Ignao v.

IAC
[G.R. No. 72876. January 18, 1991.]
Facts:
A lot situated in Barrio Tabon, uni!i"ality o# $a%it, &a'ite, %it( an area o# )*+ s,.
-. %as ori.inally o%ned by Balta/ar 0.nao %(o -arried t%i!e. 0n (is 1rst -arria.e,
(e (ad + !(ildren, na-ely Justo 2t(e #at(er o# 3loren!io4, 5eon, Juan and 0sidro. 0n (is
se!ond -arria.e, Balta/ar (ad also + !(ildren but t(e latter %ai'ed t(eir ri.(ts o'er
t(e !ontro'erted land in #a'or o# Justo. T(us, Justo o%ned +68 o# t(e land %(i!( %as
%ai'ed by (is (al#7brot(ers and sisters "lus (is 168 s(are or a total o# )68.
T(erea#ter, Justo a!,uired t(e 168 s(are o# 5eon #or 8)99.99 %(i!( (e later sold to
(is son 3loren!io #or t(e sa-e a-ount. :(en Justo died, 3loren!io in(erited t(e )68
s(are o# (is #at(er Justo "lus (is 168 s(are o# t(e land %(i!( (e bou.(t or a total o#
668 2re"resentin. +99.) s,. -.4 Juan and 0sidro, on t(e ot(er (and, (ad 168 s(are
266.7) s,. -.4 ea!( o# t(e land or a total o# 1**.) s,. -. T(us, 3loren!io and (is
un!les Juan and 0sidro %ere !o7o%ners o# a "ar!el o# land. 8ursuant to an a!tion #or
"artition 1led by 3loren!io 0.nao 2&i'il &ase N716814, t(e t(en &30 &a'ite in a
de!ision dated 6 3ebruary 197) dire!ted t(e "artition o# t(e a#oresaid land, allotin.
1**.) s,. -. or 268 t(ereo# to Juan and 0sidro, and .i'in. t(e re-ainin. "ortion %it(
a total area o# 266.) s,. -. to "etitioner 3loren!io.
;o%e'er, no a!tual "artition %as e'er e<e!ted.
=n 17 July 1978, 3loren!io instituted a !o-"laint #or re!o'ery o# "ossession o# real
"ro"erty a.ainst Juan and 0sidro be#ore t(e &30 &a'ite 2&i'il &ase 26624. 0n (is
!o-"laint, 3loren!io alle.ed t(at t(e area o!!u"ied by t(e 2 (ouses built by Juan
and 0sidro e>!eeded t(e 1**.) s,. -. "re'iously alloted to t(e- by t(e trial !ourt in
&i'il &ase N71681. An o!ular ins"e!tion %as !ondu!ted by t(e lo%er !ourt? %(i!(
#ound t(at t(e (ouses o# Juan and 0sidro a!tually en!roa!(ed u"on a "ortion o# t(e
land belon.in. to 3loren!io. @"on a.ree-ent o# t(e "arties, t(e trial !ourt ordered a
li!ensed .eodeti! en.ineer to !ondu!t a sur'ey to deter-ine t(e e>a!t area
o!!u"ied by t(e (ouses o# Juan and 0sidro. T(e sur'ey subse,uently dis!losed t(at
t(e (ouse o# Juan o!!u"ied +2 s,. -. %(ile t(at o# 0sidro o!!u"ied )9 s,. -. o#
3loren!ioAs land or a total o# 191 s,. -. 0n its de!ision, t(e trial !ourt 2t(ru Jud.e 5uis
5. Bi!tor4 ruled t(at alt(ou.( Juan and 0sidro o!!u"ied a "ortion o# 3loren!ioAs
"ro"erty, t(ey s(ould be !onsidered builders in .ood #ait(. T(e trial !ourt obser'ed
t(at based on t(e #a!ts o# t(e !ase, it %ould be useless and unsuitable #or 3loren!io
to e>er!ise t(e 1rst o"tion 2o# a""ro"riatin. "art o# t(e (ouse standin. on (is lot4
sin!e t(is %ould render t(e entire (ouses o# Juan and 0sidro %ort(less. T(e trial
!ourt t(en a""lied t(e rulin. in t(e si-ilar !ase o# Grana 's. &ourt o# A""eals,
%(ere t(e Cu"re-e &ourt (ad ad'an!ed a -ore D%orEable solutionF. T(us, it
ordered 3loren!io to sell to Juan and 0sidro t(ose "ortions o# (is land res"e!ti'ely
o!!u"ied by t(e latter at 8+9.99 "er s,. -., and to e>e!ute t(e ne!essary deed o#
!on'eyan!e to t(e Juan and 0sidro? %it(out "ronoun!e-ent as to !osts. 3loren!io
a""ealed to t(e 0A&. =n 27 Au.ust 198), t(e A""ellate &ourt 2Ce!ond &i'il &ases
Gi'ision4, "ro-ul.ated a de!ision, aHr-in. t(e de!ision o# t(e trial !ourt. ;en!e t(e
"etition #or re'ie% by !ertiorari.
