Carbonell vs. CA Tuesday, September 9, 2014 Facts: Respondent ose !onc"o #as t$e o#ner o% t$e parcel o% land located "n R"&al. 'Area � more or less 19( s). m.* T$e sa"d lot #as sub+ect to mortae "n %avor o% t$e Republ"c Sav"ns -an %or t$e sum o% !1,(00.00. Carbonell and respondent /mma n%ante o%%ered to buy t$e sa"d lot %rom !onc"o. !onc"o o%%ered to sell $"s lot to Carbonell eclud"n t$e $ouse on #$"c$ $e and $"s %am"ly stayed. Carbonell accepted t$e o%%er and proposed t$e pr"ce o% !9.(0s). m.. !onc"o accepted t$e pr"ce on t$e cond"t"on t$at %rom t$e purc$ase pr"ce #ould come t$e money to be pa"d to t$e ban. anuary 23, 199(: T$e part"es eecuted a document "n t$e -atanes d"alect #$"c$ "s translated as: C5TRACT FR 5/ 6A7F 7T 86C6 '!onc"o* -6T FR;. Carbonell ased a la#yer to prepare t$e deed o% sale and del"vered t$e document, toet$er #"t$ t$e balance o% !400, to ose !onc"o. '5ote: Carbonell already pa"d !200 %or t$e mortae debt o% !onc"o < obl"ated $ersel% to pay t$e rema"n"n "nstallments.* 6o#ever, #$en s$e #ent to !onc"o, t$e latter "n%ormed $er t$at $e could no loner proceed #"t$ t$e sale as t$e lot #as already sold to /mma n%ante and t$at $e could not #"t$dra# #"t$ t$e sale. !onc"o adm"tted t$at on anuary =0, 199(, ;rs. n%ante "mproved $er o%%er and $e areed to sell t$e land and "ts "mprovements to $er %or !=,(=(.00. n a pr"vate memorandum areement, !onc"o bound to sell to n%ante t$e lot %or t$e sum o% !2,=(3.(2, #"t$ n%ante st"ll assum"n t$e mortae debt o% !1,133.4>. '5ote: T$e %ull amount o% mortae debt #as already pa"d by t$e n%antes* February 2, 199(: A deed o% sale #as eecuted bet#een !onc"o and n%ante. February >, 199(: ?no#"n t$at t$e sale to n%ante $as not been re"stered, Carbonell %"led an adverse cla"m. February 12, 199(: T$e deed o% sale #as re"stered but "t $as an annotat"on o% t$e adverse cla"m o% Carbonell. T$erea%ter, /mma n%ante too possess"on o% t$e lot, bu"lt a $ouse and "ntroduced some "mprovements. n une 199(, Carbonell %"led a compla"nt pray"n t$at s$e be declared t$e la#%ul o#ner o% t$e land, t$at t$e subse)uent sale to spouses n%ante be declared null and vo"d, and t$at ose !onc"o be ordered to eecute t$e correspond"n deed o% conveyance o% sa"d land "n $er %avor RTC ruled t$at t$e sale to spouses n%ante #as null and vo"d. A%ter re@tr"al, "t reversed "ts rul"n. CA ruled "n %avor o% Carbonell but a%ter a ;%R, "t reversed "ts rul"n and ruled "n %avor o% t$e n%antes.
