Succession Digests - 3A SY1314

8/18/2019 Succession Digests - 3A SY1314

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BALTAZAR v. LAXAG.R. No. 174489 - April 11, 2012 J. Del Castillo

Petitioner: ANTONIO B. BALTAZAR, SEBASTIAN M. BALTAZAR, ANTONIOL. MANGALINDAN, ROSIE M. MATEO, NENITA A. PACHECO, VIRGILIOREGALA, JR., and RAFAEL TITCORespondent: LORENZO LAXA

Summary:Pacienca regala, a spinster, executed a will bequeathing all her property to her nephewLorenzo Lax and his spouse Corazon. Four years after her death, Lorenzo filed apetition for probate. This was opposed by Baltazar, arguing that the bequeathedproperties belong to a certain Nicomeda Regala Mangalindan, his predecessor-in-interest. On appeal, Baltazar arguing that the Will was not executed and attestedaccording to law and that she is mentally incapable. SC held that, a careful examinationof the Will shows faithful compliance with the formalities laid down by law. Thesignatures of the testatrix, Paciencia, her instrumental witnesses and the notary public,are all present and evident on the Will. Further, the attestation clause explicitly states thecritical requirement that the testatrix and her instrumental witnesses signed the Will in

the presence of one another and that the witnesses attested and subscribed to the Will inthe presence of the testator and of one another. Hence the petition was denied. (Pleasesee ratio for details regarding contested wills)

Facts: • Paciencia Reagala was a 78 year old spinster when she made her last will and

testament entitled "Tauli Nang Bilin o Testamento Miss Paciencia Regala" (inPampango) on September 13, 1981.

• The Will, executed in the house of retired Judge Ernestino G. Limpino It was read to her twice before she affixed her signature.o

The witnesses to the Will were Dra. Maria Lioba A. Limpin (Dra.Limpin), Francisco Garcia (Francisco) and Faustino R. Mercado

(Faustino). The three attested to the Will’s due execution by affixingtheir signatures below its attestation clause

• Paciencia bequeathed all her properties, since she is childless and single, torespondent Lorenzo R. Laxa (Lorenzo) and his wife Corazon F. Laxa and theirchildren Luna Lorella Laxa and Katherine Ross Laxa

o The pertinent provisions are as follows:“In consideration of their valuable services to me since then up to thepresent by the spouses LORENZO LAXA and CORAZON F. LAXA, Ihereby BEQUEATH, CONVEY and GIVE all my properties enumerated inparcels 1 to 5 unto the spouses and their children

Should other properties of mine may be discovered aside from the propertiesmentioned in this last will and testament, I am also bequeathing and giving

the same to the spouses Lorenzo R. Laxa and Corazon F. Laxa”

o In return she commands the spouses to hold yearly masses for the repose o

her soul

• Lorenzo is Paciencia’s nephew whom she treated as her own son. She toocare of Lorenzo since birth.

• Paciencia left for the US, 6 days after executing the will. There, she reside with Lorenzo and his family until her death on January 4, 1996.

• More than four years after the death of Paciencia, Lorenzo filed a petition witthe RTC of Guagua, Pampanga for the probate of the Will of Paciencia.

o An order allowing Lorenzo to present evidence was issued

o

Dra. Limpin attests the authenticity of the will but when asked by thprosecutor regarding his father’s (Judge Limpin) mental fitness, shsaid that he suffered a stroke and could no longer testify.

• The follow ing day or on June 23, 2000, petitioner Antonio Baltazar (Antonifiled an opposition

o

He averred that Paciencia had no right to bequeath the propertiebecause it belongs to Nicomeda Regala Mangalindan, hpredecessor-in-interest.

o Barely a month after, a supplemental opposition was filed by thother petitioners contending that Paciencia’s Will was null and voibecause ownership of the properties had not been transferred and/otitled to Paciencia before her death

•

On September of the same year, petitioners asked the RTC to deny thprobate proceedings based on the following (Some of the grounds):

o

The Will was not executed and attested to in accordance with threquirements of the law

o

Paciencia was mentally incapableo

It was obtained through fraud or trickery

• RTC denied the request of both parties to be appointed as administrator bthe Probate of the Will continued.

