Title
Ferrer vs. Mangente
Case
G.R. No. L-36410
Decision Date
Apr 13, 1973
Felix Ferrer, as legal heir, successfully repurchased homestead land under the Public Land Act within the statutory period, affirming family welfare protections.
A

Case Digest (G.R. No. L-36410)

Facts:

On April 13, 1973, the Supreme Court resolved an appeal involving Felix Ferrer as plaintiff-appellee and Abraham Mangente as defendant-appellant. The disputed Lot No. 53, located in Manjuyud, Negros Oriental, was originally acquired by Rolando Ferrer under a homestead patent issued on January 17, 1941 for an area of nineteen hectares. Upon Rolando’s death on February 14, 1945, he died single and intestate without debts or liabilities. Thereafter, his father, Segundo Ferrer, executed an extrajudicial settlement in which he adjudicated unto himself the lot previously covered by Rolando’s homestead patent, obtained a new transfer certificate of title, and subsequently sold the land—now registered in Segundo’s name—to Abraham Mangente on July 2, 1963. Segundo later died on August 15, 1965, about two years after the sale. Felix Ferrer, Segundo’s son and Rolando’s heir in the family line, then sought to repurchase the property on June 28, 1968, by sending the offer through registered mail, which Mangente received on July 3, 1968. Felix filed an action for reconveyance, and the case was decided by the lower court on a stipulation of facts. The Court of First Instance of Negros Oriental, presided by Judge Macario P. Santos, ruled for Felix and ordered Mangente to reconvey and deliver possession upon Felix’s payment of P3,500.00 as repurchase money plus P1,000.00 for removing stamps of the trees. Mangente elevated the adverse decision to the Court of Appeals, but that court, by resolution dated November 15, 1972, forwarded the records to the Supreme Court because the principal errors assigned were legal in character.

Issues:

Whether Felix Ferrer, as a legal heir of the homestead grantee’s family, had the statutory right under Section 119 of the Public Land Act (Commonwealth Act No. 141) to repurchase the homestead land sold to Mangente, and consequently compel reconveyance.

Ruling:

  • (Subscriber-Only)

Ratio:

  • (Subscriber-Only)

Doctrine:

  • (Subscriber-Only)

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