EN BANC
[G.R. No. L-5829. May 22, 1953. ]
JOSE NONO, demandante-apelante, contra RUPERTO NEQUIA y OTROS, demandados-apelados.
D. Nicolas P. Nonato en representacion del apelante.
D. Jacinto E. Evidente en representacion de los apelados.
SYLLABUS
1. CESIONES; RESERVA TRONCAL; VENTA DE LA PROPIEDAD; DEPENDE A LA CONDICION RESOLUTORIA. — La reserva troncal depende de un futuro acontecimiento o condicion resolutoria, la supervivencia de un reservatario al ascendiente, resuelve la venta realizada por dicho ascendiente: la venta por tanto, tiene que depender tambien de esa condicion resolutoria. Si premuere el reservatario, la venta hecha por el reservista se hace definitiva; pero si sobrevive el reservatario — como en el caso presente — "entonces el terreno vendido por el reservista, por ministerio de la ley tiene que revertir al reservatario "para que personas extrañas a una familia no adquieran, por un azar especial de la vida, bienes que sin el hubiesen quedado dentro de ella." (Sentencia del Tribunal Supremo de España de 30 de diciembre de 1897.) No puede, por tanto el comprador de la propiedad envuelto en este caso retener el terreno que habia comprado bajo condicion resolutoria.
2. ID.; ID.; BIENES RESERVABLES NO FORMAN PARTE DE LOS BIENES RELICTOS DEL RESERVATORIO. — Los bienes reservables, de acuerdo con el articulo 811, pertenecen a los herederos o sucesores o cesionarios del ascendiente heredero si a su muerte no existen parientes dentro del tercer grado del descendiente; pero si existen, el ascendiente al fallecer pierde esos bienes; no puede, por tanto, trasmitirlos legalmente a sus herederos ni a sus cesionarios. Por tanto, el terreno que habia heredado el reservatario de su hijo no forma parte de sus bienes relictos, porque dicho terreno se revierte a la linea troncal si la condicion resolutoria tiene lugar.
2. ID.; ID.; BIENES RESERVABLES NO FORMAN PARTE DE LOS BIENES RELICTOS DEL RESERVATORIO. — Los bienes reservables, de acuerdo con el articulo 811, pertenecen a los herederos o sucesores o cesionarios del ascendiente heredero si a su muerte no existen parientes dentro del tercer grado del descendiente; pero si existen, el ascendiente al fallecer pierde esos bienes; no puede, por tanto, trasmitirlos legalmente a sus herederos ni a sus cesionarios. Por tanto, el terreno que habia heredado el reservatario de su hijo no forma parte de sus bienes relictos, porque dicho terreno se revierte a la linea troncal si la condicion resolutoria tiene lugar.
D E C I S I O N
PABLO, M. :
En 16 de agosto de 1947, Jose Nono presento demanda contra Ruperto Nequia para recobrar la parcela de terreno bajo Declaracion de Amillaramiento No. 4376 del municipio de Miagao, provincia de Iloilo.
Ruperto Nequia presento su contestacion; fallecio en 8 de julio de 1948, y por eso sus hijos Damaso, Jovito, Asuncion, Juan, Basilio, Lucas y Pedro, todos apellidados Nequia, en lugar de su difunto padre, presentaron una contestacion enmendada. En la vista de la causa, las partes presentaron el siguiente convenio de hechos:jgc:chanrobles.com.ph
"(1) That the land described in the complaint originally belonged to Nicolas Quilantang, who died in 1928 in Miagao, Iloilo, without leaving a will;
"(2) That he left as his heir his legitimate sister Catalina Quilantang;
"(3) That Catalina Quilantang had two children, namely, Ruperto Nequia and Rafael Nequia;
"(4) That Rafael Nequia died in 1912 prior to the death of his mother Catalina Quilantang, but left a son, by the name of Fernando Nequia, had with his wife Margarita Noble;
"(5) That Catalina Quilantang herself died in 1930, leaving as her heirs her son Ruperto Nequia and her grandson Fernando Nequia;
"(6) That Margarita Noble, wife of Rafael Nequia, and mother of Fernando Nequia, died on March 10, 1946, while Fernando Nequia himself died in 1932;
"(7) That Margarita Noble executed a deed of sale of the land in question in favor of the plaintiff Jose Nono on February 20, 1946;
"(8) That the land in question was inherited by Fernando Nequia from Catalina Quilantang by intestate succession in representation of Rafael Nequia, father of Fernando Nequia who predeceased Catalina Quilantang;
"(9) That upon the death of Fernando Nequia in 1932 the land was inherited from him by his mother Margarita Noble by intestate succession, subject to the provision of article 811 of the Spanish Civil Code;
"(10) That the issue in this case is as to whether the Plaintiff Jose Nono is entitled to the property in litigation by virtue of the deed of sale in his favor executed by Margarita Noble on February 20, 1946, prior to her death, or whether the defendant Ruperto Nequia is entitled to the said property by virtue of the provision of article 811 of the Civil Code;
"(11) That the deed of sale in favor of the plaintiff Jose Nono is a public document duly registered with the Register of Deeds on September 11, 1946, as shown by the copy of the said deed of sale which is marked as Exhibit 4, the authenticity of which is admitted by the defendant;
"(12) That the land in question has been in possession of the defendant Ruperto Naquia since the death of Margarita Noble in 1946, and that prior thereto Margarita Noble and her son Fernando Naquia were in possession of the said property after the death of Catalina Quilantang in 1930;"
(13) That the average produce of the land in question consists of eight cavans of palay, legal measure, the share of the landowner being one-half thereof, or four cavans, legal measure, yearly;
"(14) That the value of the cavan is P10.00;
"(15) That the parties upon the stipulation of facts submit the case for decision."cralaw virtua1aw library
El Juez dicto sentencia ordenando la rescision de la venta Exhibit A otorgada por Margarita Noble a favor del demandante Jose Nono y declarando a Ruperto Nequia dueño de la propiedad en litigio. Contra esta decision el demandante apelo.
