Land Bank of the Philippines v · G.R. 178046

Petitioner: Land Bank of the Philippines
Respondent: Montinola-Escarilla
Citation: G.R. No. 178046
Court: Supreme Court
Division: Third Division
Ponente: Perlas-Bernabe, J.
Decided: June 13, 2012

Summary

This case involves the determination of just compensation for 159.0881 hectares of agricultural land owned by MECO and acquired by the government under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. LBP initially valued the property at P823,204.08, which MECO rejected. The RTC valued it at P7,927,660.60 by reclassifying idle land and rainfed riceland into higher-value cornland and cocoland. The CA reduced this to P4,615,194.00 based on commissioners' recommendations. The Supreme Court set aside both lower court decisions, ruling that the reclassification was erroneous since improvements were made by farmer-beneficiaries, not the landowner. The Court emphasized that fair market value must be determined by the property's character and price at the time of taking, considering factors under Section 17 of RA 6657. The case was remanded for proper valuation.

Statutes applied

Civil Code, Art. 2208

Related cases

Other Philippine cases on the same provisions and issues.

Joyce v. Ardiente G.R. No. 161921
Land Bank of the Philippines v. Alfredo Ong G.R. No. 190755
Rosalina Ricafuente v. Oriental Construction G.R. No. 249306
Coca-Cola Bottlers Phils. v. Ernani Guingona Meñez G.R. No. 209906
Doris U. Sunbanun v. Aurora B. Go G.R. No. 163280
Cornelio Lampesa v. Dr. Juan de Vera, Jr. G.R. No. 155111
Rodolfo Morales v. Court of Appeals (Former Seventeenth Division) G.R. No. 117228
Far East Bank v. The Honorable Court of Appeals G.R. No. 108164

By the Intellegal Editorial Board · June 13, 2012

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