Respondents

o Lorenzo testified that Paciencia did not suffer from any mentdisorder and was of sound mind, was not blind, deaf or mute; th

Will was in the custody of Judge Limpin and was only given to hiafter Paciencia’s death through Faustino; and he was already residinin the USA when the Will was executed

Petitioners o

Rosie, a household help, claimed that she saw Faustino brin"something" for Paciencia to sign at the latter’s house. She alsalleges that the testator is magulyan (forgetful) but this is only baseon her personal assessment.

o Antonio identified the Will and testified that he had seen the saidocument before because Paciencia brought the same to his mother’house but it was still unsigned


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o

He further alleged that he explained the testator the differencebetween a lease and a will, after which Paciencia, allegedly, utter thesestatements

“Who is Lorenzo? Is he the only [son] of God? I have other relatives

[who should] benefit from my properties”

o

Thereafter, the testator left the UNSIGNED DOCUMENT WITH ANTONIO.

•

RTC ruled in favor of the petitioners• CA reversed it

o the state of being ‘magulyan’ does not make a person mentallyunsound so [as] to render [Paciencia] unfit for executing a Will.

Issue: WON the authenticity and due execution of the notarial Will was sufficiently establishedto warrant its allowance for probate. Yes

Held: WHEREFORE, the petition is DENIED. CA decision is AFFIRMED.

Ratio:1. Courts are tasked to determine nothing more than the extrinsic validity of a Will inprobate proceedings

• Due execution of the will or its extrinsic validity pertains to whether thetestator, being of sound mind, freely executed the will in accordance with theformalities prescribed by law

• These formalities are enshrined in Articles 805 and 806 of the New Civil Code2. The face of the Will shows faithful compliance with the formalities laid down by law.

• Rule 75. Section 1. Allowance necessary. Conclusive as to execution. – No willshall pass either real or personal estate unless it is proved and allowed in theproper court. Subject to the right of appeal, such allowance of the will shall beconclusive as to its due execution.

•

The signatures of the testatrix, Paciencia, her instrumental witnesses and thenotary public, are all present and evident on the Will.

• Even the petitioners acceded that the signature of Paciencia in the Will may beauthentic although they question her state of mind when she signed the sameas well as the voluntary nature of said act.

3. Rule regarding contested wills.

• Rule 76. Section 11. Subscribing witnesses produced or accounted for where willcontested . – If the will is contested, all the subscribing witnesses, and the notaryin the case of wills executed under the Civil Code of the Philippines, if presentin the Philippines and not insane, must be produced and examined, and thedeath, absence, or insanity of any of them must be satisfactorily shown to thecourt.

• If a holographic will is contested, the same shall be allowed if at least three (3 witnesses who know the handwriting of the testator explicitly declare that th will and the signature are in the handwriting of the testator; in the absence oany competent witnesses, and if the court deem it necessary, expert testimonmay be resorted to.

• We note that the inability of Faustino and Judge Limpin to appear and testifybefore the court was satisfactorily explained during the probate proceedingsFaustino – had a heart attack and could no longer talk Judge Limpin – is already Limpin’ because of a brain surgery and could n

longer talk as well.4. Petitioners, despite ample opportunity, did not object to the testimonies nor challengthe same during cross examination.

• It is an established rule that "[a] testament may not be disallowed just becausthe attesting witnesses declare against its due execution; neither does it have tbe necessarily allowed just because all the attesting witnesses declare in favoof its legalization.

• What is decisive is that the court is convinced by evidence before it, nnecessarily from the attesting witnesses, although they must testify, that th will was or was not duly executed in the manner required by law .

5. The burden to prove that Paciencia was of unsound mind at the time of the executio

of the will lies on the shoulders of the petitioner.• Petitioners, trough their witness Rosie, claim that Paciencia was "magulyan" o

forgetful so much so that it effectively stripped her of testamentary capacity.

• SC agreed with the CA, and added that forgetfulness is not equivalent to beinof unsound mind.

6. Of Sound Mind

• Art. 799. To be of sound mind, it is not necessary that the testator be in fupossession of all his reasoning faculties, or that his mind be wholly unbrokeunimpaired, or unshattered by disease, injury or other cause.

• It shall be sufficient if the testator was able at the time of making the will, tknow the nature of the estate to be disposed of, the proper objects of hbounty, and the character of the testamentary act.

o

Paciencia was aware of the nature of the document she executed. Shspecially requested that the customs of her faith be observed upoher death

• Apart from the testimony of Rosie, there is no substantial evidence, medical ootherwise, that would show that Paciencia was of unsound mind at the time othe execution of the Will.

• The Court finds credence to Dra. Limpin’s testimony on the soundness of thtestator’s mind.

! The testimony of subscribing witnesses to a Will concerning thtestator’s mental condition is entitled to great weight where they artruthful and intelligent.


