Facts:

• Ramon V. Roxas and spouses John and Flora Kuykendall are in a legal dispute with spouses Andres Dy and Gloria Dy.
• The Kuykendalls leased their property at 520 P. Zamora St. to the Dyes for 17 years.
• The lease expired on December 31, 1986, but the Dyes continued to occupy the property on a month-to-month basis.
• On August 28, 1988, the Kuykendalls informed the Dyes of their intention to sell the property, allowing them until September 30, 1988, to make an offer.
• The Dyes failed to respond by the deadline and later proposed P4.5 million on March 27, 1989, which the Kuykendalls rejected.
• The Kuykendalls then set a selling price of P5.5 million, valid until April 10, 1989.
• On April 6, 1989, the Kuykendalls offered to sell the property to Roxas for P5.521 million, which he accepted.
• The sale was formalized with a Letter-Agreement on April 11, 1989, followed by a Deed of Absolute Sale on May 19, 1989.
• Transfer Certificate of Title No. 162636 was issued to Roxas on May 22, 1989.
• On June 2, 1989, the Dyes filed a lawsuit against the Kuykendalls and Roxas for annulment of the deed of sale and specific performance, placing a notice of lis pendens on Roxas's title.
• The Regional Trial Court ruled in favor of Roxas on October 9, 1989, but the Court of Appeals reversed this decision on November 29, 1990.

Issue:

• (Unlock)

Ruling:

• The Supreme Court granted the petitions for review, reversing the Court of Appeals' decision.
• The order of the Regional Trial Court that canceled the notice of lis pendens was reinstated.
• The Cour...(Unlock)

Ratio:

• The Supreme Court noted that under Section 24, Rule 14 of the Rules of Court, a notice of lis pendens can be canceled if it is intended to harass the opposing party or is unnecessary for protecting the rights of the party who recorded it.
• The Court criticized the Court of Appeals for only considering whether the notice was meant to harass Roxas, neglecting the second groun...continue reading