### Facts:
1. **Initial Transaction (1952):** On October 1, 1952, Silvestre Gayon and Genoveva de Gayon executed a deed of sale for a parcel of unregistered land in Cabubugan, Guimbal, Iloilo, to Pedro Gelera for PHP 500, subject to redemption in five years (until October 1, 1957).
2. **Redemption Period Expiration:** The redemption period expired on October 1, 1957, without any attempt by Silvestre or Genoveva to redeem the land.
3. **Subsequent Sale (1961):** On March 21, 1961, Pedro Gelera and his wife Estelita Damaso sold the land to Pedro Gayon for PHP 614. Pedro Gayon made improvements worth PHP 1,000 and paid all taxes on the property up to 1967.
4. **Plaintiff’s Action (1967):** Pedro Gayon filed a complaint on July 31, 1967, in the Court of First Instance (CFI) of Iloilo requesting a judicial decree for the consolidation of ownership.
5. **Defendant’s Response:** Genoveva de Gayon, in her answer and subsequent motion to dismiss, claimed that her now-deceased husband, Silvestre Gayon (who died on January 6, 1954), never executed any deed of sale, and the signature on the deed was not hers. She also highlighted the need to amend the complaint given her husband’s death.
6. **Lower Court’s Ruling:** On September 16, 1967, the CFI dismissed the case, asserting that Silvestre Gayon owned the land, and since he had died, and Genoveva had no rights over the land, she could not be sued.
7. **Request for Reconsideration:** Pedro Gayon requested reconsideration, contending that Genoveva had an interest in the property as Silvestre’s heir.
### Issues:
1. **Inclusion of Heirs and Requirement for Heirship Declaration:**
– Whether the complaint should be amended to include the heirs of Silvestre Gayon.
– Whether a declaration of heirship is necessary for the heirs to be included as defendants.
2. **Necessity of Amicable Settlement:**
– Whether the suit was barred by the failure of Pedro Gayon to seek an amicable settlement under Art. 222 of the Civil Code, which prohibits suits among family members without prior efforts for a compromise.
### Court’s Decision:
1. **Inclusion of Heirs:**
– The Supreme Court resolved that Genoveva de Gayon, as Silvestre Gayon’s widow, is a compulsory heir with an interest in the property. Moreover, other heirs could be included in the lawsuit even without a prior declaration of heirship, as inheritance passes by operation of law at the decedent’s death (Art. 774 and 777 of the Civil Code).
2. **Amicable Settlement:**
– The Court interpreted Art. 222 in conjunction with Art. 217 of the Civil Code, determining that the term “members of the same family” applies to specific familial relationships. Because Pedro Gayon and Genoveva Gayon did not fall under the relationships enumerated in Art. 217, Art. 222 did not apply, and failure to seek a compromise did not bar the suit.
### Doctrine:
1. **Compulsory Heirs’ Rights:** Compulsory heirs automatically have an interest in the decedent’s property upon death, which allows them to be included in lawsuits involving the estate without a prior declaration of heirship (Art. 774 and 777 of the Civil Code).
2. **Family Relations and Legal Suit:** The requirement to seek a compromise among family members before filing a suit (Art. 222) applies only to specific relationships detailed in Art. 217 of the Civil Code.
### Class Notes:
– **Key Elements:**
– **Inheritance and Heirship:** Succession arises at death, transferring property and rights to heirs (Civil Code Arts. 774, 777).
– **Compulsory Heirs:** Genoveva de Gayon, as a widow, is among the compulsory heirs (Civil Code Art. 887(3)).
– **Suit Among Family Members:** Art. 222 of the Civil Code limits litigation among family without attempting settlement, but applies strictly as per Art. 217.
– **Critical Statutory Provisions:**
– **Civil Code Arts. 774, 777:** Heirs inherit automatically upon death.
– **Civil Code Art. 887(3):** Defines compulsory heirs.
– **Civil Code Art. 222 and 217:** Contextualizes the requirement for seeking amicable settlement among family members.
### Historical Background:
The case reflects the rigorous adherence to procedural requirements in Philippine civil law, particularly involving compulsory heirs and the need for judicial decrees in the consolidation of ownerships derived through conditional sales. Set during a period of evolving property rights adjudication, it provides context to the legal nexus between inheritance and property transactions.
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