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Res. 01287-2015 Tribunal Agrario · Tribunal Agrario · 17/12/2015
OutcomeResultado
The Court reversed the dismissal, granted the possessory-information proceeding, and ordered the property registered in equal shares to the assignees as owners through special agrarian adverse possession.El Tribunal revocó el rechazo, declaró con lugar la información posesoria y ordenó inscribir la finca por partes iguales a nombre de los cesionarios como adquirentes por usucapión especial agraria.
SummaryResumen
The Agrarian Court reversed the judgment dismissing the possessory-information proceeding and recognized acquisition of the property through special agrarian adverse possession under Article 92 of the Land and Colonization Law. It found that the original possessor had occupied the property with his family since 1977 out of necessity and had maintained public, peaceful, continuous, stable, and productive possession. The 1994 administrative decision declaring a precarious-land-possession conflict confirmed those conditions, and ownership vested after ten years. His subsequent assignment transferred that acquired right to his sons. The Court held that the smaller area shown on the updated survey did not prevent titling because it resulted from excluding the public-road right-of-way. It ordered the property registered in equal shares to the assignees, the corporation removed as registered owner, and the property made subject to the statutory restrictions and title-validation periods established by the Possessory Information Law.El Tribunal Agrario revocó la sentencia que había rechazado las diligencias de información posesoria y reconoció la adquisición del inmueble mediante usucapión especial agraria, conforme al artículo 92 de la Ley de Tierras y Colonización. Consideró probado que el poseedor original ocupó la finca desde 1977 por necesidad, junto con su familia, y que ejerció una posesión pública, pacífica, continua, estable y productiva. La resolución administrativa de 1994 que declaró el conflicto de posesión en precario confirmó esos presupuestos, y al transcurrir diez años se consolidó el derecho de propiedad. La posterior cesión transmitió ese derecho a sus hijos. El Tribunal estimó que la menor cabida consignada en el plano actualizado no impedía la titulación, pues obedecía a la exclusión del derecho de vía. Ordenó inscribir la finca por partes iguales a nombre de los cesionarios, cancelar la titularidad registral de la sociedad y aplicar las limitaciones y los plazos de convalidación previstos por la Ley de Informaciones Posesorias.
Key excerptExtracto clave
For the reasons stated, and given that no ordinary proceeding was filed against the applicants and their claim to have acquired ownership by adverse possession through this possessory-information proceeding, the applicants’ right to request registration in their names of ownership of the San José property, registered under folio [Placa1], must be recognized because they acquired it through special agrarian adverse possession, whose legal basis is Article 92 of the Land and Colonization Law, which establishes it as a means of acquiring ownership of real property. By operation of law, the property therefore remains subject to the statutory restrictions in Article 19 of the Possessory Information Law and to the periods for validation of their right under Article 17 of that same statute. For the reasons stated, based on the foregoing analysis and Articles 92 of the Land and Colonization Law and 1 and 2 of the Agrarian Jurisdiction Law, the appealed judgment denying the possessory-information proceeding must be reversed and the proceeding granted instead. The National Registry shall be ordered to register in the names of [Nombre2] and [Nombre3], in equal shares, the ownership right acquired through special agrarian adverse possession over the San [Nombre16] property registered under folio [Placa1], and to remove Lo Mantenemos Verde S.A., corporate identification CED12-, as registered owner.Por lo razonado, y en vista de no haberse incoado proceso ordinario contra las personas promoventes y su petición de haber usucapido mediante este trámite de información posesoria, es que debe reconocerse el derecho de la parte promovente de solicitar se inscriba a su nombre el derecho de propiedad sobre la finca de San José, inscrito bajo matricula [Placa1] por haberlo adquirido al amparo del instituto de la usucapión especial agraria cuyo fundamento legal es el numeral 92 de la Ley de Tierras y Colonización que lo establece como forma de adquirir el dominio de bienes inmuebles. De tal forma que queda la finca por ley sujeta a las limitaciones legales del artículo 19 de la Ley de Informaciones Posesorias y a los plazos de convalidación de su derecho del artículo 17 de esa misma norma legal. Por las razones citadas, con fundamento en los razonamientos expuestos y el artículos 92 de la Ley de Tierras y Colonización, así como el 1 y 2 de la Ley de Jurisdicción Agraria, deberá revocarse la sentencia apelada que denegó el proceso de información posesoria y en su lugar declarar con lugar el proceso. Deberá ordenarse al Registro Nacional inscriba a nombre de [Nombre2] y [Nombre3] por partes iguales, el derecho de propiedad en virtud de la adquisición por usucapión especial agraria, sobre la finca de San [Nombre16] matrícula [Placa1] y desinscribir como titular registral a la sociedad Lo Mantenemos Verde S.A cédula jurídica CED12- .
Pull quotesCitas destacadas
"Es así como entiende esta sede, si la resolución administrativa declara el conflicto de posesión precaria el 21 de noviembre de 1994, al año 2004 pasaron diez años en que consolidó su derecho de propiedad sobre la finca en que ejerció posesión por operar la usucapión especial agraria. Al ceder la posesión a sus hijos mediante la escritura pública citada, les transmite su derecho de propiedad usucapido."
"This Court therefore understands that, if the administrative decision declared the precarious-possession conflict on November 21, 1994, by 2004 ten years had elapsed and he had consolidated his ownership right over the property he possessed through special agrarian adverse possession. By assigning possession to his sons through the cited public deed, he transferred to them the ownership right acquired by adverse possession."
Considerando VIII
"Es así como entiende esta sede, si la resolución administrativa declara el conflicto de posesión precaria el 21 de noviembre de 1994, al año 2004 pasaron diez años en que consolidó su derecho de propiedad sobre la finca en que ejerció posesión por operar la usucapión especial agraria. Al ceder la posesión a sus hijos mediante la escritura pública citada, les transmite su derecho de propiedad usucapido."
Considerando VIII
"No observa esta sede, la diferencia entre la medida registral con respecto a la que se solicita inscribir a nombre de los actuales promoventes, al ser menor y reflejarse en el último plano aportado sea un impedimento para aprobar su petición, pues tal se produce debido a que el promovente ante petición del ente procurador excluyó la zona del derecho de vía de la calle pública colindante al norte del fundo en cuestión."
"This Court does not consider the difference between the registered area and the smaller area sought to be registered in the current applicants’ names, as reflected in the latest survey, to be an obstacle to granting their request, because the discrepancy resulted from the applicant excluding the public-road right-of-way along the property’s northern boundary at the request of the Attorney General’s Office."
Considerando IX
"No observa esta sede, la diferencia entre la medida registral con respecto a la que se solicita inscribir a nombre de los actuales promoventes, al ser menor y reflejarse en el último plano aportado sea un impedimento para aprobar su petición, pues tal se produce debido a que el promovente ante petición del ente procurador excluyó la zona del derecho de vía de la calle pública colindante al norte del fundo en cuestión."
Considerando IX
"Se revoca la sentencia apelada que denegó el proceso de información posesoria. En su lugar, se declara con lugar el proceso de información posesoria con fundamento en el artículo noventa y dos de la Ley de Tierras y Colonización."