La cuestion se puede sintetizar como sigue: Margarita Noble, ascendiente (madre) de Fernando Nequia, heredo de este el terreno en cuestion que Fernando Nequia, a su vez, habia adquirido por herencia de su abuela Catalina Quilantang. Margarita Noble vendio el terreno a Jose Nono en 20 de febrero de 1946 y en 10 de marzo del mismo año fallecio. Conforme al articulo 811 del Codigo Civil, Margarita Noble estaba obligada a reservar dicho terreno, por haberlo adquirido a titulo gratuito por ministerio de la ley, en favor de Ruperto Nequia que es tio o pariente dentro del tercer grado en la linea troncal de Fernando Nequia.
Ruperto Nequia presento su contestacion; fallecio en 8 de julio de 1948, y por eso sus hijos Damaso, Jovito, Asuncion, Juan, Basilio, Lucas y Pedro, todos apellidados Nequia, en lugar de su difunto padre, presentaron una contestacion enmendada. En la vista de la causa, las partes presentaron el siguiente convenio de hechos:jgc:chanrobles.com.ph
"(1) That the land described in the complaint originally belonged to Nicolas Quilantang, who died in 1928 in Miagao, Iloilo, without leaving a will;
"(2) That he left as his heir his legitimate sister Catalina Quilantang;
"(3) That Catalina Quilantang had two children, namely, Ruperto Nequia and Rafael Nequia;
"(4) That Rafael Nequia died in 1912 prior to the death of his mother Catalina Quilantang, but left a son, by the name of Fernando Nequia, had with his wife Margarita Noble;
"(5) That Catalina Quilantang herself died in 1930, leaving as her heirs her son Ruperto Nequia and her grandson Fernando Nequia;
"(6) That Margarita Noble, wife of Rafael Nequia, and mother of Fernando Nequia, died on March 10, 1946, while Fernando Nequia himself died in 1932;
"(7) That Margarita Noble executed a deed of sale of the land in question in favor of the plaintiff Jose Nono on February 20, 1946;
"(8) That the land in question was inherited by Fernando Nequia from Catalina Quilantang by intestate succession in representation of Rafael Nequia, father of Fernando Nequia who predeceased Catalina Quilantang;
"(9) That upon the death of Fernando Nequia in 1932 the land was inherited from him by his mother Margarita Noble by intestate succession, subject to the provision of article 811 of the Spanish Civil Code;
"(10) That the issue in this case is as to whether the Plaintiff Jose Nono is entitled to the property in litigation by virtue of the deed of sale in his favor executed by Margarita Noble on February 20, 1946, prior to her death, or whether the defendant Ruperto Nequia is entitled to the said property by virtue of the provision of article 811 of the Civil Code;
"(11) That the deed of sale in favor of the plaintiff Jose Nono is a public document duly registered with the Register of Deeds on September 11, 1946, as shown by the copy of the said deed of sale which is marked as Exhibit 4, the authenticity of which is admitted by the defendant;
"(12) That the land in question has been in possession of the defendant Ruperto Naquia since the death of Margarita Noble in 1946, and that prior thereto Margarita Noble and her son Fernando Naquia were in possession of the said property after the death of Catalina Quilantang in 1930;"
(13) That the average produce of the land in question consists of eight cavans of palay, legal measure, the share of the landowner being one-half thereof, or four cavans, legal measure, yearly;
"(14) That the value of the cavan is P10.00;
"(15) That the parties upon the stipulation of facts submit the case for decision."cralaw virtua1aw library
El Juez dicto sentencia ordenando la rescision de la venta Exhibit A otorgada por Margarita Noble a favor del demandante Jose Nono y declarando a Ruperto Nequia dueño de la propiedad en litigio. Contra esta decision el demandante apelo.
La cuestion se puede sintetizar como sigue: Margarita Noble, ascendiente (madre) de Fernando Nequia, heredo de este el terreno en cuestion que Fernando Nequia, a su vez, habia adquirido por herencia de su abuela Catalina Quilantang. Margarita Noble vendio el terreno a Jose Nono en 20 de febrero de 1946 y en 10 de marzo del mismo año fallecio. Conforme al articulo 811 del Codigo Civil, Margarita Noble estaba obligada a reservar dicho terreno, por haberlo adquirido a titulo gratuito por ministerio de la ley, en favor de Ruperto Nequia que es tio o pariente dentro del tercer grado en la linea troncal de Fernando Nequia.
