Ramon Francisco v. Intermediate Appellate Court

Summary

This ejectment case involved landlord-tenant dispute where Ramon Francisco leased property from 1961 under Antonio Chua's ownership. When Benjamin and Emiliana Bangayan purchased the property in 1978, they allowed the lease to continue with rental payment arrangements through the former owner. Disputes arose when rental payments ceased and rent increases were demanded. Francisco argued no lease contract existed with new owners due to disagreement on rental rates. The Supreme Court ruled that the lease contract subsisted despite ownership change under Article 1676 of the Civil Code, with new owners stepping into the previous owner's shoes. Non-payment of rentals from July 1982 constituted sufficient ground for ejectment. The Court emphasized that tenants cannot avoid rental obligations simply because they occupy and benefit from the property, applying the principle that no one should enrich themselves at another's expense. The decision affirmed the lower courts' ejectment orders.