Rosales V Castelltort

RODOLFO V. ROSALES, (represented by his heirs, Rodolfo, Jr.
, Romeo
Allan, Lillian Rhodora, Roy Victor, Roger Lyle and Alexander Nicolai, all
surnamed Rosales) and LILY ROSQUETA-ROSALES,Petitioners,
- versus MIGUEL CASTELLTORT, JUDITH CASTELLTORT, and LINA LOPEZVILLEGAS, assisted by her Attorney-in-Fact, Rene Villegas,Respondents.
FACTS:
Spouses-petitioners Rodolfo V. Rosales and Lily RosquetaRosales (petitioners) are the registered owners of a parcel of land
with an area of approximately 315 square meters, covered by
Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT) No. 36856 [4] and designated as
Lot 17, Block 1 of Subdivision Plan LRC Psd-55244 situated in Los
Baos, Laguna.
On August 16, 1995, petitioners discovered that a house was

being constructed on their lot, without their knowledge and
consent, by respondent Miguel Castelltort (Castelltort). [5]
It turned out that respondents Castelltort and his wife Judith

had purchased a lot, Lot 16 of the same Subdivision Plan, from
respondent Lina Lopez-Villegas (Lina) through her son-attorney-infact Rene Villegas (Villegas) but that after a survey thereof by
geodetic engineer Augusto Rivera, he pointed to Lot 17 as the Lot
16 the Castelltorts purchased.
Admittedly, the appellants house erroneously encroached on

the property of the appellees due to a mistake in the placement of
stone monuments as indicated in the survey plan, which error is
directly attributable to the fault of the geodetic engineer who
conducted the same. This fact alone negates bad faith on the part
of appellant Miguel.
ISSUE:
Whether Castelltort is a builder in good faith.
RULING:
Yes, The records indicate that at the time Castelltort began
constructing his house on petitioners lot, he believed that it was
the Lot 16 he bought and delivered to him by Villegas.
As correctly found by the CA, both parties having acted in good faith at
least until August 21, 1995, the applicable provision in this case is Article 448 of
the Civil Code which reads:
Art. 448. The owner of the land on which anything has been built, sown or
planted in good faith, shall have the right to appropriate as his own the works,
sowing or planting, after payment of the indemnity provided for in Articles 546
and 548, or to oblige the one who built or planted to pay the price of the land, and
the one who sowed, the proper rent. However, the builder or planter cannot be
obliged to buy the land if its value is considerably more than that of the building
or trees. In such case, he shall pay reasonable rent, if the owner of the land does
not choose to appropriate the building or trees after proper indemnity. The parties
shall agree upon the terms of the lease and in case of disagreement, the court shall
fix the terms thereof.
Under the foregoing provision, the landowner can choose between

appropriating the building by paying the proper indemnity or obliging the
builder to pay the price of the land, unless its value is considerably more than
that of the structures, in which case the builder in good faith shall pay
reasonable rent.[34] If the parties cannot come to terms over the conditions of
the lease, the court must fix the terms thereof.
The choice belongs to the owner of the land, a rule that accords with the
principle of accession, i.e., that the accessory follows the principal and not the
other way around. Even as the option lies with the landowner, the grant to him,
nevertheless, is preclusive.[35] The landowner cannot refuse to exercise either
option and compel instead the owner of the building to remove it from the land.[36]
The raison detre for this provision has been enunciated thus:
Where the builder, planter or sower has acted in good faith, a conflict of
rights arises between the owners, and it becomes necessary to protect the owner
of the improvements without causing injustice to the owner of the land. In view
of the impracticability of creating a state of forced co-ownership, the law has
provided a just solution by giving the owner of the land the option to acquire the
improvements after payment of the proper indemnity, or to oblige the builder or
planter to pay for the land and the sower the proper rent. He cannot refuse to
exercise either option. It is the owner of the land who is authorized to exercise the
option, because his right is older, and because, by the principle of accession, he is
entitled to the ownership of the accessory thing.[37]

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RODOLFO V. ROSALES, (represented by his heirs, Rodolfo, Jr.

On August 16, 1995, petitioners discovered that a house was

It turned out that respondents Castelltort and his wife Judith

Admittedly, the appellants house erroneously encroached on

Under the foregoing provision, the landowner can choose between

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