ssue: 85 Carbonell $as a super"or r"$t over /mma n%ante. /S 6eld: Art"cle 1(44 prov"des t$at %or double sale o% an "mmovable property, t$e o#ners$"p s$all belon to t$e person #$o %"rst ac)u"red "t "n ood %a"t$ and recorded "t "n t$e Re"stry o% !roperty Art"cle 1(44, 5e# C"v"l Code, #$"c$ "s dec"s"ve o% t$"s case, rec"tes: % t$e same t$"n s$ould $ave been sold to d"%%erent vendees, t$e o#ners$"p s$all be trans%erred to t$e person #$o may $ave %"rst taen possess"on t$ereo% "n ood
%a"t$, "% "t s$ould movable property. S$ould "t be "mmovable property, t$e o#ners$"p s$all belon to t$e person ac)u"r"n "t #$o "n ood %a"t$ %"rst recorded "t "n t$e Re"stry o% !roperty. S$ould t$ere be no "nscr"pt"on, t$e o#ners$"p s$all perta"n to t$e person #$o "n ood %a"t$ #as %"rst "n t$e possess"onB and, "n t$e absence t$ereo%, to t$e person #$o presents t$e oldest t"tle, prov"ded t$ere "s ood %a"t$. T$e buyer must act "n ood %a"t$ "n re"ster"n t$e deed o% sale t "s essent"al t$at t$e buyer o% realty must act "n ood %a"t$ "n re"ster"n $"s deed o% sale to mer"t t$e protect"on o% t$e second pararap$ o% sa"d Art"cle 1(44. nl"e t$e %"rst and t$"rd pararap$s o% sa"d Art"cle 1(44, #$"c$ accord pre%erence to t$e one #$o %"rst taes possess"on "n ood %a"t$ o% personal or real property, t$e second pararap$ d"rects t$at o#ners$"p o% "mmovable property s$ould be recon"&ed "n %avor o% one #$o "n ood %a"t$ %"rst recorded $"s r"$t. nder t$e %"rst and t$"rd pararap$, ood %a"t$ must c$aracter"&e t$e act o% anter"or re"strat"on. Rule #$en t$ere "s "nscr"pt"on or not % t$ere "s no "nscr"pt"on, #$at "s dec"s"ve "s pr"or possess"on "n ood %a"t$. % t$ere "s "nscr"pt"on, as "n t$e case at bar, pr"or re"strat"on "n ood %a"t$ "s a pre@cond"t"on to super"or t"tle. Carbonell #as "n ood %a"t$ #$en s$e bou$t t$e lot 8$en Carbonell bou$t t$e lot %rom !onc"o on anuary 23, 19((, s$e #as t$e only buyer t$ereo% and t$e t"tle o% !onc"o #as st"ll "n $"s name solely encumbered by ban mortae duly annotated t$ereon. Carbonell #as not a#are � and s$e could not $ave been a#are � o% any sale o% n%ante as t$ere #as no suc$ sale to n%ante t$en.
6ence, CarbonellDs pr"or purc$ase o% t$e land #as made "n ood %a"t$. 6er ood %a"t$ subs"sted and cont"nued to e"st #$en s$e recorded $er adverse cla"m %our '4* days pr"or to t$e re"strat"on o% n%antesDs deed o% sale. Carbonell� s ood %a"t$ d"d not cease #$en s$e #as "n%ormed by !onc"o about t$e sale to /mma n%ante A%ter learn"n about t$e second sale, Carbonell tr"ed to tal to t$e n%antes but t$e latter re%used. '/act #ords o% t$e SC: 8"t$ an ar"stocrat"c d"sda"n un#ort$y o% t$e ood breed"n o% a ood C$r"st"an and ood ne"$bor, n%ante snubbed Carbonell l"e a leper and re%used to see $er.* So Carbonell d"d t$e net best t$"n to protect $er r"$t � s$e re"stered $er adversed cla"m on February >, 19((. nder t$e c"rcumstances, t$"s record"n o% $er adverse cla"m s$ould be deemed to $ave been done "n ood %a"t$ and s$ould emp$as"&e n%anteDs bad %a"t$ #$en s$e re"stered $er deed o% sale %our '4* days later on February 12, 19((. T$e n%antes #ere "n bad %a"t$ '( "nd"cat"ons o% bad %a"t$ l"sted belo#* -ad %a"t$ ar"s"n %rom prev"ous no#lede by n%ante o% t$e pr"or sale to Carbonell "s s$o#n by t$e %ollo#"n %acts: 1. ;rs. n%ante re%used to see Carbonell. 6er re%usal to tal to Carbonell could only mean t$at s$e d"d not #ant to l"sten to CarbonellDs story t$at s$e 'Carbonell* $ad prev"ously bou$t t$e lot %rom !onc"o. 2. Carbonell #as already "n possess"on o% mortae passboo and copy o% t$e mortae contract. '5ot !onc"o� s sav"n depos"t passboo.* n%ante naturally must $ave demanded %rom !onc"o t$e del"very to $er o% $"s mortae passboo and mortae contract so t$at t$e %act o% %ull payment o% $"s ban mortae #"ll be entered t$ere"nB and !onc"o, as #ell as t$e ban, must $ave