"The appealed judgment denying the possessory-information proceeding is reversed. Instead, the possessory-information proceeding is granted pursuant to Article 92 of the Land and Colonization Law."
Por tanto
"Se revoca la sentencia apelada que denegó el proceso de información posesoria. En su lugar, se declara con lugar el proceso de información posesoria con fundamento en el artículo noventa y dos de la Ley de Tierras y Colonización."
Por tanto
"Queda la finca por ley sujeta a las limitaciones legales del artículo diecinueve de la Ley de Informaciones Posesorias y a los plazos de convalidación de su derecho del artículo 17 de esa misma norma legal."
"By operation of law, the property remains subject to the statutory restrictions in Article 19 of the Possessory Information Law and to the periods for validation of the right under Article 17 of that same statute."
Por tanto
"Queda la finca por ley sujeta a las limitaciones legales del artículo diecinueve de la Ley de Informaciones Posesorias y a los plazos de convalidación de su derecho del artículo 17 de esa misma norma legal."
Por tanto
Full documentDocumento completo
*030002070689AG* * * *030002070689AG * * * CASE FILE:
PROCEEDING:
POSSESSORY INFORMATION PROCEEDING (INFORMACIÓN POSESORIA) * PETITIONER(S):
[Nombre9] AND [Nombre3], BOTH ESQUIVEL SAENZ * * * * * * * * * * * * DECISION N°* 1287-F-15* * * * * * TRIBUNAL AGRARIO. SEGUNDO CIRCUITO JUDICIAL DE SAN JOSÉ.- At thirteen hours and fifty-four minutes on diecisiete de diciembre de dos mil quince.-* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * POSSESSORY INFORMATION PROCEEDING filed by the person known during his lifetime as: [Nombre1] , of legal age, retired, widowed, identity card number CED1- -, resident of Pozos de Santa Ana, San José, who* assigned his rights to his children, now the petitioners,* [Nombre2] , of legal age, single, merchant, identity card number CED2- -, and [Nombre3] , of legal age, married once, warehouse worker, identity card number CED3- -, both residents of Pozos de Santa Ana, San José. Also appearing is attorney Marcelo Gamboa Venegas, of legal age, attorney-at-law, bar membership number once mil cuatrocientos once, as court-appointed representative (curador procesal) of the company owning the land that is the subject of these proceedings, named LO MANTENEMOS VERDE SOCIEDAD ANÓNIMA, corporate identification number CED4 -, represented by [Nombre4] , divorced, a United States national, tourist card number CED5 tres mil trescientos veinte, and [Nombre5] , bearing a single surname due to his United States nationality, of legal age, single, resident of Estados Unidos de América, as president and treasurer, respectively.
Appearing as an interested third party in her capacity as an adjoining landowner (colindante) is [Nombre6][Nombre7] , of legal age, married, bilingual secretary, identity card CED6 - -, resident of [Dirección1], * * in her capacity as executor (albacea) of the SUCCESSION [Nombre8] , who was of legal age, single, a clinical photographer, identity card CED7 - -. Also participating as interested parties are the INSTITUTO DE DESARROLLO RURAL, represented by Carmelina [Nombre1] Hidalgo, of legal age, divorced, attorney-at-law, resident of Escazú, identity card number CED8- -, in her capacity as general attorney-in-fact for judicial matters (apoderada general judicial),* and the STATE through its Representative, Procuraduría General de la República, with Deputy Agrarian Counsel Licenciada Lidyana Rodríguez Paniagua appearing on its behalf. Licenciada Marianela Fernández Rodríguez, bar membership card CED9, also participates as special attorney-in-fact for judicial matters (apoderada especial judicial) for the petitioners.
Heard before the Juzgado Agrario del Segundo Circuito Judicial de San José, Goicoechea.- * * * FINDINGS* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 1.- The petitioning party filed this possessory information proceeding seeking an order: canceling the registration of the property of Providencia de San José, number 162670, and ordering registration of the real property in the Registro Público in their names, without prejudice to third parties with superior rights; the property is described as follows: "Land for a garden and cultivation of fruit trees, with a house, located at [Dirección2], , Provincia de San José, with an area according to the Registry of 6290.06 square meters, although its actual area according to the registered cadastral survey (plano catastrado) is 5924.74 meters, with the following current boundaries: [Dirección3] fronting thereon, points 8-14 of the survey, southwest Río Pozos, east a public path with 15.36 meters of frontage thereon, points 7-8 of the survey, and southeast Federico Lehman* Struve, registered cadastral survey SJ-294364-77, registered in the name of LO MANTENEMOS VERDE * SOCIEDAD ANÓNIMA." In compliance with the court’s directive (prevención) ordered by resolution at 8:09 hours on 24 de Octubre del 2011, the petitioning party stated:* With respect to the size of the land, the petitioning party states that the total area is 5944 square meters according to the area measured in the field.
The party further states that a dwelling house has been constructed, with an approximate area of 230 square meters. Accordingly, the remaining 5714 meters consist of land for cultivation; the party also clarifies that the current boundaries of the property at issue in this proceeding are: [Dirección4], [Dirección5] , east [Nombre8] . With reference to the directive issued at 11:30 hours on 2 de marzo del 2012 by the Court, the petitioner submits a new survey, SJ-1579173-2012, and states that the property’s actual area according to that survey is 5944 square meters. With respect to the directive of 17:04 on 21 de Julio del 2014, the petitioning party submits the registered cadastral survey SJ-1783112-2014 (see the virtual desktop of the Juzgado Agrario de San José, in the associated-documents tray: the document added on 21/08/2012 02:17:16 p.m.- initial filing in images 25 to 29, registered cadastral survey image 21; the document added on 21/08/2012 02:20:15 p.m. - compliance with directives in images 62 to 65, survey SJ-1579173-2012 image 147; see filings tray, the document added on 20/11/2014 05:08:54 p.m.-survey SJ-1783112-2014 Image 4).-* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 2.- Licenciado Marcelo Gamboa Venegas, as court-appointed representative of LO MANTENEMOS VERDE SOCIEDAD ANÓNIMA, requests: "...that these possessory information proceedings be SUMMARILY DISMISSED, because they lack the fundamental element of acquiring possession (posesión) with ownership intent (animus domino), that is, under claim of ownership; I hereby raise the defense of lack of legal right (excepción de falta de derecho), because the original petitioner lacks an essential element that would establish him as the holder of the right he claims." (see the virtual desktop of the Juzgado Agrario de San José, in the associated-documents tray, added on 21/08/2012 02:17:16 p.m., images 254 to 256), without an ordinary opposition proceeding (proceso ordinario de oposición) having been filed within the period granted.- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 3.- On 14 de setiembre del 2010, Ms. [Nombre7] , in her capacity as Executor of the Succession of the adjoining landowner [Nombre8] , filed an Absolute Nullity Motion (Incidente de Nulidad Absoluta), requesting: "1.-...that this Absolute Nullity Motion be admitted for processing and that all procedural actions, acts, and rulings be annulled as of the date on which the petitioner failed to comply with the warning contained in the resolution of 24 de setiembre del 2004. 2.-If absolute nullity is not granted, it is requested that this Possessory Information proceeding be dismissed because: a. The boundaries of the property for which title is being sought are not properly defined due to the absence of a fence along the eastern boundary. b. The petitioners originally entered this property by tolerance, which confers no right whatsoever, not even possession. 3.-It is requested that the petitioners be held liable for FRAUD UPON THE LAW (FRAUDE DE LEY), for which they must pay damages to this succession. 4.-It is requested that both petitioners be held jointly and severally liable for procedural costs and attorney’s fees (costas procesales y personales) arising from the filing of this motion, because they acted in bad faith." Subsequently, on 28 de enero del 2011, Ms.
