Lazara P. Viaje v. Felicisima Pamintel

Summary

This family property dispute involved ownership of Lot No. 1993-A in Cavite. Pedro Pamintel obtained title from his 95-year-old illiterate father Silverio through a 1968 Deed of Sale, but later allegedly executed a 1974 Deed of Reconveyance returning the property to Silverio. When Pedro's sister Felicisima obtained a new title based on the Deed of Reconveyance in 1991, Pedro's successors sued claiming the reconveyance was forged. The Supreme Court affirmed lower courts' rulings upholding the Deed of Reconveyance's validity, emphasizing that notarized instruments enjoy strong presumptions of due execution requiring clear and convincing evidence to overcome. The Court found petitioners' mere denials and circumstantial evidence insufficient to rebut the document's genuineness, reinforcing the reliability of notarized deeds and Torrens title system protections in property transactions.