Defective title

A LAW EACH DAY (KEEPS TROUBLE AWAY) By Jose C. Sison The Philippine St ! "#$%&$%""'

This is the ( se o) n *+inist! ti,ely !e(onstit-te* title n* its possi.le !epe!(-ssions. The ( se in,ol,e* %/''" s0- !e +ete!s p !(el o) l n* sit- te* in 1 t n* n2 B l ! / 3-e4on City n* 5no6n s lot %#. T6o *i))e!ent pe!sons 6ith e7 (tly the s +e n +e/ i.e. 8i(to! 9!e2o!io/ e (h (l i+e* o6ne!ship o) lot %# .y ,i!t-e o) n o6ne!:s *-pli( te (e!ti)i( te e (h o) the+ possesse*. 8i(to! 9!e2o!io 6ith **!ess t An2ono Ri4 l (89 ;) hel* TCT <=>" o) the 1 nil Re2ist!y .e( -se 1 t n* n2 B l ! 6 s then p !t o) 1 nil . 8i(to! 9!e2o!io )!o+ Ce.- (89 ;;) h * TCT ?o. <=>" ('<#) o) the 3-e4on City Re2ist!y .e( -se the (!e tion o) 3-e4on City )o-n* lot %# 6ithin its .o!*e!s th-s t! ns)e!!in2 the p!ope!ty !e(o!*s to this ne6 politi( l -nit. The te(hni( l *es(!iption o) the l n* in one title (o!!espon*s e7 (tly 6ith th t o) the othe!. The * te @J-ne &A/ &<AA@ ppe !s on the ) (e o) .oth titles s (o++on * te o) ent!y. On Ap!il &=/ &<=</ 89 ;; e7e(-te* *ee* o) s le o,e! the lot *es(!i.e* in TCT <=>"('<#) in ) ,o! o) his nephe6 Lito. The s le not6ithst n*in2/ the o6ne!:s *-pli( te !e+ ine* )o! so+eti+e 6ith 89 ;;. On Be.!- !y &&/ &<>'/ 89 ; sol* the s +e p!ope!ty *es(!i.e* in TCT <=>" to Be!to/ Ro*ol)o n* 1 n*o. To ss-!e hi+sel) o) the 2en-ineness o) 89 ;:s title/ Be!to 6ent to 3-e4on City to (o+p !e the (opy 6ith the o!i2in l on )ile 6ith the !e2ist!y n* *is(o,e!e* th t the only *i))e!en(e 6 s th t the o!i2in l h * @<=>" ('<#)@ type6!itten on st! i2ht line. 89 ; tol* Be!to th t @'<#@ 6 s not ))i7e* on his title .e( -se he ne,e! p!esente* the s +e to the 3C Re2ist!y )o! ))i7t-!e o) s i* n-+.e!. Be)o!e (on(l-*in2 the s le/ Be!to s5e* )o! i*entity o) 89 ; n* to2ethe! 6ith hi+ p!o(ee*e* to the l n* site 6he!e !esi*ents$ ( !et 5e! o) the pl (e ss-!e* hi+ th t 89 ; 6 s (t- lly the l n* o6ne!. On J-ne &&/ &<>> )i!e 2-tte* po!tion o) 3C h ll n* *est!oye* in the p!o(ess the o!i2in l o) TCT <=>" ('<#). B !ely +onth l te!/ Lito ssiste* .y (e!t in en2inee! )ile* n ppli( tion )o! !e(onstit-tion si2ne* .y 89 ;; o) the .-!ne* o!i2in l on the . sis o) the l tte!:s *-pli( te (e!ti)i( te. A)te! *-e p!o(ee*in2s n* )ollo6 -p .y pe!sonnel in the L n* Re2ist! tion A-tho!ity/ TCT <=>" ('<#) 6 s !e(onstit-te* s TCT RTC &='A. On 1 y %'/ &<></ the Dee* o) S le e7e(-te* .y 89 ;; in ) ,o! o) Lito 6 s !e2iste!e* n* ne6 TCT (?o. &%&>#) 6 s iss-e* in Lito:s n +e. The!e )te!/ lot %# 6 s s-.