Text of the provision
Art. 540. Only the possession acquired and enjoyed in the concept of owner can serve as a title for acquiring dominion.
(447)
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
Only possession acquired and enjoyed in the concept of owner can serve as a title for acquiring dominion (by prescription). A mere holder's possession, however long, never ripens into ownership.
Related provisions
- Article 539 — Protection of Possession.
- Article 541 — Presumption of Just Title.
Cases interpreting this article
- Authorities on this article will be added here as each is verified against primary sources.
Note. The text of the provision above is reproduced in full from the official enactment (Republic Act No. 386), verified against the LawPhil and ChanRobles renderings. The annotation and commentary around it are the work of Vivas & Nobles Law Office and are general legal information, not legal advice. How a provision applies to a particular situation depends on facts that only a lawyer reviewing your case can assess.