Question

In the case of Mr. Santos, he inherited a piece of land from his late grandfather. The land is located in a rural area and has been in the family for several generations. Mr. Santos decided to sell the land to Ms. Gomez, who is interested in developing it for agricultural purposes.

After the sale, Ms. Gomez encountered a problem when a neighboring landowner, Mr. Reyes, claimed that a portion of the land sold to her actually belonged to him. He argued that his family had been in possession of that portion for the past 50 years and had been paying the necessary taxes.

With uncertainty looming over the ownership of the disputed portion, Ms. Gomez sought legal recourse to resolve the issue and protect her property rights.

Based on the given scenario and the laws on Quieting of Title (Civil Code, Arts. 476-481), discuss the following:

1. What is the concept of Quieting of Title?
2. Does Ms. Gomez have legal grounds to file for Quieting of Title in this situation? Explain.
3. What are the requirements and procedure for filing a Quieting of Title action?
4. Discuss the possible defenses that Mr. Reyes can raise against Ms. Gomez's Quieting of Title action.