Dear Attorney Reyes,
Typhoon Odette destroyed my family’s house in Padre Burgos, along with all our personal belongings. The storm has deeply traumatized us, and now we’re always anxious whenever a new storm or tropical depression is forecasted for our province. Because of this, we’ve decided to sell our beachside property to a foreigner and his Filipina wife, who plan to turn it into a resort.
However, they are asking for the land title, which was lost when the typhoon destroyed our house. Attorney, how can we recover our land title so we can sell the property? – Anxious seller
Dear Anxious seller,
If you’ve lost your original land title, you can get a new copy reissued through a court order.
Under Section 109 of Presidential Decree 1529, if your land title is lost or destroyed, you need to file a Petition for Reissuance of Title at the Regional Trial Court where the property is located.
First, you must convince the court that you have a legal right to request for a replacement title. Then, you need to explain how the original title was lost.
Once the court is satisfied with your explanation, it will direct the Register of Deeds (ROD) to issue a new title. The process is simple and straightforward.
These are the basic steps to get a replacement title, so you can move forward with the selling of your property. I hope these simple legal steps help you.
“We come and go, but the land will always be here. Those who love and understand it are the only ones who really own it – for a while.” – Willa Cather
Sincerely,
Atty. Wowie Reyes
