Quintos v Nicolas

QUINTOS v. NICOLAS GR No. 210252 June 25, 2014 CIVIL LAW FACTS The p!"#e$ #n "h#$ %$e !e $#&'#n($. The#! p!en"$, )#enven#*o n* +$%o'$"#% I&!! e!e "he one!$ o- "he $u&e%" p!ope!"/,  21 $ p!%e' o- 'n* $#"u"e* 'on( Que3on Avenue. When "he %oup'e %oup'e p$$e* p$$e* /, /, "he/ 'e-" 'e-" "he one!$ one!$h#p h#p ove! ove! "he p!ope! p!ope!"/ "/ "o "he#! "he#! "en %h#'* %h#'*!en !en.. In 2002, 2002, !e$pon*en" $#&'#n($ &!ou(h" n %"#on -o! p!"#"#on (#n$" pe"#"#one!$. ue "o nonppe!n%e o-   p!"#e$ $ e'' $ $ "he#! %oun$e'$, "he %$e %$e $ *#$#$$e*. A$ "he/ e!e un&'e "o $e%u!e  -vo!&'e *e%#$#on, !e$pon*en"$ !e$o!"e* "o e6e%u"#n(  ee* o-  A*u*#%"#on &eue"h#n( one!$h#p "o "he "en $#&'#n($. Su&$euen"'/, !e$pon*en" $#&'#n($ $o'* "he#!  7810 un*#v#*e* $h!e ove! "he p!ope!"/ "o $pou$e$ Cn*e'!#o. 9e"#"#one! $#&'#n($ -#'e* -o! Qu#e"#n( o- T#"'e (#n$" "he !e$pon*en"$ ''e(#n( "h" "he#! p!en"$ h* #n "he#! '#-e"#e "!n$-e!!e* one!$h#p o- "he p!ope!"/ #n -vo! o- "he $#&'#n($. The/ -u!"he! ve!!e* "h" "he/ hve *ve!$e, open, %on"#nuou$, n* un#n"e!!up"e* po$$e$$#on o- "he p!ope!"/ -o! ove! -ou!  :4; *e%*e$ n* !e, "hu$, en"#"'e* "o eu#"&'e "#"'e "he!e"o. The/ '$o *#* no" hve n/ p!"#%#p"#on #n e6e%u"#n( "he ee* o- A*u*#%"#on. Re$pon*en"$ %oun"e!e* "h" pe"#"#one!$< %u$e o- %"#on $ '!e*/ &!!e* &/ e$"oppe' hen $oe"#e #n 200=, one o- pe"#"#one!$ o--e!e* "o &u/ "he 7810 un*#v#*e* $h!e o- "he !e$pon*en" $#&'#n($. The/ po#n" ou" "h" "h#$ #$ n *#$$#on on "he p!" o- pe"#"#one!$ "h" "he p!ope!"/ #$ no" en"#!e'/ en"#!e'/ "he#!$. In **#"#on **#"#on,, "he/ %'#e* %'#e* "h" )#enven#*o )#enven#*o n* +$%o'$"# +$%o'$"#% % I&!! I&!! o!"((e o!"((e* * "he  p!ope!"/ &u" &e%u$e o- -#nn%#' %on$"!#n"$, !e$pon*en" $pou$e$ Cn*e'!#o h* "o !e*ee "he  p!ope!"/ #n "he#! &eh'-. No" hv#n( &een !ep#* &/ )#enven#*o n* +$%o'$"#%, +$%o'$"#%, "he Cn*e'!#o$ %%ep"e* -!o "he#! %o!e$pon*en"$ "he#! $h!e #n "he $u&e%" p!ope!"/ $ p/en". L$"'/, !e$pon*en"$ !e$pon*en"$ $ou(h", &/ / o- %oun"e!%'#, "he p!"#"#on o- "he p!ope!"/. p!ope!"/. ISSU+ Whe"he! o! no" "he pe"#"#one!$ e!e &'e "o p!ove one!$h#p ove! "he p!ope!"