COURSE OUTLINE

in WILLS & SUCCESSION

(PROF. ELMER T. RABUYA)

Chapter 1 – GENERAL PROVISIONS

(Arts. 774-782, NCC)

A. Concept of succession:
(Arts. 774, 712, 1311 and 1178, NCC)

Cases:
Estate of Hemady v. Luzon Surety Co., Inc., G.R. No. L-8437, Nov. 28, 1956
DKC Holdings Corp. v. CA, 329 SCRA 666 (2000)
Alvarez v. IAC, G.R. No. L-68053, May 7, 1990
Reganon v. Imperial, G.R. No. L-24434, January 17, 1968

B. Subjects of succession:
(Arts. 775; 782)
a) Distinction between heir – devisee/legatee
 Art. 854, NCC
 Hacbang v. Alo, G.R. No. 191031, October 5, 2015
b) Kinds of heirs
 Testamentary or voluntary
 Legal or intestate
 Compulsory

C. Objects of succession: “concept of inheritance”

(Arts. 776, 781, 1311, 1429, NCC)
(Art. 108, RPC; Rules 86, Sec. 5 and Rule 87, Sec. 1, Rules of Court)

Includes Rights and Obligations Arising From Contracts:

DKC Holdings Corp. v. CA, 329 SCRA 666 (2000)
Tanay Recreation Center and Development Corp. v. Fausto, 445 SCRA
436 (2005)
NHA v. Almeida, 525 SCRA 383 (2007)
Santos v. Lumbao, 519 SCRA 408 (2007)

D. Opening of succession
(Arts. 777, 42, 390-392, 533, 1347, NCC)

Meaning of death:
1) Natural demise – (Art. 42, NCC; Continental Steel Manufacturing Corp.
v. Montaño, 603 SCRA 621 (2009)
2) Presumptive Death: (Arts. 390-392, NCC; Art. 41, FC)
 Tadeo-Matias v. Republic, G.R. No. 230751, April 25, 2018
 Valdez v. Republic, 598 SCRA 646 (2009)
 Transmission of rights in succession: (Arts. 777 and 533, NCC)
 Calalang-Parulan v. Calalang-Garcia, 725 SCRA 402 (2014)
 Butte v. Manuel Uy and Sons, Inc., 114 Phil. 443 (1962)
 Hacbang v. Alo, supra.
 Alfonso v. Andres, 626 SCRA 149 (2010)
 Bonilla v. Barcena, 71 SCRA 491 (1976)
 Heirs of Gregorio Lopez v. DBP, 741 SCRA 153 (2014)
 Osorio v. Osorio, 41 Phil. 531
 Lorenzo v. Posadas, 64 Phil. 353
 Reganon v. Imperial, supra.
 Uson v. Del Rosario, 92 Phil. 530 (1953)

Interest of heirs prior to death: (Art. 1347, NCC)

 Arrogante v. Deliarte, 528 SCRA 63 (2007)
 J.L.T. Agro, Inc. v. Balansag, 453 SCRA 211 (2005)
 Ferrer v. Diaz, 619 SCRA 226 (2010)

E. Kinds of Succession
(Arts. 778-780, 960, 886-887, NCC; Art. 84, FC)

(1) Testamentary (Art. 779, NCC)

(2) Legal or Intestate (Art. 960, NCC)
(3) Mixed (Art. 780, NCC
(4) Compulsory (Arts. 886-887, NCC)

***Contractual Succession?
 III Tolentino, Civil Code of the Phil., pp. 23-24 (1990 ed.)
 But see Art. 84, FC.

F. Presumption of Survivorship
(Art. 43, NCC; Rule 131, Sec. 3 (jj), Rule of Court)

G. Applicable Laws

1) National law of decedent (Arts. 16, par. 2, and 1039, NCC):

 Order of succession
 Amount of successional rights
 Intrinsic validity of testamentary provisions
 Capacity of heir to succeed

Cases:
 Ancheta v. Guersey-Dalaygon, G.R. No. 139868, June 8, 2006
 Bellis v. Bellis, 126 Phil. 726 (1967)
  Aznar v. Garcia, G.R. No. L-16749, January 31, 1963

2) Issue is Extrinsic Validity of Wills:

 Rule: Lex loci celebrationis (Art. 17, par. 1, NCC)
 Exception: joint wills (Arts. 818-819, NCC)
 Effect of change of law: (Art. 795, NCC)

3) Issue is Testamentary Capacity:

 Nationality principle (Art. 15, NCC)
 Effect of change of law: (Art. 801, NCC)