- Petitioner
- Universal Robina Sugar Milling Corporation
- Respondent
- Heirs of Angel Teves
- Citation
- G.R. No. 128574
- Court
- Supreme Court
- Division
- Third Division
- Ponente
- Sandoval-Gutierrez, J.
- Decided
- September 18, 2002
Summary
This case involves a property dispute over a 55,463 square meter lot in Negros Oriental covered by TCT H-37. Angel Teves purchased the land from the heirs of deceased Andres Abanto through an extrajudicial settlement and simultaneous sale in 1974. Teves allowed UPSUMCO to use the property for free for pier facilities. When URSUMCO acquired UPSUMCO's assets, it claimed ownership of Teves' lot. The Supreme Court affirmed lower courts' rulings that the 1974 transaction was a valid contract of sale that transferred ownership to Teves, not merely a contract to sell. URSUMCO was not an innocent purchaser for value and had no standing to question the sale. The Court applied Civil Code Article 448 regarding builders in good faith, allowing Teves options regarding the guesthouse and pier built by UPSUMCO. The decision reinforced principles of property ownership, contract interpretation, and the rights of innocent purchasers under Philippine civil law.