Registration, not a mode of acquiring ownership

Registration does not vest title. It is merely evidence of such title over a particular property. Our land registration laws do not give the holder any better title than what he actually has. (G.R. No. 83383, May 6, 1991)

The issuance of a certificate of title in favor of Mabini Legaspi did not vest ownership upon her over the land nor did it validate the alleged purchase of the lot, which is null and void. Time and again, it has been held that registration does not vest title. It is merely evidence of such title over a particular property. Our land registration laws do not give the holder any better title than that what he actually has. (De man et al. vs. Court of Appeals, G.R. L- 46935 December 21, 1987, 156 SCRA 701; Cruz vs. Cabana, No. 56232, June 22, 1984, cited in G.R. No. 83383, May 6, 1991)

Registration is not a mode of acquiring ownership but is merely a procedure to establish evidence of title over realty. It has been held that where petitioners’ registration of their deed of sale was done in bad faith, it is as if no registration was made at all insofar as private respondent is concerned. Conversely, actual knowledge of petitioners of the sale to private respondent amounted to registration thereof. (G.R. No. L-46935. December 21, 1987)

Knowledge of a prior transfer of a registered property by a subsequent purchaser makes him a purchaser in bad faith and his knowledge of such transfer vitiates his title acquired by virtue of the latter instrument of conveyance with creates no right as against the first purchaser. (G.R. No. L-56232, June 22, 1984)

A purchaser who has knowledge of fact which would put him upon inquiry and investigation as to possible defects of the title of the vendor and fails to make such inquiry and investigation, cannot claim that he is a purchaser in good faith. Knowledge of a prior transfer of a registered property by a subsequent purchaser makes him a purchaser in bad faith and his knowledge of such transfer vitiates his title acquired by virtue of the latter instrument of conveyance which creates no right as against the first purchaser. (Reylago vs. Jarabe, L-20046, March 27, 1968, 22 SCRA 1247)

Registration of land under Act No. 496 or PD No. 1529 does not vest in the registrant private or public ownership of the land. Registration is not a mode of acquiring ownership but is merely evidence of ownership previously conferred by any of the recognized modes of acquiring ownership. Registration does not give the registrant a better right than what the registrant had prior to the registration. The registration of lands of the public domain under the Torrens system, by itself, cannot convert public lands into private lands. (G.R. No. 133250, July 9, 2002)