G.R. No. 180614, August 29, 2012 ]LEONARDONOTARTE, GUILLERMONOTARTE, REGALADONOTARTEANDHEIRSOFFELIENOTARTE, ETITIONERS, !S. GODOFREDONOTARTE, RESONDENT.Before us is a petition for review on certiorari filed under Rule 45 which seekstoset aside the Decision[1]datedAugust 10, 00!and Resolution[]dated"ove#$er 14, 00! of the %ourt of Appeals &%A' in%A( )R) *+ "o) ,5,1 andto reinstate the Decision[-]dated *epte#$er 1, 004 of the .unicipal/rial%ourt &./%' of Bani, +angasinan dis#issing respondent0s co#plaint forrecover1 of possession and da#ages) /he %A affir#ed the Decision[4]dated.arch 1, 005 of the Regional /rial %ourt &R/%' of Ala#inos %it1,+angasinan, Branch 54 reversing the ./% 2udg#ent)As culled fro# the records, the facts of this case follow3/he properties su$2ect of controvers1 for# part of a 4-,--5s6uare #eterland situated in Barrio 7uinaoa1anan, .unicipalit1 of Bani, +rovince of+angasinan, andcovered$18riginal %ertificateof /itle&8%/'"o) 490,9issued on "ove#$er 4, 1,-1) /he original registered owners with 1:! shareeachare;icenta"otarte, thewifeof Bernardo "otarte, #arried to Dorotea 8rasa> %irila "otarte, the wife of @uis%astelo>Aausto"otarte, #arriedto.artina"atino>andspousesRicardo"a#oca and Buse$ia 8rtale=a) ;icenta, +aulino, ?uan, Bernardo, %irila andAausto, all surna#ed "otarte, are $rothers and sisters, while Ricardo "a#ocais their cousin)[5]/he parties in this case are close relatives) +etitioner Aelipe "otarte is theuncle of respondent (odofredo "otarte whose father, Ale2andro "otarte, isthe$rotherof Aelipe) AelipeandAle2androarethesonsof ?uan"otarte)+etitioner (uiller#o"otarteis the$rother of (odofredowhilepetitioner@eonardo "otarte is their cousin, $eing the son of Aelipe) +etitioner Regalado"otarte is the son of @eonardo)[4]8n 8cto$er 15, 1,94, (odofredo $ought fro# +atrocenia "e$ril5 (a#$oa aparcel of land, as evidenced $1 the Deed of A$solute *ale[!] she eCecuted inhis favor and descri$ing the propert1 sold as follows3A parcel of land, situated in 7uinaoa1anan, Bani, +angasinan, consisting ofpasture and unirrigated riceland, containing an area of 29,482 s".#), #oreor less)Boundedonthe") $1@eonardo"otarte> onthe"B) $1"enita"otarte> on the *B) $1 ?ose "ano> on the *) $1 (uiller#o "otarte> and onthe D) $1 @eonardo "otarte, which li#its are indicated $1 fences on all sides)Declared under /aC Declaration "o) 55 and 54 still in the na#e of B#iliano(a#$oa who donated it to +rocopio (a#$oa and Desiderio (a#$oa and inturn Desiderio and +rocopio sold it to Antonio (a#$oa and +atrocenia "e$rilwho has ad2udicated the entire parcel of land unto herself, the herein vendor>assessedintotoat +1,10)00)T$%s %s &'(t o) t$*+',-.o/*(*-01O(%g%,'+ 2*(t%)%.'t* o) T%t+* No. 48098, ',g's%,',)&B#phasessupplied)'8nthesa#edate,(odofredofiledhisAffidavit of Adverse%lai#intheRegistr1 of Deeds to protect his rights on the land he ac6uired fro#+atrocenia Epending the co#pletion of all proper docu#ents for thesegregation of separate portions of the whole parcel of land under aforesaidtitle [8%/ "o) 490,9])F /hereafter, (odofredo declared the land in his na#eunder /aCDeclaration"o) ,9for the1ear 1,95, indicatingitsareaas,,49 s6)#)[9](odofredoinitiall1filedinthe./%aco#plaint forE+artition, *u$division*urve1 and Recover1 of +ossession Dith Da#agesF against Aelipe and(uiller#o &%ivil %ase "o) -4') AnA#ended%o#plaint for ERecover1 of+ossession Dith Da#agesF was ad#itted $1 the said court on ?anuar1 10,1,,!, where$1 the pra1er for su$division surve1 of the ad2oining lotsrespectivel1 occupied $1 the parties was a$andoned) /he *econd A#ended%o#plaint which included as additional defendants @eonardo and Regalado,was likewise ad#itted on *epte#$er 14, 1,,!)[,] Gnhis*econdA#ended%o#plaint, (odofredodescri$edthepropert1heac6uired fro# +atrocenia, as follows3A parcel of unirrigated riceland and pasture land situated in 7uinaoa1anan,Bani, +angasinan, containing an area of23,604.314 s".#), #ore or less)Bounded on the "orth and Dest $1 Aelipe "otarte> on the Bast $1 ?ose "ano>and on the *outh $1 (uiller#o "otarte and @eonardo "otarte) Assessed at+4,,00 under taC declaration "o) 9-41 in the na#e of the plaintiff) T$%s 4's&'(t o) 5*(,'(-o Not'(t*6s 173 s$'(* o) t$* +',- .o/*(*- 01 O(%g%,'+2*(t%)%.'t* o) T%t+* No. 48098.[10] &B#phases supplied)'(odofredo clai#ed that his land was ac6uired $1 +atrocenia fro# +rocopio(a#$oa and Desiderio (a#$oa who ac6uired the sa#e fro#B#iliano(a#$oa who in turn ac6uired it fro# Bernardo "otartein separatetransactions and conve1ances in writing) their respective areas of possessionwere 2ustpointed to the#)/here wasno eCtra2udicial or 2udicial partitioneCecuted) 8n the land of (uiller#o, @eonardo testified that he knows it was$ought $1 (uiller#o fro# +atrocenia $ut he does not know how (uiller#owas a$le to $u1 it) /he $oundar1 of the lands of (uiller#o and (odofredoconsists of $a#$oo, coconut and star apple trees) @eonardo further clai#edthat his son Regalado had a dispute with (odofredoHs wife a long ti#e agoa$out the cutting of the fence)[1]8ncross5eCa#ination, @eonardosaidthat after $u1ingonehectarefro#Bernardoin1,44, hei##ediatel1tookpossessionanddeclaredit inhisna#e) As to the other land he had ac6uired fro# his father which is north of(odofredoHs propert1, he ad#itted that the1 have not 1et eCecuted adocu#ent) Aour 1ears after ac6uiring the parcel of land fro# ?a#es /urner,hisfatherAelipeand%elestinodivided the sa#e$etween the#selves) the sale to(odofredo of his parcel ca#e first) /he land ac6uired fro# %irila "otarte waseCclusivel1possessed$1+atrocenia)