T(e Cu"re-e &ourt -odi1ed t(e de!ision a""ealed #ro-. T(e &ourt dire!ted
3loren!io to e>er!ise (is o"tion to eit(er a""ro"riate as (is o%n t(e "ortions o# t(e
(ouses o# Juan and 0sidro 0.nao o!!u"yin. (is land u"on "ay-ent o# inde-nity in
a!!ordan!e %it( Arti!les )+6 and )+8 o# t(e &i'il &ode, or sell to "ri'ate
res"ondents t(e 191 s,. -. o!!u"ied by t(e- at su!( "ri!e as -ay be a.reed u"on?
%it(in *9 days #ro- entry o# Iud.-ent. C(ould t(e 'alue o# t(e land e>!eed t(e
'alue o# t(e "ortions o# t(e (ouses t(at Juan and 0sidro (a'e ere!ted t(ereon, t(e
latter -ay !(oose not to buy t(e land but t(ey -ust "ay reasonable rent #or t(e use
o# t(e "ortion o# 3loren!ioAs land as -ay be a.reed u"on by t(e "arties. 0n !ase o#
disa.ree-ent, t(e rate o# rental and ot(er ter-s o# t(e lease s(all be deter-ined by
t(e trial !ourt. =t(er%ise, Juan and 0sidro -ay re-o'e or de-olis( at t(eir o%n
e>"ense t(e said "ortions o# t(eir (ouses en!roa!(in. u"on 3loren!ioAs land?
:it(out !osts.
1. Co-owners hold property in common dominion, with each an owner of
share (abstract and ndetermined ntil partition is e!ected
8rior to "artition, all t(e !o7o%ners (old t(e "ro"erty in !o--on do-inion but at
t(e sa-e ti-e ea!( is an o%ner o# a s(are %(i!( is abstra!t and undeter-ined until
"artition is e<e!ted. As !ited in "sebio vs. Intermediate Appellate Cort, Dan
undi'ided estate is !o7o%ners(i" by t(e (eirs.F As !o7o%ners, t(e "arties -ay (a'e
une,ual s(ares in t(e !o--on "ro"erty, ,uantitati'ely s"eaEin.. But in a
,ualitati'e sense, ea!( !o7o%ner (as t(e sa-e ri.(t as any one o# t(e ot(er !o7
o%ners. J'ery !o7o%ner is t(ere#ore t(e o%ner o# t(e %(ole, and o'er t(e %(ole (e
e>er!ises t(e ri.(t o# do-inion, but (e is at t(e sa-e ti-e t(e o%ner o# a "ortion
%(i!( is truly abstra!t, be!ause until di'ision is e<e!ted su!( "ortion is not
!on!retely deter-ined.
