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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Breach of Trust When Attorney Loyalty Conflicts With Client Interests in Property Disputes
A lawyer's conversion of client funds for personal use amounts to deceit and gross misconduct warranting disbarment, as shown in this case.
Maintaining the Status Quo: Upholding Preliminary Injunctions in Property Disputes
Learn when courts uphold preliminary injunctions in property disputes and why challenging final judgments through annulment of court processes fails.
Liberal Interpretation of Procedural Rules in Intellectual Property Appeals
Supreme Court rules that administrative tribunals like the IPO may liberally apply procedural rules, allowing substantial compliance with certification requirements.
Valid Notarization and Agency Substitution in Property Disputes: Villaluz v. Land Bank
A look at when a principal is bound by a substitute agent's mortgage, and why notarization matters in property transactions.
Equitable Mortgage Protecting Vulnerable Parties IN Property Transactions
The Supreme Court clarifies when a contract breach warrants damages, and when it does not, in a property dispute.
Just Compensation When Government Takes Property Before Filing Expropriation
When government takes property years before filing expropriation, just compensation is valued at the time of taking, not at filing.
Unraveling Fraud Protecting Heirs Rights IN Property Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies when heirs can pursue quieting of title and reconveyance despite allegations of fraud and laches.
Breach of Trust in Employment: When Negligence Justifies Dismissal
The Supreme Court ruled that negligence in handling company property can justify dismissal for breach of trust, even without proof of theft or misconduct.
Theft by Deceit, Overseas Job Scams, and Illegal Recruitment Law in the Philippines
A close look at how Philippine law treats illegal recruitment and large-scale estafa, and why the Supreme Court demands solid proof before property is seized.
Eminent Domain and Just Compensation: Government Delay Forfeits Expropriation Rights
The Supreme Court rules that the government's failure to pay just compensation for over 30 years bars its claim to expropriated property.
Expropriation Without Payment: When the Government Sleeps on Its Rights
Supreme Court rules that failure to pay just compensation for over 30 years bars the government from claiming expropriated property.
Breach of Contract: Temperate Damages Awarded for Failure to Deliver Property Titles
Supreme Court awards temperate damages to buyer when developer failed to deliver deeds and titles, explaining when such damages apply.
Real Property Tax Disputes: Why Payment Under Protest Is a Mandatory First Step
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that payment under protest is mandatory before appealing real property tax assessments, even when claiming tax exemption.
Land Registration Denied for Lack of Proof of Alienable and Disposable Status
Supreme Court denies land registration because DENR certifications alone cannot prove a property is alienable and disposable public land.
Jurisdiction Over Real Property Disputes: The Importance of Assessed Value
The Supreme Court explains why the assessed value of property in a complaint determines which court has jurisdiction over real actions.
Real Actions and Jurisdiction: Why Assessed Value Determines the Correct Philippine Court
In real actions, the property's assessed value determines which court has jurisdiction. Omitting it can doom the case.
When a Lawyer Buys a Client's Property: The Business Deal Exception
The Supreme Court clarifies when a lawyer's purchase of a client's property is a valid business deal, not a breach of professional ethics.
Insubordination vs Due Process: Employee Rights in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when a lawyer may buy a client's property without violating ethics, and what this means for employee rights.
Breach of Trust in the Workplace: When Approving Authority Implies Culpability
The Supreme Court clarifies when a lawyer's purchase of a client's property violates ethical rules, distinguishing business deals from fiduciary breaches.
Due Process and Co-Ownership Rights in Non-Profit Organizations and Corporate Asset Transfers
Supreme Court ruling on void mortgages over deceased co-owner's share, good faith purchasers, and co-ownership rights in property transfers.
Possession by Tolerance: Key to Winning Unlawful Detainer Cases
The Supreme Court clarifies how possession by tolerance works in ejectment cases and why it matters for property owners and occupants.
Tax Waivers and Faulty Agreements: When Buyers and Sellers Are Bound by Law
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a developer's unauthorized sale still binds a property owner, and why final judgments are immutable.
Specific Performance vs Rescission: Contractual Remedies Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when specific performance or rescission applies in reciprocal obligations, using a Tagaytay property dispute as guide.
When a Spouse's Consent Is Missing: Void Mortgages and Conjugal Liability
A mortgage on conjugal property without the other spouse's consent is void, but the loan itself may still bind the family.