no land title

We inherited a land without title from my deceased grandfather. He did not give any certificate. He told us that the land was inherited from his parents and have no title at all. How could we acquire a land title? What are we going to do? How much is the cost of acquiring a land title? I hope that you can help me with this matter. Thank you and God Bless!!

there are two basic ways that a property can be titled.

the first is to apply for titling with the local Community Environment and Natural Resources Office. this is applicable when the property remains to be government property but has been identified as alienable, meaning it can be owned by private persons.

if the property has been owned by the previous owner(s) and they have continuous, open, notorious and exclusive ownership since 12 June 1945, then titling can be applied by filing a petition in court.

you should investigate the history of the property. if the property is still considered government property, and particularly if a previous application in CENRO covers the property, then only the continuation of the application will normally be allowed. Note that if the original applicant is dead, CENRO normally allows only the direct heirs to continue the application and only after there has been a proper settlement of the estate of the deceased applicant.

if you can produce tax declarations over the property since 12 June 1945 and show continuous, notorious, open and exclusive ownership by the previous owners, then it may be better to file a case in court.

or if it's applicable, then Republic Act No. 10023, otherwise known as the Free Patent Act on Residential Land, will allow you to have it titled if you have resided there for at least ten years.

Thanks a lot for the reply. Under Republic Act No. 10023, how is the application done? How much it cost? Thank you and God Bless!!

please keep monitoring the denr for the implementing rules. they were supposed to have been published just this May, but i can't find a web based copy.

Hello po, may lupa po kami galing pa sa lolo namin, at yung lupa eh walang titolo, gusto ko pong malaman paano kung pagkuha mo ng tax declaration hind pala nagbabayad yung mga tito at tita ko,, tapos lalo nang lumalaki ang babayarin ng tax? kailangan po bang bayaran ng apo ang lahat ng tax sa lupa? ako yung apo ngayon, gusto ko po sana na magkaroon ng titolo yung lupang namana namin,, magkano poh ba ang kailangan kung bayaran para makuha ito? myroon pa po bang ibang kailangan na dokumanto para makakuha ng titolo ng lupa? maraming salamat po,, sana matolungan nyo po ako..

rosalyn, please see my answer to february above as to the process of titling of property.

is there a tax declaration covering your property? you will have to settle the estate of your lolo by paying the estate taxes to the BIR. The amount depends on when he died and the value of the property. you can expect heavy penalties if it has been a long time since he died.

if the property was owned by your lolo, to whom was it transferred to when he died? i assume to your parents and uncles/aunts. now you want it transferred to just you? are you buying out the shares of the other owners? what about your cousins, won't they object that you are planning to get the property by yourself?

Thank you so much for your reply,

sa tingin ko po hindi pa na transfer yung lupa sa parents at mga tito,tita ko, kc ang naka pangalan pa rin kasi sa tax declaration na nakuha ko ay sa lolo ko pa, namatay po ang lolo ko nung september 31 1984, bali apat yung anak ng lolo ko, yung ama ko na namatay na,yung ng tito ko na namatay na ipinagbili yung share niya sa tita ko, tapos yung isa naman ipinagbili nya sa iba,, ipinasurvey na nila ang lupa kaya namin nalaman hanggang saan ang boundery ng namana namin, kaya lang po ang partation ng lupa wala kaming kopya hindi binigay ng nakabili ng share ng tito ko, yung share lang ng papa ko ang gusto kung magkaroon ng titolo na ipapangalan sa akin at sa kapatid ko na nasa dubai ngayon, puwede ko kayang gawin yun kahit wala dito ang kapatid ko? doon ko po ba malalaman ang babayaran ng tax sa state tax ng lolo ko? or ibabase sa tax declaration yung babayaran kung tax? kailangan ko pa bang hingan ng bayad ang tita, yung nakabili ng tito share ko para mabayaran lahat ng tax para makakuha ako ng titolo?

maraming salamat po,,

you will have to pay the estate tax for the whole property so that it can be transferred to your father, aunts and uncles. then you will have to subdivide the property, and only then can your father's portion be transferred to you.

Thank you so much,,,

I have another Question hope i can get the answer from you, kung kukuha po ako ng transfer form for the property saan ko po it makukuha,, at anu ang kailangan kung document para makakuha nito, anu po ang proseso para magkaroon nito?

Thank you so much

i suggest you inquire at the assessor's office.

Hello!

Sa case naman po naman, caretaker po kami ng halos 15 years dito po sa olongapo. Kami po ang nangangalaga ng halos 11 na lote na nakatiwangwang dito at ang may ari ay nasa states (kamag anak namin). May usap usapan po na bigla nalang daw po kami papatalsikin. Ang pagkakaalam ko po american citizen na sila, e sabi naman po nila hindi daw po pwede mag may ari ang mga american citizen dito sa Pinas. Wala naman po kaming balak angkinin, kasi ang masakit lang po eh bigla nalang daw kami patalsikin dito eh halos ipagpatayan namin ito sa mga nag i squat ng lote.

Sabi din po na nagbabayad din daw sila ng tax..

Ano pong gagawin namin? Pwede rin po ba kaming mag may ari ng isa sa mga lupa nila bayad sa pangangalag ng lupa nila ng mahabang panahon?

salamat po!

don't use the argument that they are now american citizens. they were filipinos when they acquired the property and they can easily re-acquire filipino citizenship through dual citizenship law.

if you feel you have a right to stay on the property, you cannot be ejected except by an order by a court. they will have to file an ejectment case first in the barangay then in the court against you.

you cannot take their property as refund for the tax payments. i hope you kept the receipts as proof of what you say. you can seek reimbursement, and if they do not pay you can ask the court to take the property and sell it so the amount will be given to you.

good evening po.

yung bukid na sinasaka ng amang ko ay na land reform at na award sa kanya. ang hawak lang po namin ay deed of tansfer under p.d. 27 na may date na january 24, 1996. namatay ang amang ko noong december, 1999. gusto ko po sanang patituluhan ang lupa na dalawang parsela at may kabuuang isang hektarya. ano ano po ba ang kailangan at sang ahensya po kami magsisimula? maraming salamat po

i can't claim to be an expert on this. i think you should settle your father's estate. as for the titling, you should first visit the department of agrarian reform

hello po atty.. caretaker po kami ng halos 19 years dito po sa olongapo. pinatira po ung tita ko ng may ari..dahil po sa may work na me at nakaipon gusto ko po sana bilhin ang lupa.. nakausap ko po ung may ari ang sabi nia ok naman...pinakita nia po saken ung blueprint ng lupa at pinacheck ko po sa BOL kung may nakarehistro dun na name.. meron naman po.. pinacheck ko rin po sa assessors office wala pa pong nagbabayad ng tax... kinausap ako ng may ari na iwaiver na lang po namin ung rights para po ako na ang umasikaso... ang tanong ko po.. incase po na iwaive nia na saken pwede na po ba ako na ang maglakad? kasabay po kase ng waiver ehh babayaran ko na rin po.. ng 100k.. so pls.. need ko po ng advice mejo nahihirapan po ako magdcision dahil pinaghirapan ko po ung pera.. baka po kase mapunta lang sa wala... ano po ba ang maganda kong gawin.. plz.. reply po... thank u and more power....

what i recommend is that you go back to the bureau of lands and inquire if they will allow you to continue the old petition or file a new one under your own name under RA 10023.