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Petitioners Irene Tac-an Dano, Felipe G. Tac-an, Diosdado G. Tac-an and Socorro Tac-an
Genobaten, and private respondent ALFONSO G. Tac-an, are brothers and sisters, children of the
deceased spouses PioTac-an and Luisa Guzman. Upon the demise of PioTac-an on March 12, 1948, his
wife, Luisa, managed the entire estate, including an agricultural land of approximately 89 hectares at San
Isidro, Misamis Occidental, until her death on April 18, 1971.
In 1971, intestate proceedings for the settlement of Luisa's estate were instituted by petitioner
DiosdadoTac-an before the CFI. Alfonso opposed the petition contending that one-half of the new 6,159
coconut trees at the San Isidro property belonged to him in accordance with his agreement with his late
mother. In 1973 partition was ordered by the intestate Court pursuant to a Compromise Agreement
arrived at among the heirs. ALFONSO claimed, however, that the partition was without prejudice to the
prosecution of his claim in a separate suit.
In 1975, ALFONSO filed a complaint for Recovery of Ownership of Coconut Trees and Damages
against petitioners with the CFI. He alleged that sometime in 1944, upon the request of his late mother,
and with the consent of petitioners, he planted coconut trees on an agricultural land of their late father
inMisamis Occidental, that part of the land was planted with sugar cane which he gradually replaced
with coconut trees, completing the work in 1957; that he and his mother, during her lifetime, agreed,
without objection from petitioners, that the coconut trees including the fruits and produce, would be
equally divided between them; that their equal sharing continued for fifteen (15) years; that upon the
death of their mother, petitioner DiosdadoTac-an filed an action for the partition of the real and personal
properties left by their parents, which he opposed.
Petitioners, in their Answer, stated that ALFONSO's claim for improvements is barred by prior
judgment in Special Proceedings No. 615 rendered by the intestate Court on the basis of the amicable
compromise agreement entered into by the parties after concessions were given to respondent for the
settlement of said claim; that by virtue of said Decision, the land in San Isidro was subdivided and
adjudicated in equal shares among them; that the claim of respondent for one-half () of the produce of
the coconut trees was denied by the intestate Court in its Order of April 18, 1972, which had already
became final; that the complaint states no cause of action; that the claim is unenforceable under the
Statute of Frauds, and is barred by the Statute of Limitations and/or prescription.
The trial Court, dismissed ALFONSO's Complaint. CA modified the judgment of the trial Court by
allowing ALFONSO to receive one-half of the produce of the coconut trees.

WoN action is barred by res judicata
WoN the action has prescribed
WoNAlfonso is entitled to receive of the produce of coconut trees

NO. The suit for recovery of ownership of coconut trees is not res judicata as the right of
recovery of ownership was reserved to the party in the clarificatory order of the trial court to pursue his

NO. Prescription can neither be invoked as against ALFONSO by reason of that reservation in his
favor. He filed suit two years after the Decision in the intestate proceedings had been rendered. Under
Article 1144 of the Civil Code, he had ten (10) years from the time the right of action accrued within
which to file suit upon a judgment.
NO. ALFONSO's complaint, filed in the trial Court, was completely based on an alleged oral
agreement between himself, as co- owner, and his mother as another co-owner, whereby he would be
receiving benefits from the mentioned coconut land more than he would be entitled to as co-owner.
Both the trial Court and the Appellate Court made the factual finding that the arrangement if at all, could
have referred only to the produce, with the difference that the former Court held that its effectivity
ceased after the mother's death and could not bind the other heirs; whereas the latter Court ruled that
since petitioners acquiesced in the arrangement during their mother's lifetime, they are now estopped
from asserting the contrary.
It is not disputed that the San Isidro property was the capital property of the father of the
opposing parties, and that Luisa, their mother, was not authorized by petitioners upon the death of their
father, to enter into contract with ALFONSO concerning the produce of their respective shares of said
property. It has been established, too, that the expenses incurred in planting coconut trees in said land
came from the common fund and that concessions were given ALFONSO in the partition for his work in
converting the property into coconut land. So, whatever agreement the mother had with ALFONSO
regarding the produce of the coconut trees, could legally bind her share only, and chased upon her
death. Petitioners merely tolerated such sharing arrangement in deference to their mother's
commitment. This is shown by the fact that five months after her death, petitioners instituted the
proceedings for the partition of the estate of their deceased parents including the San Isidro property.
Accordingly, the doctrine of laches and estoppel as against petitioners cannot be successfully invoked.
Absent was any element of turpitude or negligence connected with the silence by which another is
misled to his injury.
Moreover, the agreement between mother and son must be deemed superseded, for, on
September 29, 1953, even during the lifetime of the mother, Original Certificate of Title No. 28 (Lot No.
1) in the name of the deceased father, was cancelled and replaced by TCT No. RT-121 issued in the
names of "Felipe Tac-An Irene Tac-an, Alfonso Tac-an, Catalina Tac-an, DiosdadoTac-an, Socorro Tac-an
and Luisa Guzman, in pro indiviso share of one- seventh (1/7) each", the last named being the surviving
spouse (Exhibit "12"). It will be seen, therefore, that, after 1953, it was expressly made of record that
ALFONSO, his mother, and five (5) siblings (Catalina has since passed away) were co-owners in equal
shares. If, in fact, ALFONSO, had an agreement as to ownership of the trees and produce with his mother,
that was the time for him to have insisted on a lien to be specifically included in the title. His mother,
too, would have been in a position to confirm or deny the existence of the agreement.
Additionally, as petitioners contend, to give ALFONSO the right to receive one-half () of
the produce of coconuts, as respondent Court did, would be to perpetuate a state of co-ownership,
contrary to Article 494 of the Civil Code, which limits co-ownership to a period of ten (10) years or at
most twenty (20) years.
It follows that ALFONSO's claim for recovery of ownership of the coconut trees and of the
produce thereof must fail. He should only be entitled to the share alloted to him in the "share raffle"
embodied in their compromise agreement.