Esquivel* Piza, in the aforesaid capacity for the opposing succession, stated that she had reached an agreement with the party against whom the motion had been filed, withdrew the aforementioned motion, and expressed her agreement with these proceedings. (See the virtual desktop of the Juzgado Agrario de San José, in the incorporated-documents tray: document dated 21/08/2012 02:18:35 p.m., images 32 to 41-Nullity Motion, and document dated 21/08/2012 02:20:15 p.m., image 17 -Request to Vacate the Nullity Motion)* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 4.- The State and the Instituto de Desarrollo Rural were recognized as parties and were given an opportunity to be heard. The representative of the State, the Procuraduría General de la República, entered an appearance under the terms appearing at folio 110 of volume I of the digitized case file, and the Instituto de Desarrollo Rural entered an appearance under the terms of submission 564 of Volume II of the scanned case file.- * * * 5* .- Judge Zoila Flor Ramírez Arce of the Juzgado Agrario del Segundo Circuito Judicial de San José, by judgment number 2015000165 issued at diez horas y treinta y cuatro minutos del treinta y uno de agosto del dos mil quince, ruled: "THEREFORE: In accordance with the foregoing and the cited legal provisions, these Possessory Information proceedings brought by the person known during his lifetime as [Nombre1] , who assigned his rights to his children, now the petitioners,* [Nombre9] and [Nombre3] , are dismissed.
The interested parties may, if they deem it appropriate, pursue the proper proceeding to defend their rights. Once this judgment becomes final, electronic case file number EXPN1- shall be closed. The defense of lack of legal right raised by Licenciado Marcelo Gamboa Venegas, as court-appointed representative of the company owning the land that is the subject of these proceedings, named "Lo mantenemos verde S.A.," is dismissed as improper in this proceeding. (See Escritorio Virtual de San José, Associated Documents, Trial Court Judgment of 31/08/2015 10:34:28 a.m.).- * * * 6* .- The petitioners’ special attorney-in-fact for judicial matters, [Nombre10], filed an appeal (recurso de apelación), expressly stating the reasons for challenging the position adopted by the trial court, (*See Escritorio Virtual de San José, Filings, Add Filing of 10:47:38 p.m on 03/09/2015*).* -* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 7* .* - The legal requirements were observed in the processing of the proceeding, and the judgment contains no errors or omissions capable of rendering it null and void. -* * * * * * * * * * * * * Drafted by Judge Castro García; and,* WHEREAS* * * * * * * * * * * * * I- Regarding the appellant’s request for a hearing (vista) made in the appeal, this Chamber finds it unnecessary at this time because the grounds for appeal (agravios) have been stated and the record contains sufficient evidence to decide the appeal filed. * * * * * * * * * * * * * II- Proven facts (hechos probados).
The first proven fact in the judgment is upheld because it is supported by evidence in the record, with the following details concerning the land being added: Property recorded in the Registry under registration number [Placa1] in the province of San José. Located in Pozos, [Dirección6], [Dirección7] ninth district of the province of San José. Nature: land for building, gardening, agriculture, and fruit trees. With a registered area of six thousand two hundred ninety square meters and six square decimeters. [Nombre11] according to the Registry to the [Dirección4], to the south, Río Corrógres lying between it and [Nombre12] , to the east [Dirección8], and to the west a path. No survey plan associated with the Registry entry. Tax value of two hundred twenty-five thousand colones. Property whose current survey plan (plano) is number SJ-17833112-2014, with an area of five thousand five hundred thirty-six square meters.
Current boundaries: to the [Dirección4], to the east [Nombre8] , and to the west Río Corrogres. Valued at four million colones. The seventh fact is adopted because there is evidence providing an evidentiary basis for it. The second fact is not upheld because evidence in the case file demonstrates a different factual reality. The third and fourth proven facts are not adopted because they do not technically constitute facts, but rather actions by the court-appointed representative (curador procesal) appointed for Lo Mantenemos Verde S.A. and the executor (albacea) of the estate of the adjoining landowner [Nombre8] . The sixth fact is not adopted because it constitutes a description of expert evidence (prueba pericial) from a proceeding different from the one under consideration (subjúdice), unrelated to the subject matter of this case or to actions carried out by the judge handling this possessory-information proceeding (información posesoria). * Of importance, this Court finds the following facts to have been established in this matter:
As part of the arguments made by the Honorable Judge, the issue of the area of the property that is the subject of these proceedings is mentioned. On this point, it is unclear what the Judge is referring to, because although there is a difference between the area of the property stated in the initial survey plan and that stated in the most recent one, the result is actually a reduction in area, since, as has been duly demonstrated, the final plan fully complies with the new statutory and regulatory provisions, as requested by the Office of the Attorney General, for example. In this case, and specifically with respect to the area of this property, there has been no dispute with third parties. Specification of the procedural harm caused.... " 4) " Incorrect assessment of the testimony of Mr. [Nombre15] . With respect to the Judge’s questioning of Mr. [Nombre15] ’s testimony, it is surprising ... when the law requires the presence of three witnesses to establish the manner and time in which possession has been exercised, it does not say that all the witnesses must have been present at the same moment in history.
When such lengthy histories spanning so much time are involved, the witnesses may have been present at different times throughout that history; the fact that they are not recent witnesses should not disqualify them. QUITE THE CONTRARY, UNDER A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT, THIS GENTLEMAN’S TESTIMONY MAY BE INTERPRETED AS EVIDENCE THAT THIS AGRARIAN POSSESSION (POSESIÓN AGRARIA) EXCEEDS THE PERIOD REQUIRED BY LAW AND THAT MR. [Nombre15] CONFIRMS THAT THE POSSESSION ALWAYS SATISFIED THE REQUIREMENTS IMPOSED BY LAW FOR IT TO QUALIFY AS SUCH. IN FACT, THIS WITNESS PROVES MORE THAN IS REQUIRED; HE TAKES US BACK TO DISTANT TIMES IN THIS HISTORY AND IS ONE OF THE FEW WITNESSES STILL ALIVE WHO HELPED DON [Nombre1] PERFORM THE TASKS INVOLVED IN MAINTAINING THE PROPERTY. It is entirely erroneous to believe that all witnesses, like robots, must prove the same thing and tell the same story, and must have been in the same place at the same time, failing which their testimony is called into question.
