Title IV Chapter 7: Property Regime of Unions Without Marriage | Family Code of the Philippines

Title IV Chapter 7: Property Regime of Unions Without Marriage | Family Code of the Philippines

TITLE IV FAMILY CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES – We are going to know about Chapter 7 of Title IV of the Family Code of the Philippines.

TITLE IV FAMILY CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES

The Family Code of the Philippines of 1987 was enacted into law by the 11th President of the Philippines Maria Corazon Cojuangco Aquino.

The EO was meant to supplant Book I of the Civil Code which concerns persons and family relations. Work on the said law began in 1979 and was drafted by two successive committees, with the first chaired by Supreme Court Justice Romero, and the second by former Supreme Court Justice J.B.L. Reyes.

EO 209 covers fields significant public interest, which also includes the laws on marriage.

Contents

The seventh chapter of Title IV in the Family Code of the Philippines is entitled Property Regime of Unions Without Marriage. Here they are, according to this website:

Article 147

When a man and a woman who are capacitated to marry each other, live exclusively with each other as husband and wife without the benefit of marriage or under a void marriage, their wages and salaries shall be owned by them in equal shares and the property acquired by both of them through their work or industry shall be governed by the rules on co-ownership.

In the absence of proof to the contrary, properties acquired while they lived together shall be presumed to have been obtained by their joint efforts, work or industry, and shall be owned by them in equal shares.  For purposes of this Article, a party who did not participate in the acquisition by the other party of any property shall be deemed to have contributed jointly in the acquisition thereof if the former’s efforts consisted in the care and maintenance of the family and of the household.

Neither party can encumber or dispose by acts inter vivos of his or her share in the property acquired during cohabitation and owned in common, without the consent of the other, until after the termination of their cohabitation.

When only one of the parties to a void marriage is in good faith, the share of the party in bad faith in the co-ownership shall be forfeited in favor of their common children.  In case of default of or waiver by any or all of the common children or their descendants, each vacant share shall belong to the respective surviving descendants.  In the absence of descendants, such share shall belong to the innocent party.  In all cases, the forfeiture shall take place upon termination of the cohabitation.  (144a)

Article 148

In cases of cohabitation not falling under the preceding Article, only the properties acquired by both of the parties through their actual joint contribution of money, property, or industry shall be owned by them in common in proportion to their respective contributions.  In the absence of proof to the contrary, their contributions and corresponding shares are presumed to be equal.  The same rule and presumption shall apply to joint deposits of money and evidences of credit.

If one of the parties is validly married to another, his or her share in the co-ownership shall accrue to the absolute community or conjugal partnership existing in such valid marriage.  If the party who acted in bad faith is not validly married to another, his or her shall be forfeited in the manner provided in the last paragraph of the preceding Article.

The foregoing rules on forfeiture shall likewise apply even if both parties are in bad faith.  (144a)

READ ALSO: Title IV Chapter 6: Regime of Separation of Property | Family Code of the Philippines

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