Facts:

• The case involves the annulment of a deed of sale by Adela Santos Gutierrez against Jose D. Villegas and Rizalina Santos Rivera.
• The parties are the only legal heirs of Irene Santos, who died intestate on November 11, 1954.
• Villegas, the surviving spouse, was appointed as the administrator of the estate on January 5, 1955.
• On January 12, 1955, Gutierrez signed a document selling her share of the estate to Rivera for P50,000, payable in installments.
• The deed was notarized the following day, and Gutierrez informed the probate court of the sale.
• On July 27, 1955, Gutierrez filed a case to annul the deed, alleging fraud and mistake.
• The defendants denied the charges and counterclaimed for damages and attorney's fees.
• The trial court dismissed both the complaint and the counterclaim, leading to this direct appeal.

Issue:

• (Unlock)

Ruling:

1. The court affirmed that no fraud or mistake vitiated Gutierrez's consent to the deed of sale.
2. The court found no gross inadequacy in the price of P50,000 for Gutierrez's share in the estate.
3. The court ruled that even if the deed were considered a partition, the lesion suffered by Gutierrez was less than one-fourth, making rescission inapplicable.
4. The court upheld the trial court's decisions on the appraisal of the estate and the rejec...(Unlock)

Ratio:

1. Fraud and Consent:

   • The court found that the plaintiff's allegations of fraud were unsupported by convincing evidence.
   • Gutierrez's claim of being misled was contradicted by the defendants' detailed testimony and the circumstances surrounding the execution of the deed.
   • The court noted that Gutierrez was capable of understanding the document she signed and that her claim of poor eyesight was not convincingly proven.

2. Inadequacy of Price:

   • The court found no evidence of gross inadequacy in the price of P50,000 for Gutierrez's share.
   • The appraisal by the Bureau of Internal Revenue was deemed more credible than the plaintiff's witness.
   • The court found no irregularities in the government's valuation.

3. Partition and Lesion:

   • The court held that even if the deed of sale were considered a partition, the lesion suffered by Gutierrez was less than one-fourth of her share's value.
   • Rescission under Article 1098 of the Civil Code was deemed inapplicable.

4. Appraisal and Evidence:

   • The court affirmed the trial court's preference for the g...continue reading