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Suntay v. Cojuanco-SuntayG.R. No. 183053 - June 16, 2010 J. Nachura

Petitioner: IN THE MATTER OF THE INTESTATE ESTATE OFCRISTINA AGUINALDO-SUNTAY; EMILIO A.M. SUNTAY III, Respondent: ISABEL COJUANGCO-SUNTAY

Facts:

•

Decedent, Cristina Aguinaldo-Suntay married to Dr. FedericoSuntay, died intestate. They had an only son named Emilio I, whopredeceased his parents.

• Cristina was survived by her husband and grandchildren, herein thepetitioner (Emilio Suntay III) and respondent (Isabel Cojuangco-Suntay).

• Emilio I was married to Isabel Cojuangco and they reared 3 children(Isabel; Margarita; and Emilio II). Their marriage was subsequentlyannulled and Emilio I had 2 children out of wedlock (Namely,Emilio III and Suntay Tanedo alias “Nenita”) with two differentwomen.

•

Cristina and Frederico reared Emilio III and Nenita, despite beingillegitimate children; both were acknowledged natural children.

• The children of the first marriage were living with their mother andthe visitation rights of Frederico was subsequently rescinded.

• Emilio adopted his illegitimate grandchildren Emilio III and Nenitain 1993.

• In 1995, Isabela filed a the issuance of letters of administration in herfavor, of approximately 29M worth of property left by the decedent.She also alleged the following as the surviving heirs:

! (1) Federico C. Suntay, spouse. ! (2) Isabel Cojuangco-Suntay, legitimate granddaughter. !

(3) Margarita Cojuangco-Suntay, legitimate granddaughter. ! (4) Emilio Cojuangco-Suntay, legitimate grandson

• Frederico opposed this, he argued that he is capable of administeringthe estate of Cristina and he is part owner of it. Further alleges thatIsabel and her family had been alienated from their grandparents formore than thirty (30) years; and that the enumeration of heirs in thepetition was incomplete as it did not mention the other children ofson namely: Emilio III and Nenita.

• Failing to amicably settle the issue, Frederico nominated Emilio III asadministrator. In the course of the proceedings, Frederico died.

• RTC Ruled in favor of Emilio III. CA reversed.

Issue:

Who, as between Emilio III and respondent, is better qualified to act asadministrator of the decedent’s estate? Both

Held:

WHEREFORE, the petition is GRANTED. The Decision of the Court ofAppeals in CA-G.R. CV No. 74949 is REVERSED and SET ASIDE. Letters ofAdministration over the estate of decedent Cristina Aguinaldo-Suntay shallissue to both petitioner Emilio A.M. Suntay III and respondent IsabelCojuangco-Suntay upon payment by each of a bond.

Ratio:

• CA erred in excluding Emilio III in the administration of theundivided estate. The CA mistakenly glossed over certain facts.

! The underlying philosophy of our law on intestatesuccession is to give preference to the wishes and presumedwill of the decedent, absent a valid and effective will.

! The basis for Article 992 of the Civil Code, referred to as theiron curtain bar rule, is quite the opposite scenario in thefacts obtaining herein for the actual relationship betweenFederico and Cristina, on one hand, and Emilio III, on the

other, was akin to the normal relationship of legitimaterelatives

! Emilio III was reared by Cristina and Frederico from infancyand Emilio III is a legally adopted child of Federico, entitledto share in the distribution of the latter’s estate as a directheir, one degree from Federico, not simply representing hisdeceased illegitimate father, Emilio I.

! The properties of Cristina are still commingled with herhusband because of the conjugal partnership.

• As Federico’s adopted son, Emilio III’s interest in the estate ofCristina is as much apparent to this Court as the interest therein ofrespondent

!

CA even declared that "under the law, [Federico], being thesurviving spouse, would have the right of succession over aportion of the exclusive property of the decedent, aside fromhis share in the conjugal partnership."

! Thus, the SC was puzzled why the CA resorted to a strainedlegal reasoning – Emilio III’s nomination was subject to asuspensive condition and rendered inoperative by reason ofFederico’s death – wholly inapplicable to the case at bar.


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• Section 6, Rule 78 of the Rules of Court lists the order of preferencein the appointment of an administrator of an estate1

! However, the order of preference is not absolute for itdepends on the attendant facts and circumstances of eachcase. It depends on the discretion of the court.

! The attendant facts and circumstances of this casenecessitate, at the least, a joint administration by bothrespondent and Emilio III of their grandmother’s, Cristina’s,estate.

!

