Spouses Fredillo Guillen v. Court of Appeals

Summary

This case involves a co-ownership dispute over an inherited fishpond property originally owned by Tomas Santiago. When the property was sold at public auction due to criminal case bond forfeiture, daughter Leona Santiago-Guillen redeemed it in 1963. The dispute arose when Leona and her husband leased the property to Ranulfo Guillen in 1980, leading other co-owner siblings to file suit claiming the lease was invalid without their consent. The trial court initially ruled for Leona, finding she had acquired exclusive ownership through redemption and that her siblings' rights had prescribed. However, the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court reversed, finding that the redemption was made for all co-owners based on testimony and documentary evidence. The Supreme Court affirmed that under Article 494 of the Civil Code, prescription does not run among co-owners absent clear repudiation of co-ownership, which was not established. The case establishes important precedent on co-ownership rights, redemption, and prescription among family members in property disputes.