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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Equitable Mortgage: Execution and Reconveyance of Property Explained
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies how courts must execute judgments involving equitable mortgages, emphasizing reconveyance over payment of fair market value.
Prescription and Void Titles: When Real Property Actions Do Not Prescribe
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when actions to declare void titles prescribe, and why quieting title actions may not be time-barred.
Pay Under Protest Before Contesting Real Property Tax Assessments
A claim for tax exemption does not excuse payment under protest before appealing a real property tax assessment under the Local Government Code.
Tax Exemption vs Assessment: Understanding Payment Under Protest in Real Property Tax Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that claiming tax exemption does not excuse payment under protest before appealing a real property tax assessment.
Contract to Sell: Full Compliance Required Before Seller Must Convey Property
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that buyers under a contract to sell must fully comply with all obligations—not just payment—before demanding a deed of sale.
Local Government Authority vs Property Rights: Valid Ordinance Enforcement
Supreme Court clarifies when local ordinances are presumed valid and enforceable, balancing municipal authority against property rights claims.
Protecting Possessory Rights When A Writ Of Possession Clashes With Third Party Claims
Understand how Philippine courts resolve property disputes when a writ of possession faces third-party claims, based on a landmark Supreme Court ruling.
Consequential Damages in Partial Expropriation: What Property Owners Should Know
Learn when Philippine courts award consequential damages for buildings not actually taken in partial expropriation, citing Republic v. BPI.
Simulated Contracts Ownership Rights and Intent in Property Sales
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on simulated property sales, trust agreements, and ownership rights when intent is to circumvent banking laws.
Just Compensation and Voluntary Land Sales: Valuing Property Under Agrarian Reform
A landowner who accepts payment and transfers title under agrarian reform cannot later seek higher just compensation. The Supreme Court explains.
Res Judicata Bars Repeated Litigation Over Same Land Ownership
Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains how res judicata prevents endless litigation over the same property and title.
Breach of Insurance Contract: The Impact of Unapproved Property Relocation
When insured property moves without insurer consent, coverage may cease. Learn from Malayan Insurance v. PAP Co. on relocation risks.
Unraveling Conjugal Property Rights When Titles Confuse Ownership
When do titles prove exclusive ownership over conjugal property? The Supreme Court clarifies the limits of the conjugal presumption.
When a Lawyer Buys the Client's Land: Breach of Fiduciary Duty in Property Acquisition
A lawyer who bought property his clients had already purchased breached his fiduciary duty. The Supreme Court explains why.
Superior Right Prior Land Decree Prevails Over Tax Declarations in Property Ownership Disputes
In property disputes, a prior decree of registration prevails over tax declarations. The Supreme Court explains why in Heirs of Delfin v. Rabadon.
Agency and Authority: When a Deed Does Not Mean a Done Deal in Property Sales
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a deed of sale is void without proper agency authority under the Civil Code.
Conflicting Land Titles in the Philippines: Prior Registration vs. Identity of Property
In VSD Realty v. Uniwide Sales, the Supreme Court remanded a land dispute to settle which of two conflicting titles traced back to the genuine OCT No. 994.
Due Process Prevails: Protecting the Rights of Unheard Parties in Property Disputes
A property buyer not impleaded in a prior case cannot be bound by its ruling. The Supreme Court affirms the right to due process in separate actions.
When Administrative Tribunals Overstep: COSLAP Jurisdiction and the Dream Village Ruling
The Supreme Court clarifies COSLAP's limited jurisdiction over land disputes involving titled government property reserved for public purpose.
Co-Owner's Unauthorized Sale: When a Verbal Deal Binds Only the Seller's Share
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a co-owner's verbal sale of inherited property is valid and what buyers must prove about an agent's authority.
Upholding Prior Possession in Forcible Entry and the Burden of Proof in Property Disputes
Philippine Tourism Authority v. Sabandal-Herzenstiel clarifies prior possession and burden of proof in forcible entry cases.
Disbarment for Lawyer’s Fraudulent Sale of Client’s Property
Supreme Court disbars lawyer who misrepresented ownership of clients’ land, sold it, and kept proceeds, violating Rule 1.01 of the CPR.
Fruits of Ownership: Who Gets Rental Income in Contested Property Foreclosures
Philippine Supreme Court rules on who keeps rental income when a foreclosed property's title is later voided for fraud.
Delayed Justice Determining Fair Compensation FOR Government Land Seizure
When the government takes property without expropriation, what value controls? The Supreme Court clarifies the rule on just compensation.