Pedro Lukang v. Pagbilao Development Corporation

Summary

Pedro Lukang, heir of Arsenio Lukang, sought preliminary injunction against Pagbilao Development Corporation (PDC) to prevent dispossession of inherited properties. The properties were subject to succession disputes among 13 heirs from Arsenio's two relationships. Pedro had annotated adverse claims and lis pendens on the properties in 1989-1990. Despite these annotations, PDC purchased the disputed properties in 1993 and later began construction. The RTC granted preliminary injunction recognizing Pedro's possessory rights pending litigation. The Court of Appeals reversed, but the Supreme Court reinstated the injunction, ruling that PDC purchased with knowledge of the ownership disputes and must await resolution of the succession case. The decision emphasizes that purchasers of properties with adverse claim annotations gamble on litigation outcomes and cannot dispossess actual possessors during pending cases.