TOPIC: LAND ACQUISITION BY PRIVATE CORPORATIONS

SUSI v. RAZON
[G.R. No. 24066. December 9, 1925.]

MATERIAL FACTS:
This action was commenced in the Court of First Instance of Pampanga by a complaint filed by Valentin
Susi against Angela Razon and the Director of Lands, praying for judgment: (a) Declaring plaintiff the sole
and absolute owner of the parcel of land described in the second paragraph of the complaint; (b)
annulling the sale made by the Director of Lands in favor of Angela Razon, on the ground that the land is
a private property; (c) ordering the cancellation of the certificate of title issued to said Angela Razon;
and (d) sentencing the latter to pay plaintiff the sum of P500 as damages, with the costs. The director of
Lands denied each and every allegations. The Court of first instance rendered judgement in favor of the
plaintiff. The Director of Lands took appeal wherein the court dismissing the complaint

RATIO DECIDENDI:
An open, continuous, adverse and public possession of a land of the public domain from time
immemorial by a private individual personally and through his predecessors confers an effective title on
said possessor, whereby the land ceases to be public, to become private, property.

As the possessor of a public land under the circumstances mentioned in the preceding paragraphs
acquires the land by operation of law as a grant from the State, the land ceasing to be of public domain,
to become private property, at least by presumption, it follows that it can no longer be sold by the
Director of Lands to another person, and if he does, the sale is void, and the said possessor may recover
the land from any person holding it against his will.