Alfonso Quijada v. Court of Appeals

Summary

The heirs of Trinidad Quijada sued to recover a 2-hectare property that their deceased mother had conditionally donated to Municipality of Talacogon in 1956 for a proposed high school, but later sold portions to private respondents in the 1960s. The key legal issue was whether these sales were valid despite Trinidad no longer owning the property due to the donation. The Supreme Court affirmed the Court of Appeals, ruling that while Trinidad lacked ownership at the time of sale, the contracts were valid and became effective when the property reverted to her heirs in 1987 under the donation's automatic reversion clause. Applying Article 1434 of the Civil Code, the Court held that ownership passes by operation of law to buyers when sellers subsequently acquire title, making the respondents the rightful owners of the disputed land.