The manner in which ..* analyzes the evidence is truly far removed from a COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE EVIDENCE (ANÁLISIS INTEGRAL DE LA PRUEBA), a principle so widely proclaimed in our time and, regrettably, unknown to some officers of the court. Where it supports her position, the Judge relies on a fact stated in the administrative decision, according to which it was confirmed through the statement of Mr. [Nombre1] that he entered the land that is the subject of these proceedings with the authorization of its owner at that time, Ms. [Nombre17] . First of all, this was not a legal statement as such, nor do we know what Don [Nombre1] meant when he spoke of authorization; at this point, no one will ever be able to clarify that, and what matters is that, for some legally sound reason, the lDA granted him title as possessor. Don [Nombre1] and his children are extremely humble people with little formal education, whose background and work have been as farmers; consequently, analyzing a case in light of a single statement, without examining the substantive matters that LEAD TO THE SUBSTANTIVE TRUTH (VERDAD REAL), perpetuates the same simplistic and superficial approach to analyzing a reality confirmed by a great deal of other evidence.
What Don [Nombre1] did or did not say must be assessed in light of all the other evidence in the case file, which confirms that agrarian possession has indeed been exercised in this case. The Honorable Judge has entirely omitted any analysis of the elements that establish the substantive truth and, far from undertaking such an analysis, has focused on discrediting the evidence and denying a more than obvious legal situation, even going so far as to rule contrary to her superior court. Specification of the procedural harm caused:... " 5) " Incorrect assessment of the available evidence consisting of the registered survey plans (planos catastrados) and the court orders concerning them. Since these proceedings were filed, several plans have been prepared and registered with the cadastre as requested by the Office of the Attorney General, all in an effort to bring them into conformity with the changing requirements of the urban-planning regulations in effect at the relevant time.
The most recent registered survey plan is number [Placa3] 2014 and states an area for the property at issue that is smaller than the area indicated by the petitioner in the initial filing pursuant to plan [Placa4] 77. In this regard, it is unclear what the trial judge (jueza a quo) means by the issue of excess area, since the stated area of the property has decreased as new plans have been prepared, and there has been no dispute whatsoever by any person concerning these differences in area. Nor is it clear why, at some point, the title of these possession-information proceedings (diligencias de información posesoria) was administratively reassigned as though they were “area-correction proceedings (rectificación de medida),” when that has never been the procedural purpose of these proceedings. The trial judge errs in her weighing of the disputed facts and, of course, draws incorrect conclusions regarding this issue, which, I repeat, has never been disputed beyond the multiple judicial requests for the filing of new registered survey plans.
Specification of the procedural harm caused: 1.- From the foregoing, the harm caused by the Judgment seeking to declare the prosecution of these possession-information proceedings unfounded and inadmissible is clear. 2.- I am aggrieved, and the judgment must be reversed, because the trial judge erroneously declared these possession-information proceedings unfounded and inadmissible without valid grounds. 3.- I seek reversal of the Judgment and, based on the grounds set forth above, request that it be reversed and that these possession-information proceedings be declared proper and well-founded, because this is a right to which I am entitled by virtue of ADVERSE POSSESSION AGAINST REGISTERED TITLE (USACAPIÓN CONTRA TABULA). 3.- I seek annulment of the Judgment and, based on the legal grounds and arguments set forth above, which have exposed the defects in the judgment, request that these possession-information proceedings be granted and that the relief sought in the initial filing be allowed, consisting of canceling the registration of property [Dirección9] , volume 1720, folios 362 and 92, entries 11, and ordering that the aforesaid property be registered in the Public Registry in the names of the petitioners, without prejudice to third parties having a superior right.
RELIEF SOUGHT ON APPEAL 1.- From the foregoing, the harm caused by the Judgment seeking to declare the prosecution of these possession-information proceedings unfounded and inadmissible is clear. 2.- I am aggrieved, and the judgment must be reversed, because the trial judge erroneously declared these possession-information proceedings unfounded and inadmissible without valid grounds. 3.- I seek reversal of the Judgment and, based on the grounds set forth above, request that it be reversed and that these possession-information proceedings be declared proper and well-founded, because this is a right to which I am entitled by virtue of ADVERSE POSSESSION AGAINST REGISTERED TITLE (USUCAPIÓN CONTRA TABULA), article 92, third paragraph, of the Ley de Tierras y Colonización. REQUEST FOR A HEARING I request that a date and time be set for an oral hearing at which to present the grounds for this appeal, as well as the arguments supporting them"* * * * * * * * * * * * * V- The challenged judgment denies the possessory title proceeding (proceso de información posesoria).
The third recital (considerando tercero) begins by stating that the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias N. 139 allows a possessor who lacks a registrable title to unregistered property to be issued one, subject to proof of compliance with the statutory requirements. It emphasizes that the property for which issuance of the aforementioned title is requested must not have been previously recorded in the Property Registry, for reasons of public interest and to prevent duplicate titling. It notes that, pursuant to sections 8 and 18 of the Ley de Catastro nacional N. 6545, there must be true correspondence between the information in the Public Registry and that in the National Cadastre, and that if it is established that a parcel sought to be titled is already registered, that correspondence would not exist, improperly creating a duplicate registration, as stated by the representative of the Procuraduría General de la República in this specific case.
The challenged judgment cites two decisions of this Court ( N. 532-F-1996 and 478-F-1996. Recital IV examines the specific case and states that the original petitioner [Nombre1] claimed to have acquired the parcel in 1977, when he moved there with his family because they needed it for subsistence and it was abandoned. The judgment states that an administrative decision issued by the former IDA was submitted, declaring that there was a precarious land-possession dispute (conflicto de posesión precaria de tierras) concerning the property at issue in this proceeding. It adds that the petitioner in this proceeding requests an order registering in his name the land described in the survey plan (plano) corresponding to the last one submitted to the record, under number CED10, (however, the last one is number CED10), concerning the property registered in the name of Lo Mantenemos Verde S.A. The appealed judgment states that the petitioner asserted that the land had been abandoned for more than thirty years and that the property has a discrepancy in area, the excess area (demasía) of which is sought to be registered together with the entire property.
The challenged decision states that the litigation guardian (curador procesal) of the registered owner company requested the summary dismissal of the proceeding because the essential element of possession as owner was lacking and raised the defense of lack of legal entitlement (excepción de falta de derecho), but failed to institute ordinary proceedings (proceso ordinario) against the petitioner, and therefore this proceeding continued. The judgment adds that the adjoining landowner [Nombre7], in her capacity as executor of the Estate of [Nombre8], filed a Motion for Absolute Nullity (Incidente de Nulidad Absoluta) on 14 de setiembre del año 2010, requesting dismissal of the proceeding because she considered that the boundaries of the property at issue in the matter before the court were not clearly defined, as there were no fences along the eastern side, the petitioner’s entry* had occurred merely by tolerance, and legal fraud existed.
The challenged decision adds that, notwithstanding the foregoing, on 28 de enero del 2011 the movant informed the case file by written submission that she had reached an agreement with the petitioner, withdrew the motion, and expressly stated her consent to these proceedings. The appealed judgment states that, although those objections were not processed, in its view this proceeding should not be approved because it fails to satisfy the requirement that registration be sought for unregistered property, and the positions of the company holding title to the property and of the adjoining landowner must be resolved in the appropriate proceeding rather than in a non-contentious proceeding (vía no contenciosa). The judgment states that the foregoing prevents it* from finding it proven that the original petitioner and the assignees validly possess the parcel as its owners. In addition, the judgment explains that Article 92 of the Ley de Tierras y Colonización is not applicable to this specific case because the land is registered in the name of a third party and a discrepancy between its actual area and its registered area is alleged, without any request having been made to correct the recorded area or register the alleged excess area.