#. Article $$%
Arti!le ++8 "ro'ides t(at Dt(e o%ner o# t(e land on %(i!( anyt(in. (as been built,
so%n or "lanted in .ood #ait(, s(all (a'e t(e ri.(t to a""ro"riate as (is o%n t(e
%orEs, so%in. or "lantin., a#ter "ay-ent o# t(e inde-nity "ro'ided #or in arti!les
)+6 and )+8, or to obli.e t(e one %(o built or "lanted to "ay t(e "ri!e o# t(e land,
and t(e one %(o so%ed, t(e "ro"er rent. ;o%e'er, t(e builder or "lanter !annot be
obli.ed to buy t(e land i# its 'alue is !onsiderably -ore t(an t(at o# t(e buildin. or
trees. 0n su!( !ase, (e s(all "ay reasonable rent, i# t(e o%ner o# t(e land does not
!(oose to a""ro"riate t(e buildin. or trees a#ter "ro"er inde-nity. T(e "arties s(all
a.ree u"on t(e ter-s o# t(e lease and in !ase o# disa.ree-ent, t(e !ourt s(all 1>
t(e ter-s t(ereo#.F
&. Article $$% does not apply to a co-owner' e(cept co-ownership is
terminated
0n t(e !ase o# C"ouses del &a-"o 's. Abesia, it %as (eld t(at Arti!le ++8 o# t(e &i'il
&ode !annot a""ly %(ere a !o7o%ner builds, "lants or so%s on t(e land o%ned in
!o--on #or t(en (e did not build, "lant or so% u"on land t(at e>!lusi'ely belon.s
to anot(er but o# %(i!( (e is a !o7o%ner. T(e !o7o%ner is not a t(ird "erson under
t(e !ir!u-stan!es, and t(e situation is .o'erned by t(e rules o# !o7o%ners(i".
;o%e'er, %(en t(e !o7o%ners(i" is ter-inated by a "artition and it a""ears t(at
t(e (ouse o# an erst%(ile !o7o%ner (as en!roa!(ed u"on a "ortion "ertainin. to
anot(er !o7o%ner %(i!( %as (o%e'er -ade in .ood #ait(, t(en t(e "ro'isions o#
Arti!le ++8 s(ould a""ly to deter-ine t(e res"e!ti'e ri.(ts o# t(e "arties.
$. )ight to appropriate wor*s or to oblige bilder to pay the price of the
land belongs to the landowner
As (eld in +emel vs. ,laes, it %as !ate.ori!ally ruled t(at t(e ri.(t to
a""ro"riate t(e %orEs or i-"ro'e-ents or to obli.e t(e builder to "ay t(e "ri!e o#
t(e land belon.s to t(e lando%ner. Bot( t(e trial !ourt and t(e A""ellate &ourt erred
%(en t(ey "ere-"torily ado"ted t(e D%orEable solutionF in t(e !ase o# Grana 's.
&ourt o# A""eals, and ordered t(e o%ner o# t(e land, 3loren!io, to sell to Juan and
0sidro, t(e "art o# t(e land t(ey intruded u"on, t(ereby de"ri'in. 3loren!io o# (is
ri.(t to !(oose. Cu!( rulin. !ontra'ened t(e e>"li!it "ro'isions o# Arti!le ++8 to t(e
e<e!t t(at Dt(e o%ner o# t(e land s(all (a'e t(e ri.(t to a""ro"riate or to obli.e t(e
one %(o built to "ay t(e "ri!e o# t(e land.F T(e la% is !lear and una-bi.uous %(en
it !on#ers t(e ri.(t o# !(oi!e u"on t(e lando%ner and not u"on t(e builder and t(e
!ourts.
-. .etermination of price to be paid prematre
T(e ,uestion on t(e "ri!e to be "aid on t(e land need not be dis!ussed as t(is
%ould be "re-ature inas-u!( as 3loren!io (as yet to e>er!ise (is o"tion as t(e
o%ner o# t(e land.