*i,i*e* into th!ee lots %# A/ B/ n* C/ 6ith TCT ?os. &AA&A/ &AA&D n* &AA&' !espe(ti,ely. E (h o) the ne6 title .e !s the nnot tion th t it 6 s *+inist! ti,ely !e(onstit-te*. Lito posth ste sol* lot %#CA to Re+y 6ho/ p-!s- nt to (ont! (t to sell * te* 1 !(h %#/ &<<"/ -n*e!too5 to p y Lito the P.D +illion . l n(e o) the P%.D +illion p-!(h se p!i(e on(e she is pl (e* in possession o) the )en(e* o)) p!ope!ty. This (ont! (t to sell 6 s not !e2iste!e* o! nnot te* t the . (5 o) the Title. B-t 6hen Lito:s hi!e* h n*s t!ie* to )en(e the p!ope!ty so+eti+e in 1 y &<<"/ Be!to n* his 2ents )o!(i.ly p!e,ente* the+. Be!to/ Ro*ol)o n* 1 n*o lso ( -se* the nnot tion o) thei! *,e!se (l i+s on Lito:s TCT ?os. &AA&A/ &AA&D/ n* &AA&'. Then they )ile* 6ith the RTC o) 3-e4on City s-it )o! 0-ietin2 o) title n* nn-l+ent o) Lito:s ) 5e titles. Re+y inte!,ene* in the s-it n* (l i+e* th t she 6 s p-!(h se! in 2oo* ) ith n* )o! , l-e o) lot %#CA. She (l i+e* th t she .o-2ht the p!ope!ty 6itho-t noti(e th t Be!to/ Ro*ol)o n* 1 n*o h ,e !i2ht to o! inte!est in the p!ope!ty t the ti+e o) the p-!(h se o! .e)o!e she h * noti(e o) thei! (l i+ o! inte!est. W s Re+y (o!!e(tE ?o. TCT &AA&A (o,e!in2 lot %#CA th t Re+y (ont! (te* to .-y )!o+ Lito ( !!ie* n nnot tion th t it 6 s *+inist! ti,ely !e(onstit-te*. Re+y lso 5ne6 th t t the ti+e o) the s le Lito *i* not h ,e possession o) the lot in s+-(h s she 2!ee* to p y the . l n(e o) the p-!(h se p!i(e s soon s Lito ( n )en(e o)) the p!ope!ty n* s-!!en*e! physi( l possession the!eo) to he!. E,en )o! these t6o !e sons lone/ 6hi(h sho-l* h ,e pl (e* Re+y on 2- !* !espe(tin2 Lito:s title/ he! (l i+ o) .ein2 p-!(h se! in 2oo* ) ith n* )o! , l-e +-st ) il. A p-!(h se! o) p!ope!ty ( nnot .e in 2oo* ) ith 6he!e the title the!eo) sho6s th t it 6 s !e(onstit-te* (Rep-.li( ,s. Co-!t o) Appe ls <A SCRA >'D). B-!the!+o!e/ the @(ont! (t to sell@ in ) ,o! o) Re+y is -n!e2iste!e* n* not nnot te* t the . (5 o) the title o) the p!ope!ty. Hen(e it ( nnot *,e!sely ))e(t Be!to/ 1 n*o n* Ro*ol)o )o! the !e son th t -n*e! Se(tion D& o) the P!ope!ty Re2ist! tion A(t (PD &D%<) the (t o) !e2ist! tion sh ll .e the ope! ti,e (t to (on,ey o! ))e(t the l n* in so ) ! s thi!* p !ties !e (on(e!ne*. So Ro*ol)o/ Be!to n* 1 n*o !e in*ee* the !i2ht)-l o6ne!s n* possesso!s o) the l n* *es(!i.e* in TCT <=>" n* TCT &AA&A/ &AA&D/ n* &AA&' in the n +e o) Lito !e n-ll n* ,oi* n* sho-l*

.e st!i(5en o-t o) the Re2ist!y o) Dee*s (Premiere Development Bank vs. Court of Appeals et. al. G.R. 128122, Marc 18, 2!!". #"$ %CRA &$!'.