The judge reasons that section 92 Ibídem, in referring to the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias, must be understood to apply only in cases in which the land claimed is unregistered. The appealed decision further states that, even if that provision were applicable, there is no proof that in 1977 the petitioner moved to the parcel with his family out of necessity because the parcel was abandoned. This is because the witnesses [Nombre13], [Nombre14] and [Nombre15] failed to prove those facts and did not address the manner of acquisition or the state of necessity;* thus failing to comply with Article 6 of the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias, which requires possession to be proven through three witnesses. In this regard, the court explains that witness [Nombre15] testified that the last time he visited the land was 9 or 109 years ago, and it adds that the administrative investigation conducted by the former IDA in 1994 determined that he entered with authorization from [Nombre18], subject to the condition that he serve as caretaker.
For those reasons, this proceeding is denied, and the court notes that the claim in the initial filing seeking deregistration (desinscripción) of the land from the name of the aforementioned company is declaratory in nature and is not appropriate for this non-contentious proceeding. * * * * * * * * * * * * * VI- Having reviewed the record, the grounds for appeal, and the judgment under appeal, this Court finds that the appellant is correct in its objections. Before assessing compliance with the requirements applicable to the possessory title proceeding (información posesoria) under review, it is necessary to clarify certain concepts concerning the subject matter of the proceeding brought. The current Ley de Informaciones Posesorias and its predecessors have sought to provide a registrable title to persons who lack one and who have acquired unregistered land through adverse possession (usucapión).
To obtain title, possession sufficient for adverse possession must be established in compliance with the relevant provisions of the Código Civil, the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias, and the body of environmental law currently in force, among others. The requirement that issuance of title be sought for an unregistered property is established in Article 1(f) of the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the case under review falls within the exceptions to that statutory requirement that the land be unregistered. Article 92 of the Ley de Tierras y Colonización (which was not repealed by the enactment of Ley N° 9036 del 11 de mayo de 2012, which expressly stated that Chapter VI of Ley Nº 2825, Regulación de Conflictos entre Propietarios y Poseedores en Precario, and its related regulations would remain fully in force), provides, insofar as relevant: “The Instituto is the agency authorized to intervene in all cases involving precarious possession of land (posesión precaria de tierras) and shall endeavor to find satisfactory solutions thereto in accordance with the provisions established by this law.
For purposes of this law, a precarious possessor (poseedor en precario) shall mean any person who, out of necessity, performs stable and effective acts of possession as an owner, peacefully, publicly, and continuously for more than one year, for the purpose of bringing into production, for that person’s own subsistence or that of the person’s family, land duly registered in the name of a third party in the Registro Público. Precarious possessors who have possessed the land for ten years under the conditions set forth in the preceding paragraph may register their right in accordance with this law and through the possessory title procedure; however, once they become involved in the resolution of a dispute arising from precarious possession of land, they shall be subject to the provisions of the final paragraph of Article 101 of this law; those who have not possessed the land for ten years shall assert their rights in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter (As amended by Article 1 of Ley Nº 3336 del 31 de julio de 1964).” That statutory provision expressly refers such cases to the proceeding governed by the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias (non-contentious procedural activity) when precarious possessors have, out of necessity, performed stable and effective acts of possession exercised peacefully, publicly, and continuously for more than one year in order to bring into production a parcel registered in the name of a third party so as to meet their own subsistence needs and those of their family unit.
This Court therefore disagrees with the statements made in the judgment under appeal that, even in cases where precarious possessors of land resort to the possessory title proceeding, they must establish that the parcel in which they claim an interest is unregistered. It is pertinent to note that the doctrine of special agrarian adverse possession (usucapión especial agraria) has its legal basis in the article quoted* supra, and its grounds and requirements are proof by the adverse possessor (persona usucapiente) of a state of necessity and of continuous, public, and peaceful possession for a ten-year period, without requiring good faith or an instrument transferring title (título traslativo de dominio). In this regard, the Sala Primera de la Corte Suprema de Justicia held in Judgment Number 172 at nine fifty-five a.m. on March fourth, two thousand eight: “In light of this claim, it is necessary to make certain general observations regarding the means of acquiring property through acquisitive prescription (prescripción positiva) in agrarian matters.
A distinction must therefore be drawn between ordinary and special adverse possession, both recognized in this branch of law. The former requires compliance with the requirements imposed by the Código Civil because of the absence of specific agrarian legislation; namely, an instrument transferring title, good faith, and possession. Thus, anyone filing an agrarian claim of this nature must establish possession as an owner, publicly, peacefully, and continuously for a period of 10 years. It differs from civil acquisitive-prescription proceedings in that possession extends beyond mere occupation of the parcel, since it entails agrarian possessory acts (actos posesorios agrarios) aimed at cultivating and improving the property sought to be acquired by adverse possession. Special agrarian adverse possession, for its part, is provided for in the Ley de Tierras y Colonización and is based on precarious possession arising from the need to work an agrarian parcel as a means of subsistence for the possessor or the family unit.
Thus, Article 92 of that statute provides: ‘For purposes of this law, a precarious possessor shall mean any person who, out of necessity, performs stable and effective acts of possession as an owner, peacefully, publicly, and continuously for more than one year, for the purpose of bringing into production, for that person’s own subsistence or that of the person’s family, land duly registered in the name of a third party in the Registro Público. Precarious possessors who have possessed the land for ten years under the conditions set forth in the preceding paragraph may register their right in accordance with this law and through the possessory title procedure....’ Article 101 of the same statute, in turn, states: ‘...for purposes of the acquisitive prescription addressed in this article, the instrument transferring title required by the Código Civil shall not be necessary.’ As this Chamber has held, precarious possession of land is a form of agrarian possession (posesión agraria) and, as such, consists of de facto control over productive property whose registered title belongs to a third party, exercised continuously, effectively, and personally through the performance of an economically organized activity to obtain animal or plant products, with the ultimate purpose of meeting the possessor’s own needs or those of the possessor’s family.
Accordingly, the need for food and family agricultural labor prevail therein. Its subjective and objective requirements have different implications. A mere intent to possess is insufficient; possession must be effective, direct, and personal, for the purpose of meeting the aforementioned needs. Consequently, whether the possessor acts in good or bad faith is not determinative, because that element is replaced by necessity. As the law provides in this special case, no instrument transferring title is required. The most significant effect of precarious possession is the acquisition of agrarian property through ten-year possession, that is, agrarian adverse possession (usucapión agraria). Conversely, when the requirements of a state of necessity referred to in the aforementioned Articles 92 and 101 of the Ley de Tierras y Colonización are not met, the matter involves ordinary agrarian adverse possession (usucapión agraria común), which is subject to a legal regime different from that governing special agrarian adverse possession under that law.” In accordance with the foregoing, for special agrarian adverse possession to be granted, it must be shown that there was a state of necessity; that stable and effective acts of possession were performed as an owner, peacefully, publicly, and continuously for more than one year and for the purpose of bringing the land into production for the possessor’s own subsistence or that of the possessor’s family; that the possessed land is duly registered in the name of a third party in the Registro Público; and that those conditions were maintained for ten years.*” For these reasons, the appellant’s ground for appeal concerning the application of Article 92 of the Ley de Tierras y Colonización must be sustained with respect to the possibility of resorting to the possessory title proceeding to request registration of its ownership right if all statutory requirements are established, which logically entails cancellation of the property’s registration (desinscripción) in the name of its original registered owner.
