Sindophil, Inc. vs. Republic of the Philippines Summary

SINDOPHIL, INC., PETITIONER, VS. REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, RESPONDENT.

G.R. No. 204594 | 2018-11-07

Possession of Torrens title (TCT) not conclusive proof of ownership
Land title, presumption that a holder of a Torrens title is an innocent purchaser for value is disputable and may be overcome by contrary evidence
Land title, in proving the status of a purchaser in good faith and for value, it is not enough to invoke the ordinary presumption of good faith
Land title, good faith a prerequisite to recover against the Assurance Fund under Section 95 of the Property Registration Decree
Land titles; The burden of proving the status of a purchaser in good faith and for value lies upon him who asserts that status; not enough to invoke the ordinary presumption of good faith
Torrens title, right to rely on face of title applies only to innocent purchasers for value and good faith

DECISION

LEONEN, J.:

The presumption that a holder of a Torrens title is an innocent purchaser for value is disputable and may be overcome by contrary evidence. Once a prima facie case disputing this presumption is established, the adverse party cannot simply rely on the presumption of good faith and must put forward evidence that the property was acquired without notice of any defect in its title.

This resolves Sindophil, Inc.'s (Sindophil) Petition for Review on Certiorari^[1] assailing the June 19, 2012 Resolution^[2] and November 23, 2012 Resolution^[3] of the Court of Appeals in CA-G.R. CV No. 96660....