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Ignao v. IAC[G.R. No. 72876. January 18, 1991.]

Facts:A lot situated in Barrio Tabon, uni!i"ality o# $a%it, &a'ite, %it( an area o# )*+ s.-. %as oriinally o%ned by Balta/ar 0nao %(o -arried t%i!e. 0n (is rst -arriae,

(e (ad + !(ildren, na-ely Justo t(e #at(er o# 3loren!io4, 5eon, Juan and 0sidro. 0n (isse!ond -arriae, Balta/ar (ad also + !(ildren but t(e latter %ai'ed t(eir ri(ts o'ert(e !ontro'erted land in #a'or o# Justo. T(us, Justo o%ned +8 o# t(e land %(i!( %as%ai'ed by (is (al#brot(ers and sisters "lus (is 18 s(are or a total o# )8.

T(erea#ter, Justo a!uired t(e 18 s(are o# 5eon #or ). %(i!( (e later sold to(is son 3loren!io #or t(e sa-e a-ount. :(en Justo died, 3loren!io in(erited t(e )8s(are o# (is #at(er Justo "lus (is 18 s(are o# t(e land %(i!( (e bou(t or a total o#68 re"resentin +.) s. -.4 Juan and 0sidro, on t(e ot(er (and, (ad 18 s(are66.7) s. -.4 ea!( o# t(e land or a total o# 1**.) s. -. T(us, 3loren!io and (isun!les Juan and 0sidro %ere !oo%ners o# a "ar!el o# land. ursuant to an a!tion #or"artition led by 3loren!io 0nao &i'il &ase N16814, t(e t(en &30 &a'ite in ade!ision dated 6 3ebruary 197) dire!ted t(e "artition o# t(e a#oresaid land, allotin

1**.) s. -. or 28 t(ereo# to Juan and 0sidro, and i'in t(e re-ainin "ortion %it(a total area o# 266.) s. -. to "etitioner 3loren!io.;o%e'er, no a!tual "artition %as e'er e!eeded t(e 1**.) s. -. "re'iously alloted to t(e- by t(e trial !ourt in&i'il &ase N1681. An o!ular ins"e!tion %as !ondu!ted by t(e lo%er !ourt? %(i!(#ound t(at t(e (ouses o# Juan and 0sidro a!tually en!roa!(ed u"on a "ortion o# t(eland belonin to 3loren!io. @"on aree-ent o# t(e "arties, t(e trial !ourt ordered ali!ensed eodeti! enineer to !ondu!t a sur'ey to deter-ine t(e e>a!t areao!!u"ied by t(e (ouses o# Juan and 0sidro. T(e sur'ey subseuently dis!losed t(att(e (ouse o# Juan o!!u"ied +2 s. -. %(ile t(at o# 0sidro o!!u"ied )9 s. -. o#3loren!ios land or a total o# 11 s. -. 0n its de!ision, t(e trial !ourt t(ru Jude 5uis5. i!tor4 ruled t(at alt(ou( Juan and 0sidro o!!u"ied a "ortion o# 3loren!ios"ro"erty, t(ey s(ould be !onsidered builders in ood #ait(. T(e trial !ourt obser'edt(at based on t(e #a!ts o# t(e !ase, it %ould be useless and unsuitable #or 3loren!ioto e>er!ise t(e rst o"tion o# a""ro"riatin "art o# t(e (ouse standin on (is lot4sin!e t(is %ould render t(e entire (ouses o# Juan and 0sidro %ort(less. T(e trial!ourt t(en a""lied t(e rulin in t(e si-ilar !ase o# Grana 's. &ourt o# A""eals,%(ere t(e Cu"re-e &ourt (ad ad'an!ed a -ore D%orEable solutionF. T(us, itordered 3loren!io to sell to Juan and 0sidro t(ose "ortions o# (is land res"e!ti'elyo!!u"ied by t(e latter at +. "er s. -., and to e>e!ute t(e ne!essary deed o#!on'eyan!e to t(e Juan and 0sidro? %it(out "ronoun!e-ent as to !osts. 3loren!ioa""ealed to t(e 0A&. =n 27 Auust 198), t(e A""ellate &ourt Ce!ond &i'il &asesi'ision4, "ro-ulated a de!ision, aHr-in t(e de!ision o# t(e trial !ourt. ;en!e t(e"etition #or re'ie% by !ertiorari.