It is critically important to note that, when filing the proceeding under review, the petitioner expressly stated in the initial pleading (f. 17 of the scanned physical case file) that this action was being brought in the petitioner’s capacity as possessor of the property registered in the name of Lo Mantenemos Verde S.A, and that the then-existing IDA had declared a dispute concerning precarious possession of land. In light of the second paragraph of Article 3 of the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias, those statements were made under oath. Another relevant consideration is that the original petitioner properly invoked the legal ground and used the exceptional proceeding permitted by law to request registration in the petitioner’s own name of property registered in the name of a third party, thereby submitting to compliance with the specific conditions required under Article 92 of Ley N.2825 and with the requirements of the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias, Ley de Uso Manejo y Conservación de Suelos, as well as cadastral and land-use planning regulations (normativa catastral y de ordenamiento territorial). * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * VII- The possessory title proceeding establishes statutory time limits for filing an objection and referring the matter to contentious proceedings (vía contenciosa).
Its purpose is to afford persons who consider themselves affected by the proceeding the* opportunity to object. This is established by Article 8 of the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias. In the case under review, although the court-appointed representative (curador) for the company appearing as the registered owner of the parcel filed an objection in this proceeding, when granted a period of 30 days to bring ordinary proceedings against the petitioner in this proceeding, the representative failed to institute such proceedings to contest this possessory title application. In this regard, by order issued at 07:46 on 6 de setiembre del 2011, the court-appointed representative of the company that was the registered owner of the property was granted a period of one month to institute the corresponding ordinary proceeding (f. 532 of the scanned physical case file), and by a subsequent order issued at 08:09 on 24 de octubre del 2011, resumption of the proceeding was ordered because the aforementioned ordinary proceeding had not been instituted.
(f. 535 of the scanned physical case file). For its part, the adjoining Estate (Sucesión colindante), which upon appearing filed a Motion for Nullity (Incidente de Nulidad) alleging that its land adjoined the property at issue in this proceeding and not the property of the person who was served, withdrew its motion and expressly consented to the continuation of this proceeding. (Regarding the* pleading withdrawing the motion and expressing consent at page 503, and the order deeming the motion withdrawn and the adjoining landowner served at page 507, both in the scanned physical case file). The appellant is therefore correct in stating that no objection to the proceeding was made and that, in light of the foregoing, the arguments put forward by both parties should not be treated as objections. * * * * * * * * * * * * * VIII- Having set forth the foregoing, this Court shall proceed to examine the evidence submitted by the petitioner in order to determine whether his claim that the property registered under registry number [Placa1] of San [Nombre16] in the name of Lo Mantenemos Verde S.A. be registered in his name and that the registration of that company be canceled is well-founded.
As part of that assessment, the Court shall analyze the merits of the grounds for appeal concerning the legal value assigned to the declaration of a precarious-possession conflict (conflicto de posesión en precario) in favor of [Nombre1] and the usefulness of the witness testimony (declaraciones testimoniales) obtained in these proceedings. It is noted that these proceedings were commenced in 2003 by the original petitioner, [Nombre1] , who identified himself in the initial filing (f. 15 of the then-physical case file) as an adult, widowed, a farmer, and a resident of Pozos de Santa Ana. He commenced the proceedings pursuant to Articles 92, 101, and related provisions of the Ley de Tierras y Colonización N. 139, in relation to Article 470 of the Código Civil. In the first statement of facts, he describes the property that is the subject of the proceedings as being registered in the name of Lo Mantenemos Verde S.A., corporate identification number CED11, under registry number [Placa5] of San [Nombre16], volume 1720, folios 362 and 92, [Dirección10], with its nature recorded as garden, fruit trees, and house.
Its registered area (medida registral) is 6.290.06 square meters, but its actual area according to the survey plan is 5.924.74 square meters. He states that the property is subject to a registered easement (servidumbre), although it does not physically exist, and that he had possessed the property for 26 years. In the third statement of facts, he asserts that he acquired possession in 1977, when he moved onto the land with his family after learning that it was abandoned and because he needed a place for his family to live. He states that when he took possession, the estate was abandoned and unfenced, and that from that time onward he assumed responsibility for it, growing various crops, keeping animals, installing water and electricity services, and erecting a building that provided him shelter; he further states that possession was exercised publicly, peacefully, in good faith, and under a claim of ownership, based on the need to provide his family with a home and to bring the property into productive condition.
He indicates that in 1993 he filed an application with the then IDA and that, by decision issued at 14:0 on 21 de noviembre de 1994 in expediente 1812-93, the existence of a precarious land-possession conflict (conflicto de posesión precaria de tierras) was declared, he was recognized as the possessor thereof, and an annotation of the declaration was ordered in the margin of the property’s registration. He states that, because he lacked a registrable title in his favor and satisfied the applicable conditions, he commenced these proceedings. As relief, he requests that the company be removed as the registered owner and that the land be ordered registered in his name. According to the record, the property is not part of any protected wildlife area (área silvestre protegida), as certified by the Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía (f. 13 of the physical case file). Neither the original petitioner, [Nombre1] , nor the assignees, his children [Nombre19] or [Nombre20] , have acquired land under the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias (f. 10 verso of the physical case file and f. 117 to 119).
The property is not part of any land of interest to the Instituto de Desarrollo Rural, according to the statements of that entity (f. 564 of the physical case file). The adjoining owner (colindante) to the east, Sucesión de [Nombre8] , acting through its executor [Nombre7] , consented to the conduct of these proceedings and acknowledged in a filing (f. 503 of volume II of the scanned physical case file) that the petitioner* and his children had possessed the property for more than 20 years. The property adjoins [Dirección11] to the north and Río Corrogres to the west and south; therefore, there are no other adjoining owners to be served with notice (f. 541 of the scanned physical case file). The court-appointed representative (curador) for La Mantenemos Verde S.A., the registered owner of [Dirección12] de San José, was served with notice of the proceedings and filed an opposition; however, when granted the statutory period under Article 8 of the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias to commence ordinary proceedings against these proceedings, he failed to do so, and these proceedings therefore continued (see decisions at f. 532 and 535 of the scanned physical case file).
Nor did the representative of the Attorney General’s Office file an opposition under the terms of Article 8 ibídem, even though she continuously and repeatedly requests that the petitioners’ application be denied on the ground that there cannot be dual ownership of the same property. That ground for appeal is rejected because, in cases such as this one, there is no dual ownership of the property; rather, the registered owner is replaced because special agrarian acquisitive prescription (usucapión especial agraria) has occurred, meaning that the preceding owner’s ownership right is extinguished, since this is a means of acquiring ownership.* * Having verified those matters, the Court must analyze the original petitioner’s state of necessity, the declaration of the precarious land-possession conflict issued in his favor by the then IDA, and the testimony given in this matter. This body of evidence must be analyzed as a whole and in light of the rules set forth in Article 54 of the Ley de Jurisdicción Agraria.
