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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Eminent Domain in the Philippines: Just Compensation and Due Process
Learn how Philippine law protects property owners in eminent domain cases, focusing on just compensation and due process requirements.
Right of First Refusal and Ownership Proof in Philippine Real Estate Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies how courts resolve property ownership disputes and partition actions, emphasizing evidence rules and prescription periods.
Partitioning Property Proving Ownership AND Avoiding Legal Pitfalls IN THE Philippines
Learn how Philippine courts handle partition actions, ownership disputes, and prescription from the Catapusan case.
Quieting Title vs Boundary Disputes: What Property Owners Should Know
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when quieting of title applies and why boundary disputes need different legal remedies.
TAX Exemption FOR Government Corporations Understanding Restoration AND Real Property TAX
The Supreme Court rules on the validity of restored tax exemptions for government corporations and real property tax liability.
Mortgaging Property With Pending Land Patent Applications: Risks and Requisites
Learn the legal risks of mortgaging property with pending land patent applications and the requisites for valid real estate mortgages in the Philippines.
Negligence Trumps Fortuitous Events: Service Shops Must Insure Customer Vehicles
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a service shop's failure to insure customer property makes it liable for loss by fire, even if the fire is a fortuitous event.
Sheriffs Authority: Understanding the Limits of Property Attachment in the Philippines
Learn the limits of a sheriff's authority in property attachment in the Philippines, based on a landmark Supreme Court administrative case.
Verbal Agreements to Sell Property: When Are They Enforceable in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court explains when oral contracts to sell real property are enforceable and why buyers must prove readiness to pay.
Husband's Liability for Wife's Debts: Protecting Conjugal Property in the Philippines
When can a husband be liable for his wife's debts? Learn how final judgments protect conjugal property from execution in the Philippines.
Final Judgments Bind Conjugal Property: Lessons from Johnson & Johnson v. Vinluan
A final judgment declaring a wife solely liable cannot later be enforced against conjugal property. Learn the due process and finality rules.
Search Warrants in IP Cases: Probable Cause and Specificity Rules
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies probable cause and specificity requirements for search warrants in intellectual property infringement cases.
Execution of Judgments: Timelines, Third-Party Claims, and Property Rights in the Philippines
Understand the five-year rule for executing judgments, third-party claims, and why a buyer's title can be upheld despite procedural delays.
Priority of Liens: Attachment vs Execution in Philippine Law
How the Supreme Court resolved a dispute over which lien—attachment or execution—has priority over the same property.
Forum Shopping in the Philippines: How It Affects Search Warrants and Legal Proceedings
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that forum shopping applies to search warrant applications, and seized property cannot be held indefinitely without criminal prosecution.
Buyer Beware Protecting Yourself From Land Title Fraud IN THE Philippines
Learn how Philippine courts view taxpayer suits and land transactions, and what this means for protecting property rights.
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.
Recto Law Explained: Deficiency Claims After Chattel Mortgage Foreclosure
Understand Article 1484 (Recto Law) and when sellers can still recover attorney's fees after foreclosing on installment-sold personal property.
Adverse Claims in Philippine Property Law: Validity, Effectivity, and Third-Party Rights
The Supreme Court clarifies when an adverse claim remains effective under Section 70 of PD 1529 and its effect on subsequent levies.
Ownership Disputes and Government Sequestration: Protecting Property Rights After PCGG Lifting
When the government sequesters property, owners may face long battles to reclaim it. This case clarifies the finality of delisting orders.
Understanding Legal Redemption: Protecting Co-Owners' Rights in Property Sales
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies co-owners' legal redemption rights, written notice requirements, and timely exercise under Civil Code Articles 1619-1623.
Injunctions and Property Rights: When Courts Will Intervene
A clear property right is essential for an injunction. The Supreme Court explains the rules in Far East Bank v. Court of Appeals.
Understanding Res Judicata and Its Exceptions in Philippine Property Disputes
Learn how res judicata bars relitigation of property cases in the Philippines, plus the recognized exceptions to this procedural rule.
Estafa vs Breach of Contract: When a Civil Wrong Becomes a Crime
The Supreme Court clarifies when failure to return leased property crosses from civil breach to criminal estafa, requiring criminal intent.