04 Ermitano V Paglas - RSJ

JUANITA ERMITANO v.
LAILANIE PAGLAS (2013)

Peralta J.| By Ron San Juan
Facts:
Respondent and petitioner executed a Contract of lease wherein petitioner leased in favor of
respondent a 336 sqm residential lot and a house standing thereon. The contract period is
one (1) year, which commenced on November 4, 1999, with a monthly rental rate of
P13,500.00.
Subsequent to the execution of the lease contract, respondent received information that
petitioner mortgaged the subject property in favor of a Yap and that the same was already
foreclosed with Yap as the purchaser of the disputed lot in an extrajudicial foreclosure sale
which was registered on February 22, 2000. On June 1, 2000, respondent bought the
subject property from Yap thru a Deed of Sale of Real Property which clearly indicated that it
was still subject to petitioner's right of redemption.
Prior to said sale, petitioner filed a suit for the declaration of nullity of the mortgage in favor
of Yap. Meanwhile, petitioner sent two letters demanding respondent to pay the rentals
which are due and to vacate the leased premises. Respondent ignored both letters.
Petitioner filed with the MTCC a case of unlawful detainer against respondent. MTCC
dismissed the case filed by petitioner. On appeal, RTC affirmed MTCC. CA affirmed RTC.
Hence, this petition.
Issues/Held: CA affirmed with modifications.
Whether or not the findings of the lower courts of the presumed validity of the real estate
mortgage is correct. (YES)
In an unlawful detainer case, the sole issue for resolution is the physical or material
possession of the property involved, independent of any claim of ownership by any of the
party litigants. Where the issue of ownership is raised by any of the parties, the courts may
pass upon the same, albeit provisionally, in order to determine who has the right to possess
the property.
In the instant case, pending final resolution of the suit filed by petitioner for the declaration
of nullity of the real estate mortgage in favor of Yap, the MTCC, the RTC and the CA were
unanimous in sustaining the presumption of validity of the real estate mortgage as well as
the presumption of regularity in the performance of the duties of the public officers who
subsequently conducted its foreclosure sale and issued a provisional certificate of sale.
Based on the presumed validity of the mortgage and the subsequent foreclosure sale, the
MTCC, the RTC and the CA also sustained the validity of respondent's purchase of the
disputed property from Yap. Court agreed with the lower courts. Thus, for purposes of
resolving the issue as to who between petitioner and respondent is entitled to possess the
subject property, this presumption stands.
Whether or not the petitioner is entitled to possession of the property.
(Yes, during the period of redemption. After that, respondent acquired the right to possess
the property. Petitioner is entitled only to back rentals due her during the redemption
period.)
In unlawful detainer, one unlawfully withholds possession thereof after the expiration or
termination of his right to hold possession under any contract, express or implied In such
case, the possession was originally lawful but became unlawful by the expiration or
termination of the right to possess; hence, the issue of rightful possession is decisive for, in
such action, the defendant is in actual possession and the plaintiffs cause of action is the
termination of the defendants right to continue in possession.
Petitioner argues: She remains the owner of the subject property. Based on her contract of
lease with respondent, respondent is not permitted to deny her title over the said property in
accordance with the provisions of Section 2 (b), Rule 131 of the Rules of Court.
SC: No. The conclusive presumption found in Section 2 (b), Rule 131 of the Rules of Court,
known as estoppel against tenants, provides: "[t]he tenant is not permitted to deny the title
of his landlord at the time of the commencement of the relation of landlord and tenant
between them."
What a tenant is estopped from denying is the title of his landlord at the time of the
commencement of the landlord-tenant relation. If the title asserted is one that is alleged to
have been acquired subsequent to the commencement of that relation, the presumption will
not apply. Hence, the tenant may show that the landlord's title has expired or been
conveyed to another or himself; and he is not estopped to deny a claim for rent, if he has
been ousted or evicted by title paramount. In the present case, what respondent is claiming
is her supposed title to the subject property which she acquired subsequent to the
commencement of the landlord-tenant relation between her and petitioner. Hence, the
presumption under Section 2 (b), Rule 131 of the Rules of Court does not apply.
HOWEVER, even if respondent is not estopped from denying petitioner's claim for rent, her
basis for such denial, which is her subsequent acquisition of ownership of the disputed
property, is nonetheless, an insufficient excuse from refusing to pay the rentals due to
petitioner.
There is no dispute that at the time that respondent purchased Yap's rights over the subject
property, petitioner's right of redemption as a mortgagor has not yet expired. It is settled
that during the period of redemption, it cannot be said that the mortgagor is no longer the
owner of the foreclosed property, since the rule up to now is that the right of a purchaser at
a foreclosure sale is merely inchoate until after the period of redemption has expired without
the right being exercised. It is only upon the expiration of the redemption period, without
the judgment debtor having made use of his right of redemption, that the ownership of the
land sold becomes consolidated in the purchaser.
During the period of redemption, the mortgagor, being still the owner of the foreclosed
property, remains entitled to the physical possession thereof subject to the purchaser's right
to petition the court to give him possession and to file a bond pursuant to the provisions of
Section 7 of Act No. 3135, as amended. The mere purchase and certificate of sale alone do
not confer any right to the possession or beneficial use of the premises.
In the instant case, there is neither evidence nor allegation that respondent, as purchaser of
the disputed property, filed a petition and bond. In addition, respondent defaulted in the
payment of her rents. Thus, absent respondent's filing of such petition and bond prior to the
expiration of the period of redemption, coupled with her failure to pay her rent, she did not
have the right to possess the subject property.
On the other hand, petitioner, as mortgagor and owner, was entitled not only to the
possession of the disputed house and lot but also to the rents, earnings and income derived
therefrom.
The situation became different, however, after the expiration of the redemption period.
Since there is no allegation, much less evidence, that petitioner redeemed the subject
property within one year from the date of registration of the certificate of sale, respondent
became the owner thereof. Consolidation of title becomes a right upon the expiration of the
redemption period. Having become the owner of the disputed property, respondent is then
entitled to its possession.
As a consequence, petitioner's ejectment suit filed against respondent was rendered moot
when the period of redemption expired on February 23, 2001 without petitioner having
redeemed the subject property. The only remaining right that petitioner can enforce is his
right to the rentals during the time that he was still entitled to physical possession of the
subject property that is from May 2000 until February 23, 2001.

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JUANITA ERMITANO v.

LAILANIE PAGLAS (2013)

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