A certified copy of the decision issued by the Board of Directors of the then IDA at 14:00 hours on 21 de noviembre de 1994 in the administrative case initiated upon the application of [Nombre1] was submitted with the initial filing. That decision, which constitutes a final administrative act (acto administrativo firme), describes the property at issue as a 5.924,74-square-meter property located in [Dirección13], , de San [Nombre16], with survey plans SJ-294374-1977, in the name of Lo Mantenemos Verde S.A., registered in the Registro Mercantil. It states that the applicant asserted that he began occupying the property in approximately 1977 and that, by that time, he had exercised agrarian possession for 16 years, during which he grew potatoes, beans, cassava, and other crops, maintained the property, and performed acts as owner. His possession had been peaceful and uninterrupted, and he attached utility bills from 1979 demonstrating his occupancy of the premises.
It states that the company’s representatives could not be served with notice. That administrative decision further states that officials from the entity’s Sección de Inventario de Tierras visited the property to conduct an on-site inspection (inspección ocular), during which they verified: a) the actual possession of [Nombre1] , who, according to his account and those of local residents, entered the land because he lacked housing, with the consent of its former owner, [Nombre18], to act as caretaker and perform clearing work; b) the use of the area for subsistence crops and housing for his family unit, demonstrating possession for more than one year; and c) the agricultural suitability of 80% of the property, with 20% constituting a protection area (área de protección), according to technical studies by the Sección de Estudios Agroeconómicos. Under the heading “Merits of the Matter” (“Fondo del Asunto”), the decision reasons that the initial entry occurred to meet a housing need; the presence of subsistence crops was confirmed on the land, demonstrating the stable, personal, and direct pursuit of agricultural activity for more than one year; the land was registered in the name of a third party; and the conditions for declaring a precarious land-possession conflict were therefore satisfied.
Accordingly, he was declared to be the possessor. The administrative decision in question is a legally reasoned administrative act based on a technical study by the competent entity that issued it. It was never challenged during all the years following the original petitioner’s entry into possession of the registered property, nor was it challenged in these proceedings by the appointed court representative. Although, in this Court’s view, that administrative declaration was not necessary to establish the possessor’s state of necessity under Article 92 of Ley N. 2825, in this case the conflict was declared in the administrative forum and has legal effect that was not overturned in the record. These proceedings were commenced in 1994, ten years after the issuance of the cited decision, with the content already described and with an offer of testimonial evidence. The witnesses’ testimony was received on martes 6 de julio del año 2010 (f. 245 to 249 of the scanned physical case file).
The witness [Nombre13] testified that he had known the parties seeking title for 18 years. His father and the parties seeking title lived at the site in the same house, except that it had been improved. He identified the father of the petitioners as [Nombre21] and stated that 40 years earlier the property belonged to Hacienda Lindora. He identified the father of the parties seeking title as the first possessor he knew, stating that he had remained there his entire life and that he believed he had built the house. He stated that the father used the land to grow corn, beans, sweet potatoes, and vegetables, and to maintain the property, fences, and animals. He stated that the property measures approximately 4.000 meters. Regarding the adjoining owners, he indicated that they had changed. The witness [Nombre14] testified that he was 52 years old, had known the property for approximately 25 years, and had known the parties seeking title even longer.
He testified that they arrived at the property in the 70s, mentioning that their father, [Nombre1] , was there when [Nombre22] arrived. Their father entered the property a few days or weeks before [Nombre22] arrived. He testified that when he visited the property, he believed it belonged to [Nombre1], and that he visited approximately 7 times per year. He indicated that when he first arrived, the property had grass more than one meter high and there was a house engulfed by the grass; [Nombre1] subsequently cleared the property and planted fruit trees, cassava, and corn. He erected fences because there were none, planted a pine-tree boundary fence, kept chickens and cows to sell milk, maintained an open-sided storage shed, and had no knowledge of any problems with adjoining owners. He knew that [Nombre22] had always lived at the site and, regarding [Nombre3], stated that he had always seen that person whenever he visited, although he could not attest to whether that person lived there.
He testified that he did not know [Nombre17] and did not know whether anyone possessed the land before [Nombre1] entered it. The witness [Nombre15] testified that he was a native of Pozos, was 65 years old, and had known the property for 25 years. He testified that the first possessor he knew was the now-deceased [Nombre1] . He stated that [Nombre1] held it until his death and that, although he visited the land only a few times, he saw [Nombre22] and [Nombre3] there. He stated that the last time he visited was approximately 9 or 10 years earlier. He knew that [Nombre1] died seven years earlier and presumed that the children remained on the property. He stated that [Nombre1] grew corn, beans, and occasionally sweet peppers, and kept chickens and cows. He stated that [Nombre1] was the person who brought electricity and the power lines to the property, although he did not perform the installation, and that he helped him repair fences.
A judicial inspection (reconocimiento judicial) was conducted on 6 de julio del 2010 (F. 251 of the scanned virtual case file), and the record noted that the property was found to be fully enclosed by barbed-wire fences, except along the boundary with the river. Fruit trees, plantains, bananas, timber trees, and a dwelling at the entrance where [Nombre9], one of the parties seeking title, lives were observed. It was also noted that an open structure in a state of abandonment could be seen at the rear. From this testimony, it can be concluded that all the witnesses consistently recognized [Nombre1] as the possessor of the property and stated that he entered it to engage in subsistence agricultural activities and live there. The witness [Nombre14] stated that he arrived in the 70s with his family and described the acts performed, while the witness [Nombre15] specifically described the cultivation and maintenance activities.
All of them had known the land for more than ten years; however, in this particular exceptional case, they pertinently stated that the stable possession exercised was agrarian in nature and that he succeeded in bringing the property into condition for subsistence production and for use as housing for himself and his children. This Court does not agree with the assessment of this evidence set forth in the judgment, which diminished its weight and stated that it did not satisfy the requirement of Article 6 of the Ley de Información Posesoria.
Contrary to that position, those statements are deemed consistent and coherent in recognizing [Nombre1] as the original possessor (poseedor originario), who entered the property in question with his family unit out of necessity, in order to make it productive and subsist from it. Those statements must be analyzed together with the administrative decision that declared precarious possession of land (posesión precaria de tierras) in favor of [Nombre1] and recognized him as possessing, under those conditions, land registered in the name of a third party beginning in 1994. There is no evidence of any kind in this case file that contradicts the content or grounds of that administrative decision, which recognized the existence of the declared possession dispute (conflicto de posesión declarada) after verifying the necessary conditions: a state of necessity, stable possession for more than one year, and registration of the property in the name of a third party.
In connection with the foregoing, the record shows that [Nombre1] died on 23 de abril del año 2007, as evidenced by a copy of the probate proceeding (proceso sucesorio) (f. 464), and that before his death, he transferred the possession exercised over the property that is the subject of these proceedings to his children, the petitioners herein, by public deed (escritura pública) number 23 executed at 21:00 hours on 19 de octubre del 2005. (f.102 of the scanned physical case file), and assigned his rights (cesión de derechos) in the proceedings under review. (f.resolution at folio 106 of the scanned physical case file). Accordingly, this tribunal understands that, because the administrative decision declared the precarious-possession dispute (conflicto de posesión precaria) on 21 de noviembre de 1994, by 2004 ten years had elapsed, during which he consolidated his ownership right over the property he possessed through special agrarian adverse possession (usucapión especial agraria).
