Edgardo D. Dolar v. Barangay Lublub (Now P.D. Monfort North) of the Municipality of Dumangas

Summary

Petitioner Edgardo Dolar donated a 4.6-hectare lot to Barangay Lublub in 1981 with conditions requiring public facility construction within five years and automatic reversion upon non-compliance. When he claimed the barangay failed to meet conditions, he acquired title through tax delinquency auction in 1989 and filed suit in 1998 to quiet title. The Supreme Court affirmed dismissal, finding his action time-barred by prescription despite automatic reversion clauses. The Court held that while such clauses are valid, judicial determination is required when the donee disputes revocation, and petitioner's 17-year delay exceeded both four-year and ten-year prescription periods. The decision establishes important precedent on donation law, prescription periods, and the interplay between automatic reversion clauses and judicial intervention requirements in Philippine property law.