Uy v. Court of Appeals, SC upheld the appointment by thetrial court of a co-administration between the decedent’s sonand the decedent’s brother. This was latter reaffirmed by thecases of Delgado Vda. De De la Rosa v. Hears of MarcianaRustia.

! The order of preference does not rule out the appointment ofco-administrators, specially in cases where justice and equitydemand that opposing parties or factions be represented inthe management of the estates, a situation which obtainshere.

! Noting that there are other heirs (illegits and legits of Emilio

I) and the unliquidated conjugal partnership, the SC isimpelled to move in only one direction, i.e., jointadministration of the subject estate. Because in essence theSC said to that both of them that, “You’ve got that onething”.

• Counsel for petitioner meticulously argues that Article 992 of theCivil Code.

! Emilio III, an illegitimate grandchild of the decedent, wasactually treated by the decedent and her husband as theirown son, reared from infancy, educated and trained in their

" SEC. 6. When and to whom letters of administration granted. – If no executor is named in thewill, or the executor or executors are incompetent, refuse the trust, or fail to give bond, or aperson dies intestate, administration shall be granted:

(a) To the surviving husband or wife, as the case may be, or next of kin, or both, in the discretionof the court, or to such person as such surviving husband or wife, or next of kin, requests tohave appointed, if competent and willing to serve;

(b) If such surviving husband or wife, as the case may be, or next of kin, or the person selectedby them, be incompetent or unwilling, or if the husband or widow, or next of kin, neglects forthirty (30) days after the death of the person to apply for administration or to request thatadministration be granted to some other person, it may be granted to one or more of theprincipal creditors, if competent and willing to serve;

(c) If there is no such creditor competent and willing to serve, it may be granted to such otherperson as the court may select.

businesses, and eventually legally adopted by decedent’shusband, the original oppositor to respondent’s petition forletters of administration.

! JBL Reyes,“In the Spanish Civil Code of 1889 the right of representationwas admitted only within the legitimate family; so much sothat Article 943 of that Code prescribed that an illegitimatechild can not inherit ab intestato from the legitimate childrenand relatives of his father and mother. The Civil Code of thePhilippines apparently adhered to this principle since itreproduced Article 943 of the Spanish Code in its own Art.992, but with fine inconsistency, in subsequent articles (990,995 and 998) our Code allows the hereditary portion of theillegitimate child to pass to his own descendants, whetherlegitimate or illegitimate. So that while Art. 992 prevents theillegitimate issue of a legitimate child from representing himin the intestate succession of the grandparent, theillegitimates of an illegitimate child can now do so. Thisdifference being indefensible and unwarranted, in the futurerevision of the Civil Code we shall have to make a choice

and decide either that the illegitimate issue enjoys in allcases the right of representation, in which case Art. 992 mustbe suppressed; or contrariwise maintain said article andmodify Articles 995 and 998.”

! The factual antecedents of this case accurately reflect thebasis of intestate succession, i.e., love first descends, for thedecedent, Cristina, did not distinguish between herlegitimate and illegitimate grandchildren. Neither did herhusband, Federico, who, in fact, legally raised the status ofEmilio III from an illegitimate grandchild to that of alegitimate child.

! Peculiar circumstances of this case, overthrow the legalpresumption in Article 992 of the Civil Code that there existanimosity and antagonism between legitimate andillegitimate descendants of a deceased.


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CASILANG V. CASILANG-DIZON

G.R. No. 180269 February 20, 2013

Reyes, J.

FACTS:

The Family

! The late spouses Liborio Casilang and Francisca Zacarias had 8

children

Felicidad

Ireneo

Marcelina

Jacinta

Bonifacio

Leonora

Jose (petitioner)

Flora

! Liborio died intestate on October, 1982, followed by the death of

Francisca on December of the same year

! Bonifacio died in 1986, survived by his child Bernabe

! Ireneo died in 1992, survived by his four children, herein

respondents:

Mario

Angelo

Rosario (Casilang-Dizon as in the title of the case)

Rodolfo

The Property of Liborio! Left no debts

! Consisted of 3 parcels of land located in Barangay Talibaew,

Clasiao, Pangasinan

! In 1997, Respondent Rosario filed with the MTC a complaint for

unlawful detainer to evict her uncle, Jose (petitioner)

! She claimed that such lot was owned by her father by virtue of a

Tax Declaration issued under her father’s name.

