A Case of Double Sale of Memorial Lot

QUESTION: Sir John, Buyer bought pre-sell project 2 years ago, I am not the Agent. Now Buyer have problem with undisclosed defect of the project and wants to withdraw and avail of Maceda Law and will go to court. Can I offer my services?

ANSWER: NO you can't. Pag wala kang license as a Lawyer, kahit meron ka pang license as Broker, hindi ka pwede manghimasok sa post-sale problem na yan. Ang limitation ng professional work mo as a Broker is to conduct full disclosure and due diligence para hindi mangyari yang ganyang problema ng mga buyers. You can coach her but you cant represent her in court.

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QUESTION: John, if a client is going to a court or a lawyer because of a case of double sale of a memorial lot she bought on installment basis wherein my agent is the first seller who sign or witness the contract, is she liable to be sued without knowing that her clients' memorial lot was already sold to another buyer by the developers staff? The worst thing is that the lot was used already for burial lately as it was discovered by this first buyer and she intend not to be replaced by another lot or refund either all the payments made by her as this developers staff being arrange with the her but to sue the developer's staff in court , report them to HLURB for revocation of their license and para wag pamarisan administratively di pa pwede i-apply RESA dito but criminally pwede estafa ???

ANSWER: How were you taught ba during your CRESR? In case of double sale, ganito ang order of priority para malaman kung sino ang rightful owner:

1. The first who Registers Ownership of the property. Pag wala nag register, go to #2 below.

2. The first who take Possession of the property. Pag wala nag take possession, go to #3 below.

3. The oldest proof of acquisition such as deed of sale.

In this case of yours, mukhang #2 ang mag apply na rule kasi meron nang naka-occupy ngayon na nakalibing. Ang resolution ng case na ganyan ay sa Court, hindi sa PRC, hindi rin sa HLURB, hindi rin sa AIPORESP CodeER Council. All of those agents involved have duties to testify in court. It is the court who will adjudicate on the remedies and administrative liabilities of the erring agents.

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We, professional real estate practitioners, have great responsibilities for this nation. Tayo ang first line of defense against anomalies in real estate transactions. Ayusin natin ang trabaho natin para maiwasan ang ganyang complication, at mabawasan ang real estate cases sa courts, para maka-spend ng panahon ang mga courts sa mga iba pang socially relevant cases. We must all understand that we have a noble mission to prevent complications in RE transactions, and we will help each other through volunteer coaching, correct implementation of RA 9646, strong organization of AIPORESP, easily accesible RE education, and strong values formation in terms of Integrity and Honor.

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QUESTION: No Deed of sale yet because it's under installment basis, 5 years to pay. If she terminated her payments because of the situation, what are her chances in refunding her payments?


ANSWER: Hindi yan Maceda Law issue. Double sale is a bigger issue. Tell the developer that I suggest the developer remedy it quickly and must pay the customer a FULL REFUND and settle it amicably before a case is filed in court para hindi lumaki ang gastos.

By the way, you need a Court Order pag ipa exhume mo yang naka-libing dyan, in short kailangan nyo muna i-justify yan sa Judge and in the process mabubulgar yang double sale anomaly at posibleng ma-amoy yan ng mga prosecutors dyan. So hayaan na lang yan nakalibing na eh, rest in peace na, huwag nang istorbohin. The developer must refund ASAP to prevent complication.

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QUESTION: Contract to sell pa lng hawak ng buyer nung ibenta sa iba ng developer..so Maceda law will not apply here inaareglo nga nila (ng developer) na palitan ang lote or ibalik na lng payments sa buyer ayaw ng buyer pumayag, ang gusto niya alisin yung nakalibing dahil siya ang first and rightful buyer kung dinila gagawin magdedemanda nga raw sya. Ang kaso yung staff na idedemanda nya na liable dun sa double sale ay nasa Canada na.

ANSWER: Uyyyy naku hindi ganyan ka simple kumuha ng court order to exhume ng tao na nakalibing na. Make sure na merong formal written offer ang Developer na nag-express ng willingness to refund or exchange, samahan na rin ng apology on that isolated technical error in transaction. Tanggapin man ng customer o hindi, the developer will use that document later on in court. Pag ayaw pa-areglo ng first buyer extrajudicially, then wait for them to file charges in the Fiscal Office. Ang Fiscal naman eh will first try to assist in facilitating the settlement before yan i-recommend for trial.

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QUESTION: No, it's not a technical error, sinadya nila na bigyan ng favor yung second buyer dahil mapera o cash buyer at inakala nilang pwedeng aregluhin itong first buyer eh ayaw nga pa-areglo. Bukod kasi sa ginawa siyang tanga may mga charges o penalty na ini-impose sa payment eh on time nmn sya magbayad. Itong developer na eto ay mapolitika, ang may-ari kasi ay isang governor pinagtatawanan nga ang RESA ala dw kwenta yn sa dinami-dami na raw ng batas sa Pinas di naman nai-impose lahat tapos idadagdag pa ang RESA na yn. Nakakaawa nga lng mga client tumataas BPsa galit. Humahagolgol din si agent kasi siya sinisisi ng buyer eh ganun dw pla yung developer na yn manloloko. Bakit sya pang inalok sa kanya..!!!

ANSWER: Ahhhhhh akala ko technical glitch lang. Ehhh ibang usapan na yan Lorn pag "nananadya" nang mang-gancho ng customer yang Developer na yan at wala nang takot sa batas. Mas malaki ang babayaran niyang damages sa first buyer kung nananadya pala siya. Kung ako tatanungin mo kung ano gagawin ko nyan pag meron nang AIPORESP, una pa imbistigahan agad kung talaga bang ma-anomalous ang operation nyang Developer na yan. Pag anomalous, eh i-report yan sa HLURB para ma-review ang License to Sell niya. Pag meron nang Philippine National Listing System (PNLS) ang AIPORESP, pwede naman i-suspend ang Developer sa listing habang hindi pa siya "cleared" sa AIPORESP. Pag naka-suspend ang Developer sa PNLS, walang Broker or Salesperson na pwede mag-benta ng units niya. Ganito ang mechanism natin sa future.