SYLLABUSWills & Succession

Atty. A. M. Sebastian, Jr.

I. GENERAL PROVISIONS

(a) Definition of Terms

(b) Charges against the Estate of a Deceased PersonEstate of Hemady v Luzon Surety, 100 Phil 388

(c) Concept of Inheritance; its components

(d) Opening of SuccessionPacio v Billon, 1 SCRA 384Uson v del Rosario, 92 Phil 530Bonilla v Barcena, 71 SCRA 491De Borja v vda, de Borja, 46 SCRA 577Butte v Manuel Uy & Sons, Inc., 4 SCRA 526Go Ong v Court of Appeals, 154 SCRA 270Reganon v Imperial, 22 SCRA 80Salvador v Sta, Maria, 20 SCRA 603Ramirez v Salazar, 24 SCRA 918

II. TESTAMENTARY SUCCESSION

A. General Provisions

(a) Definition of a Will

(b) Nature of Making a Will; Personal Act of the Testator

(c) Delegable and non-delegable functions of a Testator

(d) Imperfection of the language of a Will; Rules of InterpretationDizon-Rivera v Dizon, 33 SCRA 554Vda. De Villaflor v Juico, 4 SCRA 550

(e) Partial Invalidity of Testamentary Dispositions

(f) After-Acquired Properties (i) Properties acquired after Making of a will (Art. 793)(ii) Accruals to the Estate since the opening of Succession (Art 781)

Santos v Blas, 1 SCRA 899

(g) Governing law of a will as to formArticle 795 – as to time of executionArticle 815 – as to a Filipino in a foreign countryArticle 816 – as to an alien who is abroadArticle 817 – as to an alien who is in the Philippines

(h) Governing law of a will as to substantive validityArticle 16

B. Testamentary Capacity

(a) Elements of testamentary capacityDe Guzman v Intestate Estate of Francisco Benitez, 169 SCRA 284

C. Form of Wills

(a) Notarial WillSuroza v Honrado, 110 SCRA 388Reyes v vda. De Vidal, 2 SCUD 53Balonan v Abellana, 109 Phil 359Garcia v Lacuesta, 90 Phil 489Nera v Rimando, 18 Phil 450Taboada v Rosal, 118 SCRA 195Icasiano v Icasiano, 11 SCRA 422Cagro v Cagro. 92 Phil 1032Lopez v Liboro, 81 Phil 429vda. De Ramos v Court of Appeals, 81 SCRA 393Garcia v Gatchalian, 21 SCRA 1056Cruz v Villasor, 54 SCRA 31Gabucan v Manta, 95 SCRA 752Garcia v Vazquez, 32 SCRA 490Alvarado v Gaviola, Jr.,, 226 SCRA 347Gil v Murciano, 88 Phil 260Caneda v Court of Appeals, 222 SCRA 781

(b) Holographic WillRoxas v de Jesus, Jr., 134 SCRA 245Labrador v Court of Appeals, 184 SCRA 170

(c) Probate of a Holographic WillGan v Yap, 104 Phil 509Rodelas v Aranza, 119 SCRA 16Azaola v Singson, 109 Phil 102Rivera v Intermediate Appellate Court, 182 SCRA 322

(d) Alterations in a Holographic WillKalaw v Relova, 132 SCRA 237Ajero v Court of Appeals, 236 SCRA 488

(e) Joint Willsde la Cerna v Rebaca-Potot, 12 SCRA 576

(f) Witnesses to a Notarial Will

(i) Qualifications and DisqualificationsGonzales v Court of Appeals, 90 SCRA 187

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Ref. Article 823 compared to Article 1027 paragraph 4(g) Definition and Form of a Codicil

(h) Purpose and Requisites of Incorporation by Reference

D. Revocation of WillsGago v Mamuyac, 49 Phil 902Testate Estate of Adriana Maloto v Court of Appeals, 158 SCRA 451

(a) Implied Revocation(b) Ineffectivity of a Revoking Will(c) Revocation based on a False Cause

E. Republication and Revival of Wills

F. Allowance and Disallowance of a WillGallanosa v Arcangel, 83 SCRA 676Maninang v Court of Appeals, 114 SCRA 478Pastor, jr., v Court of Appeals, 122 SCRA 885Jimenez v Intermediate Appellate Court, 184 SCRA 367Ozaeta v Cuartero, 99 Phil 1041Coso v Fernandez Deza, 42 Phil 596Pascual v dela Cruz, 28 SCRA 421Nepomuceno v Court of Appeals, 139 SCRA 206Roberts v Leonidas, 129 SCRA 33

