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In the 1990s, Mr. Xyz purchased a vacant lot along a well-known highway in Quezon City. He held onto the property but never built on it, put up a fence, or hired a caretaker.
Years passed, and during one of his rare visits to the area, he was shocked to find that his lot—along with the adjacent property—had been fenced off. A large sign read: "No Trespassing. This property is owned by..."
Alarmed, Mr. Xyz reached out to the owner of the neighboring lot, a military officer, and informed him that someone was claiming ownership of their properties. Together, they arranged a meeting with the supposed land grabber.
At the meeting, a representative of the alleged claimant arrived, escorted by police officers. As expected, the land grabber insisted the property was rightfully theirs.
Furious, the military officer called for reinforcements and led a group to reclaim their lots. A confrontation ensued, with warning shots fired. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and the trespassers' hired goons eventually retreated.
JPRE Insight:
In 1988, a fire at Quezon City Hall destroyed crucial records, including the Registry of Deeds' (RD) copies of property titles. The titles currently held by the RD are "reconstituted" versions—essentially copies created by borrowing property owners’ original titles to replace lost records. This is why Quezon City property titles often bear the "Section 7" annotation.
Land grabbing is rampant in Quezon City for two key reasons:
1. Not all property owners submitted their titles for reconstitution, leaving gaps in the RD’s records.
2. "Trace-backs" of previous titles are no longer possible, allowing multiple claimants to present conflicting ownership documents.
Exploiting this loophole, land grabbers often hire goons and corrupt police officers to intimidate rightful owners.
In this case, Mr. Xyz was fortunate—the adjacent lot owner had the means to fight back. Without that advantage, the outcome could have been very different.