending.
Equitable Mortgage vs Absolute Sale: Protecting Vulnerable Parties in Property Transactions
When is a deed of sale really a loan? The Supreme Court explains how courts look beyond documents to protect vulnerable parties.
Equitable Mortgage vs Absolute Sale: Protecting Vulnerable Grantors in Property Transactions
When a deed of absolute sale is actually an equitable mortgage, courts look at intent and circumstances, not just the document's title.
When a Land Sale Contract Is Voidable: Illiteracy, Fraud, and Equitable Mortgage in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a deed of absolute sale is actually an equitable mortgage, protecting illiterate landowners from fraud.
When a Deed of Absolute Sale Governs: Ejectment, Ownership, and the Kasunduan
The Supreme Court clarifies how courts resolve ejectment cases when a seller claims the deed of sale was incomplete, and what the Kasunduan means.
Equitable Mortgage vs Absolute Sale: Protecting Borrowers in Five-Six Lending
When is a deed of sale actually a mortgage? The Supreme Court protects borrowers in five-six lending schemes.
When Is a Deed of Sale Actually a Mortgage: Lessons from Molina v. Flores
The Supreme Court explains when a deed of absolute sale may be presumed an equitable mortgage under Article 1602 of the Civil Code.