G Institution of Heirs(a) Institution of Heirs compared to Legacies and Devises

(b) Concept of Legitime and the Freedom to Dispose Property

(c) Error in Designation of Heirs

(d) Disposition in favor of an unknown person (Art. 844) compared to:(i) Institution of relatives in general (Art. 959)(ii) Institution of the Soul (Art. 1029)(iii) Institution of the poor in general (Art. 1030)

(e) Rule of Equal Division

(f) Individual and Collective Institution

(g) Full-blood and Half-blood siblings

(h) Incomplete Distribution without Partial Intestacy

(i) Excessive Institution

(j) Statement of a False CauseAustria v Reyes, 31 SCRA 754

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H. PreteritionReyes v Baretto-Datu, 19 SCRA 85Aznar v Duncan, 17 SCRA 590Nuguid v Nuguid, 17 SCRA 449Balanay v Martinez, 64 SCRA 454Cayetano v Leonidas, 129 SCRA 522Acain v Intermediate Appellate Court, 155 SCRA 100

I. Substitution of Heirs(a) Simple Substitution

(b) Brief or Compendious Substitution

(c) Reciprocal Substitution

(d) Fideicommissary SubstitutionRamirez v Ramirez, 111 SCRA 704Vda. de Mapa v Court of Appeals, 154 SCRA 294Crisologo v Singson, 4 SCRA 491

(e) Prohibition to Alienate the InheritanceRodriguez v Court of Appeals, 27 SCRA 546

J. Conditional Institution/Institution with a Term(a) No burden on the Legitime(b) Effect of Impossible Conditions(c) Condition not to marry(d) Disposicion Captatoria(e) Purely Potestative Condition(f) Casual or Mixed Condition(g) Suspensive Condition(h) Negative Potestative Condition(i) Modal Institution(j) Institution with a Term

K. Legitime

(a) Concept of Legitime

(b) Compulsory HeirsCastro v Court of Appeals, 173 SCRA 656Tayag v Court of Appeals, 209 SCRA 665Baritua v Court of Appeals, 183 SCRA 565Van Dorn v Romillo, Jr., 139 SCRA 139Rosales v Rosales, 148 SCRA 69

(c) Reserva TroncalPadura v Baldovino, 104 Phil 1065Edroso v Sablan, 25 Phil 295Sienes v Esparcia, 1 SCRA 750

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Lacerna v vda. de Corsino, 1 SCRA 1227Solivio v Court of Appeals, 182 SCRA 119Chua v CFI of Negros Occidental, 78 SCRA 414Florentino v Florentino, 40 Phil 480Gonzales v CFI of Manila, 104 SCRA 481De Papa v Cmacho, 144 SCRA 281Carillo v de Paz, 18 SCRA 467Sumaya v Intermediate Appellate Court, 201 SCRA 178

(d) Reserva Maxima and Reserva Minima

(e) Extinguishment of the Reserva

(f) General Principles Governing the Legitime

(g) Table of Legitime

(h) Completion of Legitime

(i) Protection of the legitime(i) Completion of legitime (Article 906)(ii) Preterition (Article 854)(iii) Collation (Article 1061)

(j) Calculation of the Hereditary EstateMateo v Lagua. 29 SCRA 864vda. de Tupas v RTC of Negros Occidental, 144 SCRA 622

(k) Imputation of donations

(l) Liquidation of the Absolute Community of Property/Conjugal Partnership

(m)Calculation of the Legitime

L. Disinheritance(a) Concept of Disinheritance

(b) Requisites of Disinheritance

(c) Form of Disinheritance

(d) Defective Disinheritance

(e) Grounds for Disinheritance(i) Ref. Articles 18, 19 and 20, Revised Penal Code(ii) Ref. Article 228, 229, 230 231 and 232, Family Code

(f) Effects of Reconciliation

(g) Right of Representation

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M. Legacies and Devises(a) Definition(b) Distinction between legacies and devises(c) Distinguished from institution of heirs(d) Responsibility for payment of legacies and devises(e) Order of Acquisition(f) Legacy/Devise of a thing belonging to the beneficiary(g) Encumbered Property(h) Legacy of a Credit(i) Legacy of a Remission(j) Alternative Legacies and Devises(k) Order of Preference (Art. 911 compared to Art. 950)(l) Repudiation and Ineffective Legacies and Devises(m) Implied Revocation of Legacies and Devises

III. INTESTATE SUCCESSION

A. Causes of Intestate SuccessionRodriguez v de Borja, 17 SCRA 418Madarcos v de la Merced, 174 SCRA 599

B. Fundamental Rules of Intestacy(a) Rules of Proximity

de los Santos v de la Cruz, 37 SCRA 555(b) Rule of Equal Division

C. Right of RepresentationDe la Puerta v Court of Appeals, 181 SCRA 861Abellana-Bacayo v Ferraris-Borromeo, 14 SCRA 986Sayson v Court of Appeals, 205 SCRA 321

