Atanasio Pandaquila v. Miguel Gaza

Summary

This 1909 Supreme Court case involved a land possession dispute arising from a pacto de retro sale. Atanasio Pandaquila sold his rice field to Wenceslao Tabia under pacto de retro, later redeemed it by paying P340, but Tabia delivered the land to defendants Gaza and Austria instead of returning it to Pandaquila. The defendants claimed rights through their family relationship to Pandaquila's sisters. The Supreme Court affirmed the trial court's order for land delivery, holding that Tabia's obligation to deliver the redeemed property to Pandaquila was absolute under Civil Code provisions, regardless of potential co-ownership claims by other heirs. The decision established that vendees under pacto de retro must deliver redeemed property to the original vendor who pays the redemption price, and that third parties without recorded rights cannot interfere with this obligation.