[New Member] Real Property Tax Payment

Hello Everyone,

I'm new to this forum and hoping someone can share me some legal advice regarding Real Property Tax Payment.

Ako po si Edwin Tomada. May asawa at 3yrs na kaming kasal na taga Binan Laguna.

Bumili kami ng house and lot in our area under a developer in jubilation. Pinapasok po namin though pagibig. Ang developer po ang nag asikaso ng processing sa pag-ibig. after magawa yung house, lumipat na kame(mga last year January). Isang taon mahigit na kameng nakatira ngayon pero hindi pa nakapangalan ang lot title sa amin. Tanging Contract to Sell palang po ang meron kami at pinanghahawakan namin. Then pinagbabayad po kami ng developer ng tax for our house and lot. Ang reason ng developer nakatira na daw kami. Tama po bang magbayad kami ng tax sa property namin kahit hindi pa nakapangalan sa amin ang title? Ano po pwede naming gawin?

Thanks in advance po sa inyong oras.

Regards,
Edwin

Hinde po tama yun, payment of real property tax shall be made by the OWNER of the property, to be the owner of the property, one must take into his possession the TITLE thereof, whether TCT/OCT, except in some cases of lease contracts. Further, under contract to sell, as a rule ownership over the thing/property is VESTED to the seller, or as to the Developer in your case.

Eto lang magawa nyo:

1. Compel the developer to issue TCT or Title under your name and pay the RPT(real prop tax)

2. Not to pay the RPT, afterall, it is name under the Developer, so the developer itself is liable.

**NOTE: Better re-read the TERMS and conditions under your COntract to sell, BAKA kasi nakalagay dun na kayo muna ang magbayad ng RPT. UNTIL na FULLY paid nyo na yung contract price.

Tsi, marami pong salamat sa paglaan mo ng oras at sa iyong napakahalagang payo.

Meron lang po sana akong karagdagan katanongan:

1. Kung hindi po ba namin babayaran ang RPT, kasi nga po, nakapangalan pa naman sa developer ang property. Paano po ang mangyayari pag ayaw din bayaran ni developer ang RPT and then time will come na ililipat na sa name namin ang property. Kami na po ba mag shoulder nung RPT na supposedly liability ng developer?

2. Regarding po sa TERMS and conditions under sa Contract to Sell.
Actually, meron pong nakalagay na:
"14. OBLIGATIONS AFTER ACCEPTANCE OF THE PROPRETY. Acceptance of the PROPERTY by the BUYER, whether actual or constructive as referred to in the preceding paragraphs shall give rise to the following obligations:
14.1 REAL PROPERTY TAX AND ASSESSMENTS. Payments for the real property tax and assessments on the PROPERTY shall be borne by the BUYER from the time of acceptance of the PROPERTY by the BUYER, whether actual or constructive, in accordance with Pres. Decree No. 957 ..."

Subalit, sa isang pahina din under sa Contract to Sell. Meron pong nakasaad na medyo nagpapagulo sa pag-intindi namin. Ito po ang ilan sa nakasaad:
"16. TRANSFER OF TITLE AND OWNERSHIP. The BUYER understands that the Contract to Sell gives the BUYER only the right to purchase the PROPERTY subject to the fulfillment of the conditions herein stated. No other right, title or ownership is vested upon the BUYER by the execution of this Contract to Sell. The Seller retain ownership of the PROPERTY and title to the LOT until the BUYER has fully paid the Final Contract Price.
...
In case where the SELLER assigns its rights to HDMF at the instance of the BUYER, all related fees for documentary stamps, annotation fees, registrations fees, and the like shall be for the account of the BUYER. The BUYER also assumes full responsibility in paying the Real Property Tax commencing from the next quarterly tax payment schedule following the title transfer date. The moment title is transferred to BUYER's name, SELLER shall already be relived from shouldering the Real Property Tax Payments as this automatically becomes BUYER's sole responsibility..."

Sana po ay makapagbigay kayo ng karagdang linaw tungkol sa mga nakasaad sa aming Contract to Sell hingil po sa pagpapabayad ng RPT.

Again. maramin pong salamat in advance for you time.

There you are...yun ang hinahanap ko.

So basically, kayo po ang magbabayad ng RPT because of #14.1, RPT and Assessments, and to reconcile it with #16, that term or aggrement refers only to the transfer of TITLE. So for the meantime na hinde pa nalipat sa inyo yung TITLE ng lupa, kayo yung magbabayad ng RPT.

Magkaiba po yung payment ng RPT pati yung Transfer of TITLE base sa napagkasunduan sa Contract to sell nyo.

Now, kayo ang magbabayad ng RPT, and in case hinde nyo po to nasunod yung next na problemahin nyo po ay ang pagtransfer ng TITLe, kasi, hinde po matatransfer ang title sa inyo kahit fully paid na kayo sa developer hanggang hinde mababayaran yung RPT simula noong paglipat/paggamit nyo na sa bahay.

Maraming salamat po sa karagdang linaw tungkol po dito sa aking concern. Godbless!

dami kong natutunan dito ah. tnx sa inyo