- Petitioner
- Vicente Cruz
- Respondent
- Maximo Joaquin
- Citation
- G.R. No. 1170
- Court
- Supreme Court En Banc
- Division
- En Banc
- Ponente
- Willard, J.
- Decided
- September 17, 1903
Summary
This case involved a dispute over fishery ownership between original lessors and their former lessee. Vicente Cruz and others rented fisheries to Maximo Joaquin in 1898 for three years. When the lease expired, they sought possession, but Joaquin claimed ownership through a 1901 deed. The Supreme Court affirmed the lower courts' finding that Joaquin had acquired valid title through the deed, which transferred all rights and interests in the property. The Court distinguished between the partnership agreement with Doña Josefa (which was merely a loan) and the actual property transfer, concluding that Joaquin's rights as owner superseded any landlord-tenant relationship. The decision establishes principles regarding property transfers and the distinction between personal obligations and property rights.