/ RULING  NO. Qu#e"#n( o- "#"'e #$ #$  %oon ' !ee*/ !ee*/ -o! "he !eov' !eov' o- n/ %'ou*, *ou&", o! un%e!"#n"/ un%e!"#n"/ --e%"#n( --e%"#n( "#"'e "o !e' p!ope!"/. p!ope!"/. Fo! n %"#on "o u#e" "#"'e "o p!o$pe!, "o #n*#$pen$&'e #n*#$pen$&'e !eu#$#"e$ u$" %on%u!, ne'/> :1; "he p'#n"#-- o! %op'#nn" h$  'e(' o! eu#"&'e "#"'e "o o! #n"e!e$" #n "he !e'  p!ope!"/ $u&e%" o- "he %"#on? n* :2; "he *ee*, %'#, en%u&!n%e, en%u&!n%e, o! p!o%ee*#n( %'#e* "o &e %$"#n( %'ou* on "he "#"'e u$" &e $hon "o &e #n -%" #nv'#* o! #nope!"#ve *e$p#"e #"$ p!# -%#e ppe!n%e o- v'#*#"/ o! e--#%%/. e--#%%/. In "he %$e " &!, "he CA %o!!e%"'/ o&$e!ve* "h" pe"#"#one!$< %u$e o- %"#on u$" ne%e$$!#'/ -#' #n'/ #n v#e o- "he &$en%e o- "he -#!$" !eu#$#"e. 9e"#"#one 9e"#"#one!$ !$ -#'e* -#'e* #n p!ov#n( p!ov#n( "he#! "he#! %'# %'# ove! "he p!ope!"/ p!ope!"/.. The#! The#! ''e(e* ''e(e* open, %on"#nuo %on"#nuou$, u$, e6%'u$#ve, n* un#n"e!!up"e* po$$e$$#on o- "he $u&e%" p!ope!"/ #$ &e'#e* &/ "he -%" "h" !e$pon*en" $#&'#n($, #n 2005, en"e!e* #n"o  Con"!%" o- Le$e #"h "he Av#%o Len*#n( Inve$"o! Co. ove! "he $u&e%" 'o" #"hou" n/ o&e%"#on -!o "he pe"#"#one!$. 9e"#"#one!$< #n&#'#"/ "o o--e! ev#*en%e "en*#n( "o  p!ove "h" )#enven#*o n* +$%o'$"#% I&!! "!n$-e!!e* "he one!$h#p ove! "he p!ope!"/ #n -vo! o-   pe"#"#one!$ #$ '#@e#$e -"' "o "he '""e!<$ %'#. On "he %on"!!/, on / 2, 1BB, +$%o'$"#% I&!! e6e%u"e*  ee* o- S'e %ove!#n( h'- o- "he $u&e%" p!ope!"/ #n -vo! o- '' he! 10 %h#'*!en, no" #n

-vo! o- pe"#"#one!$ 'one. The cardinal rule is that bare allegation of title does not suffice. The &u!*en o- p!oo- #$ on "he p'#n"#-- "o e$"&'#$h h#$ o! he! %$e &/ p!epon*e!n%e o- ev#*en%e.Re(!e""&'/,  pe"#"#one!$, $ $u%h p'#n"#--, #n "h#$ %$e -#'e* "o *#$%h!(e "he $#* &u!*en #po$e* upon "he #n  p!ov#n( 'e(' o! eu#"&'e "#"'e ove! "he p!%e' o- 'n* #n #$$ue. A$ $u%h, "he!e #$ no !e$on "o *#$"u!& "he -#n*#n( o- "he RTC "h" '' 10 $#&'#n($ #nhe!#"e* "he $u&e%" p!ope!"/ -!o )#enven#*o n* +$%o'$"#% I&!!, n* -"e! "he !e$pon*en" $#&'#n($ $o'* "he#! '#uo" $h!e "o "he $pou$e$ Cn*e'!#o,  pe"#"#one!$ n* !e$pon*en" $pou$e$ &e%e %oone!$ o- "he $e.