Text of the provision
Art. 1456. If property is acquired through mistake or fraud, the person obtaining it is, by force of law, considered a trustee of an implied trust for the benefit of the person from whom the property comes.
Civil Code of the Philippines, Republic Act No. 386, approved June 18, 1949, effective August 30, 1950. Reproduced in full; verified verbatim against the LawPhil and ChanRobles official-text renderings.
What this article means
When property is acquired through mistake or fraud, the acquirer is by law a trustee (constructive trust) for the person from whom it came — a cornerstone of many land-title recovery cases.
Related provisions
- Article 1455 — Fiduciary's Misuse of Trust Funds.
- Article 1458 — Contract of Sale Defined.
Cases citing this article
- Erlinda Pilapil, et al. vs. Heirs of M. R. Briones etc, G.R. No. 150175, February 5, 2007 — read the decision on LawPhil →
- Dina C. Buenaflor vs. Office Of The Secretary Of Justice Through Hon. Regional Prosecutor Janet Grace B. Dalisay-Fabrero, In Her Capacity As The Regional Prosecutor Of The Regional Prosection Office XI Of The Department Of Justice, Davao City, et al, G.R. No. 277067, May 7, 2025 — read the decision on LawPhil →
- Heirs of Benigno Sumagang, represented by Jesus S. Abellanosa, et al. vs. Aznar Enterprises, G.R. No. 214315, August 14, 2019 — read the decision on LawPhil →
- Sps. Roberto Aboitiz and Maria Cristina Cabarrus vs. Sps. Peter L. Po and Victoria L. Po/Sps. Peter L. Po and Victoria L. Po vs. Sps. Roberto Aboitiz, et al, G.R. No. 208450 / G.R. No. 208497, June 5, 2017 — read the decision on LawPhil →
- Marcial O. Dagot, Jr., et al. vs. Spouses Go Cheng Key and Chua Siong Kuan, et al, G.R. No. 211309, October 02, 2024 — read the decision on LawPhil →
Compiled automatically from Supreme Court decisions published on LawPhil that expressly cite this article, most frequently cited first. A listing means the decision cites the provision — it is not a statement that the case is the leading authority, and it does not show whether a ruling has since been modified or abandoned. Always read the decision itself.