"nev"tably "n%ormed $er t$at sa"d mortae passboo could not be "ven to $er because "t #as already del"vered to Carbonell. =. /mma n%ante d"d not "n)u"re #$y !onc"o #as no loner "n possess"on o% t$e mortae passboo and #$y "t #as "n Carbonell� s possess"on. T$e %act t$at !onc"o #as no loner "n possess"on o% $"s mortae passboo and t$at t$e sa"d mortae passboo #as already "n possess"on o% Carbonell, s$ould $ave compelled n%ante to "n)u"re %rom !onc"o #$y $e #as no loner "n possess"on o% t$e mortae passboo and %rom Carbonell #$y s$e #as "n possess"on o% t$e same. 4. /mma n%ante re"stered t$e sale under $er name a%ter Carbonell %"led an adverse cla"m 4 days earl"er. 6ere s$e #as aa"n on not"ce o% t$e pr"or sale to Carbonell. Suc$ re"strat"on o% adverse cla"m "s val"d and e%%ect"ve. (. n%ante %a"led to "n)u"re to !onc"o 85 $e $ad already sold t$e property to Carbonell espec"ally t$at "t can be s$o#n t$at $e #as a#are o% t$e o%%er made by Carbonell. !onc"o alleed "n $"s ans#er t$at ;rs. n%ante and ;rs. Carbonell o%%ered to buy t$e lot at !1(s). m. #$"c$ o%%ers $e re+ected as $e bel"eved t$at $"s lot "s #ort$ at least !20.00s). m. t "s t$ere%ore lo"cal to presume t$at n%ante #as told by !onc"o and conse)uently ne# o% t$e o%%er o% Carbonell #$"c$ %act l"e#"se s$ould $ave put $er on $er uard and s$ould $ave compelled $er to "n)u"re %rom !onc"o #$et$er or not $e $ad already sold t$e property to Carbonell T$e e"stence o% pr"or sale to Carbonell #as duly establ"s$ed From t$e terms o% t$e memorandum, "t tends to s$o# t$at t$e sale o% t$e property "n %avor o% Carbonell "s already an accompl"s$ed act. As %ound by t$e tr"al court, to repeat t$e sa"d memorandum states t$at !onc"o "s allo#ed to stay "n t$e property #$"c$ $e $ad sold to t$e pla"nt"%% ..., "t tends to s$o# t$at t$e sale o% t$e property "n %avor o% t$e pla"nt"%% "s already an accompl"s$ed act... T$ere #as an ade)uate cons"derat"on or pr"ce %or t$e sale "n %avor o% Carbonell !onc"o areed to sell t$e same to Carbonell at !9.(0 per s)uare meter, on cond"t"on t$at Carbonell: 1. s$ould pay 'a* t$e amount o% !400.00 to !onc"o and t$e arrears "n t$e amount o% !243.2E to t$e ban 2. s$ould assume $"s mortae "ndebtedness. T$e ban pres"dent areed to t$e sa"d sale #"t$ assumpt"on o% mortae "n %avor o% Carbonell an Carbonell accord"nly pa"d t$e arrears o% !243.2E. t "s ev"dent t$ere%ore t$at t$ere #as ample cons"derat"on, and not merely t$e sum o% !200.00, %or t$e sale o% !onc"o to Carbonell o% t$e lot "n )uest"on. T$e sub+ect property #as "dent"%"ed and descr"bed T$e court $as arr"ved at t$e conclus"on t$at t$ere "s su%%"c"ent descr"pt"on o% t$e lot re%erred to "n /$. As none ot$er t$an t$e parcel o% lot occup"ed by t$e de%endant !onc"o and #$ere $e $as $"s "mprovements erected. T$e dent"ty o% t$e parcel o% land "nvolved $ere"n "s su%%"c"ently establ"s$ed by t$e contents o% t$e note /$. DAD