! Subsequently, the respondents executed a Deed of Extrajudicial

Partition with Quitclaim whereby

They adjudicated one lot to themselves

Respondents Mario, Angelo, and Rodolfo renounced their

shares in the lot in favor of Rosario

The Dispute

! Jose’s position:

Jose raised the defense that he was the “lawful, absolute,

exclusive owner and in actual possession” of the said lot,

and that he acquired the same “through intestate

succession from his late father”

However, he and his lawyer failed to appear in the pre-

trial conference and were then declared in default,

resulting in the adverse judgment against him

! MTC – in favor of Rosario

Ordered Jose to remove his house, vacate the lot, and pay

Rosario rentals from the filing of the complaint until the

transfer of possession, plus attorney’s fees, litigation

expenses and costs

Writ of execution and writ of demolition were

subsequently issued.

!

Petitioners (Jose and other children of Liborio and Francisca) fileda complaint for annulment of documents, ownership and peaceful

possession with damages against respondents

The sought to annul the Extrajudicial Deed of Partition

They alleged that ALL 8 CHILDREN of Liborio entered

into a verbal partition of the estate where Jose was given

the subject-lot in this case

Jose lived there since childhood

Ireneo never claimed ownership nor possession of such

lot because his share was 1/5 portion of another lot – of

which he took exclusive possession during his lifetime

!

Rosario’s counterclaim

She is the real owner by virtue of the Deed of

Extrajudicial Partition

Her ownership can be traced back to her late father Ireneo

which the latter inherited by way of intestate succession

from his deceased father Liborio

That Jose has already disposed his share in the estate of

Liborio through a series of sales and dispositions

! Petitioners’ reply – MTC failed to consider a material fact – Jose

had long been in prior possession under a claim of title which he

obtained by partition


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Ruling of the RTC: in favor of the plaintiffs

! Deed of extrajudicial partition null and void

! Jose as the lawful owner and possessor

! Ordering defendants to pay Jose attorney’s fees and litigation

expenses

! The RTC affirmed Jose’s ownership by virtue of the oral partition

made by all the siblings

! The RTC found baseless the claim of Rosario that the lot was an

inheritance of her father

Tax declaration is not conclusive prove of ownership

The tax declaration, itself, is questionable since it was

issued only in 1994 when Ireneo died in 1992

CA reversed the RTC relying on the factual findings of the MTC in the

eviction case

! Former owner was Ireneo, Deed of Extrajudicial Partition was

valid

! CA said that the case filed by petitioners was a mere afterthought

after they lost the eviction case.

Thus, this petition

ISSUE: WON the CA erred in upholding the deed of extrajudicial partition and

quitclaim dated April 3, 1997 because it grossly violated the substantive right of

Casilang as direct compulsory heir

HELD: Yes, there is merit in the petition

RATIO:

On the issue of conflict of factual findings, the Court decided to make a

determination due to the conflict in the findings of the lower court and the

CA

! By relying solely on the findings of the MTC, the CA disregarded

the testimonial, documentary, and circumstantial evidence of the

petitioners obtained by the RTC after a full trial on the merits

! A review of the parties’ evidence shows that an oral partition was

entered into by the siblings (children of Liborio) giving the lot in

issue to Jose as his share

! Rosario presented no proof whatsoever that her father, Ireneo,

inherited the lot

The parties’ verbal partition is valid, and has been ratified by their

taking possession of their shares

! The validity of an oral partition is well-settled in our jurisdiction

(Vda. De Espina v. Abaya)

! The validity of such oral partition may be confirmed by subsequent

acts of the parties involved such as the execution of notarized

quitclaims (Maestrado v. CA)

! A parol(oral) partition may be sustained on the ground that parties

thereto have acquiesced in and ratified the partition by taking

possession in severalty, exercising acts of ownership with respect

thereto, or otherwise recognizing the existence of the partition.(Maglucot-Aw v. Maglucot)

! Jose’s possession of Lot No. 4618 under a claim of ownership is

well borne out by the records. It is also consistent with the claimed

verbal partition with his siblings, and fully corroborated by his

sisters Felicidad, Jacinta, Leonora, and Flora, who further testified

that they each had taken possession of their own shares and built

their houses thereon.

! A possessor of the real estate property is presumed to have title

thereto unless the adverse claimant establishes a better right, which

Rosario failed to do in this case Tax declarations are not conclusive evidence of

ownership’

Even assuming they are, it must be noted that Ireneo did

not file those declarations himself since he died in 1992

while the declarations were dated 1994

WHEREFORE, premises considered, the Petition is GRANTED. The

decision of the Court of Appeals is hereby REVERSED AND SET

ASIDE, and the decision of the Regional Trial Court is REINSTATED.

Documents

Succession Digests - 3A SY1314