(a) Nature of Right of Representation(b) Heirs Entitled to the Right of Representation(c) Representation in the Direct Descending Line(d) Representation in the Collateral Line(e) Entitlement under the Right of Representation

D. Order of Intestate Succession(a) Order of Intestate Succession to a Legitimate Person

(b) Order of Intestate Succession to an Illegitimate Person

(c) Order of Intestate Succession to an Adopted Person

(e) Successional Rights of an Adopted Child

(f) Successional Rights of Parents and Ascendants e

(g) Successional Rights of an Illegitimate ChildDel Prado v Santos, 18 SCRA 68Cacho v Udan, 13 SCRA 693

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(h) The BarrierCuartico v Cuartico, 52 O.G. 1489Corpus v Corpus, 85 SCRA 567Leonardo v Court of Appeals, 120 SCRA 890Diaz v Intermediate Appellate Court, 150 SCRA 645; 182 SCRA 427Vda. de Crisologo v Court of Appeals, 137 SCRA 233Suntay III v Cojuabgco-Suntay, 621 SCRA 142

(i) Successional Rights of the Surviving SpouseSantillon v Miranda, 14 SCRA 563

(j) Successional Rights of Collateral Relatives(i) Full-Blood and Half-Blood Siblings(ii) Right of Representation

(k) Successional Rights of the State(i) Rule 91, Revised Rules of Court(ii) Disposition of Escheated Property(iii) Recovery of Reappearing Heir

IV, PROVISIONS COMMON TO TESTAMENTARY IN INTESTATE SUCCESSION

A. Right of Accretion(a) Definition of Accretion(b) Grounds for Accretion(c) Reason for Accretion(d) Coverage of Accretion(e) Avoidance of Accretion(f) Accretion in Testamentary Succession(g) Accretion in Intestate Succession(h) Sharing of Accrued Property(i) Effects of Accretion(j) Accretion among Compulsory Heirs

B. Capacity to Succeed(a) Absolute and Relative Incapacity

(b) Rights of the Unborn Child (Ref. Art. 41, Civil Code)Parish Priest of Victoria v. Rigor, 89 SCRA 496

(c) Incapacity by Reason of Possible Undue Influence

(d) Incapacity by Reason of MoralityArticle 739, Civil Code

(e) Incapacity by Reason of UnworthinessRef: Article 920, paragraph 1Ref. Article 919, paragraph 2Ref. Article 921, paragraph 4

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(f) Rules of CondonationRef. Article 922 on Reconciliation

(g) Determination of Capacity to SucceedCid v Burnaman, 24 SCRA 435

(h) Representation of an Incapacitated Person

C. Acceptance and Repudiation of the Inheritance(a) Freedom to Accept or to Repudiate

(b) Time to Accept or RepudiateDimayuga v Court of Appeals, 129 SCRA 111

(c) Presumption of Acceptance

(d) Irrevocability of Choice

(e) Retroactivity of the Choice

(f) Who may Accept or Repudiate

(g) Kinds of Acceptance (Express or Tacit)

(h) Manner of Repudiation

(i) Right of a Creditor to Accept an InheritanceLeviste v Court of Appeals, 160 SCRA 581

(j) Transmissibility of the Right to Accept

(k) Expanded Effect of Repudiation as a Testamentary Heir

D. Executors and AdministratorsRef. Rules 78 to 90, Revised Rules of Court

E. Collation(a) Definition and Purpose

De Roma v Court of Appeals, 152 SCRA 205

(b) Collation, Imputation, Reduction

(c) Collation of Value vs. Return of Property

(d) What constitutes a gratuitous conveyance

(e) Dispensing with Collation

(f) Collation by grandchildren succeeding by representation

(g) Collation by grandchildren succeeding in their own right

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(h) Collation of wedding gifts

F. Partition(a) Co-ownership prior to Partition

(b) Concept of Partition

(c) Partition Inter VivosMang-oy v Court of Appeals, 144 SCRA 33Chavez v Intermediate Appellate Court, 191 SCRA 211

(d) Right to Demand Partition

(e) Partition Involving Indivisible Property

(f) Right of Redemption of a Co-HeirAlonzo v Intermediate Appellate Court, 150 SCRA 261

(g) Reciprocal Warranty of Title and Quality of Property

(h) Waiver of Warranty

(i) Grounds for Rescission of PartitionRef: Article 1390, Civil Code

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