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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Res Judicata in Estate Disputes: Prior Judgments Bar Relitigation of Property Ownership
A party cannot relitigate property ownership in probate proceedings when final judgments already settled the issue, the Supreme Court rules.
Psychological Incapacity and Conjugal Property: Understanding Marital Obligations and Asset Division in Philip
The Supreme Court clarifies when psychological incapacity voids a marriage and how conjugal assets are divided, using Laurena v. Court of Appeals.
Possession Disputes HOW Foreclosure Affects Third Party Property Claims
Protecting Children's Rights, Conjugal Property, and Execution of Judgments
When can a conjugal property be sold to pay a spouse's personal debt? The Supreme Court clarifies the limits of execution against family assets.
Adverse Claims and Good Faith: Protecting Prior Rights in Property Sales
When an adverse claim annotated on a title protects a prior buyer against a later attaching creditor, and why good faith matters.
Loan Restructuring vs Mortgage Release: When Must a Bank Return Collateral?
When a borrower restructures a loan and assigns property as partial payment, is the bank obliged to release other collateral? The Supreme Court explains.
Jurisdictional Thresholds in Property Disputes: Assessed Value vs. Estimated Value
Philippine courts clarify that assessed value, not estimated value, determines which court has jurisdiction over property disputes.
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.
Reconstitution of Cadastral Records: Publication Requirement for Court Jurisdiction
Learn when publication in the Official Gazette is required to reconstitute cadastral records under Act 3110, and how the Supreme Court resolved this property law dispute.
Lis Pendens and Due Process: Protecting Registered Owners in Property Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies when a notice of lis pendens may be annotated, balancing a claimant's interest against a registered owner's right to due process.
Good Faith and Land Titles: How Innocent Purchasers Are Protected Under Philippine Law
Learn how Philippine law protects innocent purchasers of land, the role of good faith in property transactions, and key legal safeguards.
Ejectment and Urban Land Reform: Balancing Security of Tenure with Property Rights
The Supreme Court clarifies when urban land reform protections can stop an ejectment case, and when they cannot.
Forum Shopping and Co-Ownership: Res Judicata Boundaries in Property Disputes
Learn when a second property case is barred by forum shopping or res judicata, and how co-ownership affects party identity under Philippine law.
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.
Prior Possession Prevails: Resolving Forcible Entry Disputes in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that in forcible entry cases, prior physical possession—not ownership—determines who stays on the property.
Property Rights Prevail: The Right to Fence Over Easement Claims
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on the right to fence one's property, easement claims, and procedural rules in injunction cases.
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.
Heirship and Filiation: Proving Inheritance Rights in Property Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on proving filiation through baptismal certificates and the rights of heirs in property disputes.
Extrajudicial Repossession After Lease Default: What Irao v. By the Bay, Inc. Means
Supreme Court explains when a lessor's demand letter counts as notice of termination, allowing extrajudicial repossession of leased property.
Dismissal Based on Theft: Upholding Employee Termination for Unauthorized Disposal of Company Property
Supreme Court rules on valid dismissal for theft of company property and the due process requirements in employee termination cases.
Extrajudicial Termination Clauses in Lease Agreements: What the Supreme Court Says
The Supreme Court clarifies when a lessor may validly terminate a lease and repossess property without court action under Philippine law.
Injunctions in Ejectment Cases: Balancing Property Rights and Public Service
When can an ejectment judgment be stayed? City of Naga v. Asuncion shows how courts balance property rights against disruption of public services.
Expiration OF Redemption Rights Understanding Quiet Title Actions IN Philippine Property LAW
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.