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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Debt Recovery Execution: Waiver of Demand and Proving Overlevy
Learn when a sheriff's failure to demand payment is excused and how to prove overlevy in execution sales under Rule 39.
Redemption Rights Interest Computation CUT OFF In Foreclosure Sales
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies that in DBP foreclosure redemptions, interest stops accruing at the auction date.
Conditional Sales vs Contracts to Sell: Clarifying Property Rights in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a "conditional sale" is actually a contract to sell, and why full payment matters for ownership transfer.
Authority TO Sell Written Power IS KEY To Valid Real Estate Transactions
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on Estate of Lino Olaguer clarifies when a written power of attorney is required for valid real estate sales.
Good Faith Purchasers and Notarized Documents in Philippine Property Sales
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling on buyer in good faith protection and reliance on notarized board resolutions in property transactions.
Defective Document Repudiates Land Sale Preserving Torrens Title Integrity
A photocopied deed with irregular notarial details cannot defeat a Torrens title. The Supreme Court explains when laches applies to registered land.
Right of Way When a Promise Isn't a Guarantee in Property Sales
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a company's promise to extend a contract becomes binding, and the limits of corporate liability.
Sheriffs Must Follow Execution Rules: Grave Misconduct Case Lessons
When sheriffs demand unauthorized fees and adjourn sales without consent, they commit grave misconduct. Learn the rules from a Supreme Court ruling.
Contract Validity and Prescription: Lessons from Dailisan v. Court of Appeals
The Supreme Court upheld a notarized deed of sale because the heirs failed to seek annulment within four years, and partition does not prescribe for a co-owner.
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.
Citizenship and Land Ownership: When a Void Sale to an Alien Is Cured
A sale of land to an alien is void, but the defect is cured when the land later passes to Filipino citizens. The Supreme Court explains why reversion fails.
Validity of Foreclosure Sale Timing Under Act 3135 Explained
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on whether an extrajudicial foreclosure auction must last the full 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. period under Act 3135.
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.
Equitable Mortgage Prevails Protecting Borrowers From Onerous Sale Agreements
Supreme Court rules a deed of sale with right to repurchase can be an equitable mortgage, protecting borrowers from onerous terms.
Motion Denied: Strict Enforcement of Notice Requirements in Lifting Property Levies
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on quieting title, property levies, and the strict enforcement of redemption periods after execution sales.
Perfecting Contracts: Why Consent Is Essential in Real Estate Agreements
Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains why a real estate sale needs the buyer's consent to be binding—lessons from Looc Bay Timber v. Montecalvo.
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.
Drug Sale Conviction Upheld Despite Procedural Lapses Integrity of Evidence Paramount
Supreme Court affirms drug sale conviction despite Section 21 lapses, ruling that integrity of seized evidence is paramount.
Priority of Attachment Liens Over Prior Unregistered Sales of Real Property
When an attachment lien is registered before a sale, the lien prevails. Learn the priority rules under PD 1529.
Buy-Bust Operations and Drug Convictions: What the Supreme Court Ruled in People v. Concepcion
The Supreme Court affirms drug sale convictions from a buy-bust, clarifying what evidence is needed and when procedural lapses do not excuse offenders.
Upholding Contract Validity When Signed Agreements Prevail In Property Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when notarized deeds of sale prevail over claims of equitable mortgage or forgery in property disputes.
When a Wife Can Challenge Her Husband's Sale of Conjugal Property
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a wife can annul her husband's sale of conjugal property without her consent, explained in plain language.
Due Process in Bail Bond Forfeiture: Annulment of Title for Irregular Execution
When a property bond is executed without a judgment on the bond, the sale and resulting title may be void for lack of due process.
Sheriff Fined for Simple Neglect of Duty in Delaying Certificate of Sale
Supreme Court rules sheriff's refusal to issue certificate of sale without court order constitutes simple neglect of duty, imposing P5,000 fine.