Facts:

• The case involves Richard B. Lopez v. Court of Appeals (G.R. No. 157784).
• Richard B. Lopez served as the trustee for the Trust Estate of the late Juliana Lopez-Manzano.
• The dispute centers on 1,500 hectares of land that were allegedly excluded from the trust estate.
• Juliana executed a notarial will on March 23, 1968, which established a trust fund for her paraphernal properties.
• Her husband, Jose Lopez Manzano, was appointed executor of her estate after her death shortly after the will was executed.
• The probate court admitted Juliana's will and approved an inventory of her properties, excluding the disputed lands from the Fideicomiso.
• Following Jose's death in 1980, he left a holographic will that bequeathed the disputed properties to several respondents.
• The properties were transferred to the respondents after the probate of Jose's will.
• In December 1984, Richard B. Lopez was appointed as the trustee and subsequently filed for reconveyance of the disputed properties.
• The Regional Trial Court (RTC) dismissed his case due to prescription, a decision that was later affirmed by the Court of Appeals.

Issue:

• (Unlock)

Ruling:

• The Supreme Court ruled that the petition for reconveyance had indeed prescribed, thereby affirming the decision of the Court of Appeals.
• The Court concluded that the fiduciary relationship...(Unlock)

Ratio:

• The Supreme Court's decision emphasized the nature of the trust and the relevant prescriptive period.
• The disputed properties were excluded from the Fideicomiso, which created a presumption of regularity in the probate process.
• The registration of the properties in Jose's name was upheld as valid.
• The action for reconveyance was subject to a ten-year prescriptive period, commencing from September 15, 1969.
• The Court clarified that in cases of constructive trust, the prescriptive period can begin without explicit repudiation by ...continue reading