Heirs of Feliciano Yambao vs Heirs of Hermogenes Yambao G.R No. 194260 Facts: A parcel of land located in Barangay Bangan, Botolan, a!"ales, #$ic$ #as originally possessed "y %acaria de &ca!po. %acaria's nep$e#, (er!ogenes )a!"ao, )a!"ao, acted as an an ad!inistrator ad!inistrator of t$e property property and paid paid realty ta*es ta*es t$erefor t$erefor.. After (er!ogenes died, it #as clai!ed t$at all of $is $eirs #ere free to pic+ and $arest fro! t$e fr-it"earing trees on t$e s-"/ect property. property. leanor one of t$e da-g$ter of t$e (eirs, een constr-cted a $o-se. (o#eer, so!eti!e in 200, t$e co!!-nal and !-t-al -se of t$e property ceased #$en t$e $eirs of Feleciano, $erein petitioners, pro$i"ited t$e! fro! entering t$e property and een e/ected leanor fro! t$e s-"/ect property. (ence, a co!plaint led #it$ t$e R3 for partition, declaration of n-llity of title5doc-!ents and da!ages against t$e $eirs of Feliciano.
Ruling of the RTC 3$e R3 R3 rendered rendered a ecision dis!issing dis!issing t$e co!plaint led "y t$e $eirs of of (er!ogenes. R3 opined t$at t$e $eirs of t$at t$e $eirs of (er!ogenes failed to s$o# t$at t$e s-"/ect property is o#ned "y %acaria stating t$at ta* declarations declarations and receipts in %acaria's na!e are not concl-sie eidence of o#ners$ip. 3$e R3 f-rt$er $eld t$at een if %acaria o#ned t$e s-"/ect property, property, t$e $eirs of (er!ogenes failed failed to s$o# t$at $e $as t$e rig$t to s-cceed s-cceed oer t$e estate of %acaria.
Ruling of the CA &n appeal, t$e A reersed and set aside t$e R3's decision. 3$e A pointed o-t t$at: Feliciano's application for free patent, $e ac+no#ledged t$at t$e so-rce of $is clai!s of possession oer t$e s-"/ect property #as (er!ogene's possession of t$e real property in peacef-l, open, contin-o-s, and aderse !anner and !ore i!portantly, in t$e concept of an o#ner, since 1994. Feliciano's Feliciano's clai! of sole possession in $is application for free patent did not t$erefore e*ting-is$ t$e fact of coo#ners$ip as clai!ed "y t$e c$ildren of (er!ogenes. 7ss-e: 8$et$er or not t$e s-"/ect property is indeed coo#ned "y t$e $eirs of (er!ogenes and t$e $eirs if Feleciano. R-ling: 3$e petition is is denied. A coo#ners$ip coo#n ers$ip is a for! of tr-st #it$ eac$ o#ner "eing a tr-stee for eac$ ot$er. %ere act-al possession #as aderse "eca-se a coo#ner is, after all, entitled to possession #as aderse "eca-se a coo#ner is, after all, entitled to possession of t$e property. 3$-s, as a r-le, prescription does not r-n in faor of a co$eir or co o#ner as long as $e e*pressly or i!pliedly recognies t$e coo#ners$ip and $e cannot ac;-ire "y prescription prescription t$e s$are of t$e ot$er coo#ners, a"sent a clear rep-diation rep-diation of t$e co o#ners$ip. An action to de!and partition a!ong coo#ners is i!prescripti"le i!prescripti"le and eac$ coo#ner !ay de!and at any ti!e t$e partition of t$e co!!on property. property.
t$at $e $as perfor!ed -ne;-iocal acts of rep-diation =2> t$at s-c$ positie acts of rep-diation $ae "een !ade +no#n to t$e ot$er coo#ners =?> t$at t$e eidence t$ereon !-st "e clear and conincing.
