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 and Partition: Understanding Property Rights in the Philippines
Learn how acquisitive prescription and partition work in Philippine property law through a recent Supreme Court ruling on family inheritance disputes.
Can Acquisitive Prescription Defeat a Torrens Title? The Dy v. Yu Ruling
The Supreme Court explains when long-term adverse possession can defeat a Torrens title, despite the system's guarantee of indefeasibility.
Agrarian Reform vs Acquisitive Prescription: Resolving Land Ownership Disputes in the Philippines
When agrarian reform and acquisitive prescription collide, the Supreme Court clarifies which principle governs land ownership disputes.
Land Registration by Acquisitive Prescription: The Need for Patrimonial Property Status
Learn why land registration under Section 14(2) of PD 1529 requires proof that the land was patrimonial property at the start of possession.
Acquisitive Prescription vs Torrens Title: Proving Land Registration Claims in Court
The Supreme Court clarifies when possession of public land can ripen into private ownership and registration under the Property Registration Decree.
Perfecting Land Titles THE Complexities OF Acquisitive Prescription Against THE State IN THE Philippines
Acquisitive Prescription and Double Sales: When Long-Term Possession Confirms Ownership
A Supreme Court ruling on how prior possession and good faith determine ownership in double sales of land.
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.
Acquisitive Prescription: Proving Open, Continuous Possession for Land Registration
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies what evidence proves open, continuous possession for land registration under the Property Registration Decree.
Breaking the Bonds of Trust: Acquisitive Prescription and Recovery of Real Property
When a verbal claim of trust fails, long possession can ripen into ownership. Learn the rules on prescription and recovery of property.
Uninterrupted Possession Acquiring Property Rights Through Acquisitive Prescription
Explore how extraordinary acquisitive prescription works under Philippine law, using a Supreme Court ruling on adverse possession.
From Public Land to Private Right: Establishing Land Ownership Through Acquisitive Prescription
How long possession of alienable public land can ripen into private ownership, explained through a 2007 Supreme Court ruling.
Acquisitive Prescription and Laches in Property Disputes: Aguirre v. Heirs of Villanueva
Learn how the Supreme Court applied ordinary acquisitive prescription and laches in a property dispute between heirs and buyers.
Establishing Land Ownership The Critical Role of Property Identification in Acquisitive Prescription
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why identifying the exact property is essential before claiming ownership through acquisitive prescription.
Acquisitive Prescription vs Succession: How Heirs Keep Land Ownership in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court explains when prescription and laches cannot defeat inheritance rights over family land.
Acquisitive Prescription Good Faith AND Just Title IN Land Ownership Disputes
Learn how good faith and just title affect acquisitive prescription in Philippine land ownership disputes, based on Supreme Court rulings.
Prescription Prevails Establishing Land Ownership Through Continuous Possession
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how continuous, adverse possession can ripen into ownership through acquisitive prescription, defeating registered title claims.
MWSS Acquires Land Title Through Acquisitive Prescription: Key Lessons
Land registration dispute clarifies how government agencies can acquire private land through long, open, and continuous possession.
Acquisitive Prescription: When Possession Becomes Ownership Under Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court explains when possession ripens into ownership through acquisitive prescription, and why tax declarations alone do not prove title.
Torrens Title vs. Acquisitive Prescription: Why Registered Land Prevails in the Philippines
A Torrens title defeats claims of ownership by long possession. Learn the Ramos v. Bautista ruling and how to protect registered land.
Acquisitive Prescription of Land in the Philippines: When Possession Can Ripen Into Ownership
Philippine law on when long possession of land can ripen into ownership, and why forest lands can never be acquired by prescription.
Acquisitive Prescription: How to Acquire Land Ownership in the Philippines
Learn how acquisitive prescription works under Philippine law—the requirements, periods, and limits for acquiring land ownership through open, continuous possession.
Acquisitive Prescription: How Long Does It Take to Claim Land Ownership in the Philippines
Learn how long you must possess land to claim ownership through acquisitive prescription in the Philippines, explained through a Supreme Court ruling.
Forged Deeds and Property Rights: Understanding Acquisitive Prescription in the Philippines
Can a forged deed ripen into ownership through prescription? The Supreme Court explains why bad faith blocks acquisitive prescription on titled land.