Text of the provision
Art. 531. Possession is acquired by the material occupation of a thing or the exercise of a right, or by the fact that it is subject to the action of our will, or by the proper acts and legal formalities established for acquiring such right.
(438a)
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
Possession is acquired by material occupation of a thing or exercise of a right, by subjecting it to one's will, or by the proper acts and legal formalities for acquiring the right (such as execution of a public instrument).
Related provisions
- Article 530 — What May Be Possessed.
- Article 532 — Who May Acquire Possession.
Cases citing this article
- Heirs of Jose Extremadura, represented by Elena H. Extremadura vs. Manuel Extremadura and Marlon Extremadura, G.R. No. 211065, June 15, 2016 — 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.