Case Digest (G.R. No. L-11989)
Facts:
- The case G.R. No. L-11989 concerns a 600-square meter land dispute in San Miguel, Pangasinan.
- Plaintiffs: Cesareo Aban, Antonio Aban, and Maxima Aban, children of deceased spouses Miguel Aban and Agustina Fabro, who owned the land under Original Certificate of Title No. 20578.
- Plaintiffs possessed about one hectare on the western side; defendant Teodorico Cendana occupied approximately 6,000 square meters on the eastern side.
- Cendana and his predecessors have occupied the land since time immemorial and paid taxes on it.
- Plaintiffs discovered the defendant's possession in 1953; the defendant learned of the title issue in 1955.
- Miguel Aban did not disturb Cendana's possession during his lifetime.
- Judge Rodolfo Baltazar ruled that the land was erroneously included in the plaintiffs' title and ordered reconveyance to the defendant.
- Plaintiffs appealed, claiming the one-year period to challenge a Torrens title due to fraud should apply, but the court found this argument unmeritorious.
Issue:
- (Unlock)
Ruling:
- The Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's decision, confirming that the land occupied by the defendant was erroneously included in the plaintiffs' title.
- The court ruled that the plaintiffs were required to reconvey the property to the defendant. ...(Unlock)
Ratio:
- The court's decision was based on the principle that a true owner can seek reconveyance if land is erroneously registered in another's name.
- The plaintiffs' title mistakenly included land that the defendant had long possessed without disturbance.
- Previous jurisprudence supports that a lando...continue reading
Case Digest (G.R. No. L-11989)
Facts:
The case G.R. No. L-11989 involves a dispute over the ownership of a 600-square meter parcel of land located in San Miguel, Pangasinan. The plaintiffs, Cesareo Aban, Antonio Aban, and Maxima Aban, are the legitimate children of the deceased spouses Miguel Aban and Agustina Fabro, who were the registered owners of the land under Original Certificate of Title No. 20578. The plaintiffs have been in possession of approximately one hectare on the western side of the property, while the defendant, Teodorico Cendana, and his predecessors have occupied around 6,000 square meters on the eastern side since time immemorial, paying taxes on the land throughout this period. The plaintiffs only became aware of the defendant's possession of the land in 1953 when they consulted a surveyor, and the defendant learned that his land was covered by the plaintiffs' title in 1955. Notably, during the lifetime of Miguel Aban, he did not disturb the defendant's possession, allowing the defendant to benefit from the land. The case was submitted to Judge Rodolfo Baltazar, who ruled that the land in question had been erroneously included in the plaintiffs' title and ordered them to reconvey it to the defendant. The plaintiffs appealed the decision, arguing that the one-ye...