Title
Semira vs. Court of Appeals
Case
G.R. No. 76031
Decision Date
Mar 2, 1994
Ownership and possession of the Batangas land favor the buyer, as defined by the deed of sale boundaries, irrespective of the land's actual size.
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Case Digest (G.R. No. 76031)

Facts:

  • Miguel Semira is the petitioner; Buenaventura An is the respondent.
  • The Supreme Court rendered its decision on March 2, 1994.
  • The case involves a parcel of land, Lot 4221, originally owned by Juana Gutierrez.
  • Gutierrez sold Lot 4221 to An for P850.00 on January 4, 1961, with specified boundaries and an area of approximately 822.5 square meters.
  • An occupied the land according to the stated boundaries.
  • In 1964, An acquired an adjacent parcel, Lot 4215.
  • On October 18, 1972, An sold Lot 4221 to his nephew, Cipriano Ramirez, for P2,500.00, updating the eastern boundary to reflect ownership of Lot 4215.
  • In 1979, Ramirez sold Lot 4221 to Semira for P20,000.00, but the deed stated the area as 2,200 square meters, confirmed by a 1974 cadastral survey.
  • Semira began construction on March 17, 1979.
  • On April 18, 1979, An filed a forcible entry complaint against Semira, claiming unlawful occupation of 1,377 square meters belonging to Lot 4215.
  • The Municipal Circuit Trial Court initially dismissed the case for lack of jurisdiction but later ruled in favor of Semira.
  • An appealed to the Regional Trial Court, which reversed the Municipal Circuit Trial Court's decision, asserting An's prior possession.
  • The Court of Appeals upheld the Regional Trial Court's ruling, prompting Semira to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Issue:

  • (Unlock)

Ruling:

  • The Supreme Court reversed the decisions of the Court of Appeals and the Regional Trial Court.
  • The ruling of the Municipal Circuit Trial Court in favor of Semira was reinstated.
  • The Court held th...(Unlock)

Ratio:

  • The Supreme Court reasoned that determining prior possession was inherently linked to ownership.
  • Both parties claimed ownership based on their respective deeds of sale, which included specific boundaries.
  • Th...continue reading

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