T(e Cu"re-e &ourt -odied t(e de!ision a""ealed #ro-. T(e &ourt dire!ted3loren!io to e>er!ise (is o"tion to eit(er a""ro"riate as (is o%n t(e "ortions o# t(e(ouses o# Juan and 0sidro 0nao o!!u"yin (is land u"on "ay-ent o# inde-nity in

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a!!ordan!e %it( Arti!les )+6 and )+8 o# t(e &i'il &ode, or sell to "ri'ateres"ondents t(e 11 s. -. o!!u"ied by t(e- at su!( "ri!e as -ay be areed u"on?%it(in * days #ro- entry o# Iud-ent. C(ould t(e 'alue o# t(e land e>!eed t(e'alue o# t(e "ortions o# t(e (ouses t(at Juan and 0sidro (a'e ere!ted t(ereon, t(elatter -ay !(oose not to buy t(e land but t(ey -ust "ay reasonable rent #or t(e useo# t(e "ortion o# 3loren!ios land as -ay be areed u"on by t(e "arties. 0n !ase o#

disaree-ent, t(e rate o# rental and ot(er ter-s o# t(e lease s(all be deter-ined byt(e trial !ourt. =t(er%ise, Juan and 0sidro -ay re-o'e or de-olis( at t(eir o%ne>"ense t(e said "ortions o# t(eir (ouses en!roa!(in u"on 3loren!ios land?:it(out !osts.

1. Co-owners hold property in common dominion, with each an owner ofshare (abstract and ndetermined ntil partition is e!ectedrior to "artition, all t(e !oo%ners (old t(e "ro"erty in !o--on do-inion but att(e sa-e ti-e ea!( is an o%ner o# a s(are %(i!( is abstra!t and undeter-ined until"artition is e!lusi'ely belonsto anot(er but o# %(i!( (e is a !oo%ner. T(e !oo%ner is not a t(ird "erson undert(e !ir!u-stan!es, and t(e situation is o'erned by t(e rules o# !oo%ners(i".;o%e'er, %(en t(e !oo%ners(i" is ter-inated by a "artition and it a""ears t(att(e (ouse o# an erst%(ile !oo%ner (as en!roa!(ed u"on a "ortion "ertainin toanot(er !oo%ner %(i!( %as (o%e'er -ade in ood #ait(, t(en t(e "ro'isions o#Arti!le ++8 s(ould a""ly to deter-ine t(e res"e!ti'e ri(ts o# t(e "arties.

$. )ight to appropriate wor*s or to oblige bilder to pay the price of theland belongs to the landowner

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As (eld in +emel vs. laes, it %as !ateori!ally ruled t(at t(e ri(t toa""ro"riate t(e %orEs or i-"ro'e-ents or to oblie t(e builder to "ay t(e "ri!e o#t(e land belons to t(e lando%ner. Bot( t(e trial !ourt and t(e A""ellate &ourt erred%(en t(ey "ere-"torily ado"ted t(e D%orEable solutionF in t(e !ase o# Grana 's.&ourt o# A""eals, and ordered t(e o%ner o# t(e land, 3loren!io, to sell to Juan and0sidro, t(e "art o# t(e land t(ey intruded u"on, t(ereby de"ri'in 3loren!io o# (is

ri(t to !(oose. Cu!( rulin !ontra'ened t(e e>"li!it "ro'isions o# Arti!le ++8 to t(ee