By transferring possession to his children through the cited public deed, he conveyed to them his ownership right acquired by adverse possession. By virtue of the foregoing, and pursuant to Article 92 of the Ley de Tierras y Colonización, this tribunal finds that the testimonial evidence (prueba testimonial), even though it was not gathered until 2010, confirms the status granted to [Nombre1] in the final decision declaring the precarious-land dispute in his favor, as well as the continuation of possession by the children who became the assignees (cesionarios). The appellant is correct in challenging the improper assessment of the aforementioned evidence, because a comprehensive review and analysis thereof leads to conclusions different from those set forth in the judgment. * * * * * * * * * * * * * IX- The appellant challenges the reasoning in the appealed judgment concerning the excess area (demasía o exceso de cabida) of the land compared with the registered area and the fact that [Nombre1] entered with the authorization of María C. Aguilar, according to the administrative record in which the precarious-possession dispute (conflicto en posesión precaria) was declared.
Those arguments are rejected because, as the appellant asserts, the survey plats (planos) submitted by the petitioners show an area smaller than that registered in the name of Lo Mantenemos Verde S.A. Note that the property-registration certificate states that the registered area is 6290, 06 square meters (f. 9, scanned physical record), but the initial filing clarified that its actual area is 5.924.74 square meters (f.17), as reflected in survey plat 294364-1999 (f. 35). The subsequently submitted survey plat shows a property with an area smaller than the registered area, namely survey plat SJ-15791-73-2012, with 5.944 square meters (f.613), and the latest survey plat submitted, SJ-1783112-2014 (virtual record/filings/date 20/11/2014 time 05:08:54 p.m), shows an area of 5.536 meters because it deducted the width of the adjoining right-of-way along the northern boundary. Furthermore, the decision declaring the dispute describes land possessed by [Nombre1] at [Dirección14], as the original petitioner had indicated.
This Court does not find that the difference between the registered area and the area sought to be registered in the names of the current petitioners, being smaller and reflected in the latest survey plat submitted, constitutes an impediment to granting their petition, because this difference arose when, at the request of the Office of the Attorney General, the petitioner excluded the right-of-way area of the public road adjoining the property to the north. Regarding the reason stated in that decision—that [Nombre1] was authorized to enter by the former owner, [Nombre17]—the fact remains that, notwithstanding this, the prerequisites necessary for the competent authority to declare the precarious-possession dispute in his favor were established, and the property is registered in the name of Lo Mantenemos Verde S.A. It is also necessary to mention that, in addition to the foregoing, the witnesses stated that [Nombre1]’s possession was public, peaceful, and continuous, and that they recognized him as the owner.
Accordingly, the appellant is correct with respect to the grounds of appeal concerning these matters. For the reasons stated, and because no ordinary proceeding has been instituted against the petitioners or against their claim that they acquired the property by acquisitive prescription (usucapión) through this possessory-information proceeding (información posesoria), the petitioners’ right to request registration in their names of title to the property in San José, registered under folio [Placa1], must be recognized, as they acquired it under the doctrine of special agrarian acquisitive prescription (usucapión especial agraria), whose legal basis is section 92 of the Ley de Tierras y Colonización, which establishes it as a means of acquiring ownership of real property. The property is therefore, by operation of law, subject to the statutory limitations under article 19 of the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias and to the periods for validation of their right under article 17 of that same law. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * X- For the reasons stated, based on the reasoning set forth above and articles 92 of the Ley de Tierras y Colonización and 1 and 2 of the Ley de Jurisdicción Agraria, the appealed judgment denying the possessory-information proceeding must be reversed and, in its place, the proceeding must be granted.
The Registro Nacional shall be ordered to register, in equal shares, in the names of [Nombre2] and [Nombre3] , title acquired by special agrarian acquisitive prescription to the property in San [Nombre16], folio [Placa1], and to remove Lo Mantenemos Verde S.A., legal entity identification number CED12- , as registered owner. The property is described in the registry* under folio [Placa1] of the province of San José. Located in Pozos, [Dirección6] , [Dirección7] ninth district of the province of San José. Nature: land for construction, garden, agriculture, and fruit trees. With a registered area of six thousand two hundred ninety square meters and six square decimeters. [Nombre11], according to the registry, to the [Dirección4] , to the [Dirección15], with the Río Corrógres between them, [Dirección16] , to the east [Dirección8], and to the west a path. No survey plat associated with the registry entry.
Assessed value of two hundred twenty-five thousand colones. The property has current survey plat number SJ-17833112-2014, with an area of five thousand five hundred thirty-six square meters. Current boundaries: to the [Dirección4] , to the [Dirección17] , and to the west the Río Corrogres. This is certified upon review of the cited survey plat. Valued at four million colones. Registration in the names of the aforementioned [Nombre9] shall remain subject to any encumbrances appearing in the registry entry at the time the final judgment is registered. The property shall therefore, by operation of law, remain subject to the statutory limitations under article 19 of the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias and to the periods for validation of their right under article 17 of that same law. * POR* TANTO* * * * * * * * * * * * * The appealed judgment denying the possessory-information proceeding is reversed.
In its place, the possessory-information proceeding is granted pursuant to article ninety-two of the Ley de Tierras y Colonización. The Registro Nacional is ordered to register, in equal shares, in the names of [Nombre2] , of legal age, single, merchant, identity card number CED2- - , and [Nombre3] , of legal age, married once, warehouse worker, identity card number CED3- - , both residents of Pozos de Santa Ana, San José, title acquired by special agrarian acquisitive prescription to the property in San [Nombre16], folio [Placa2] - *, and to remove Lo Mantenemos Verde S.A., legal entity identification number CED13- - , as registered owner. The property is described in the registry* under folio [Placa2] - * of the province of San José. Located in Pozos, [Dirección6] , [Dirección7] ninth district of the province of San José. Nature: land for construction, garden, agriculture, and fruit trees.
With a registered area of six thousand two hundred ninety square meters and six square decimeters. [Nombre11], according to the registry, to the [Dirección4] , to the south, with the Río Corrógres between them, [Nombre12] , to the east [Dirección18], and to the west a path. No survey plat associated with the registry entry. Assessed value of two hundred twenty-five thousand colones. * The property has current survey plat number SJ-one seven eight three three one one two-two thousand fourteen, with an area of five thousand five hundred thirty-six square meters. Current boundaries: to the [Dirección4] , to the east [Nombre8] , and to the west the Río Corrogres. This is certified upon review of the cited survey plat. Valued at four million colones. Registration in the names of the aforementioned [Nombre9] shall remain subject to any encumbrances appearing in the registry entry at the time the final judgment is registered.
The property remains, by operation of law, subject to the statutory limitations under article nineteen of the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias and to the periods for validation of their right under article 17 of that same law. * * * * * * * [Nombre23] - DECIDING JUDGE [Nombre24] [Nombre25] – DECIDING JUDGE [Nombre26] - DECIDING JUDGE * * * * * * * * * *
*030002070689AG* * * *030002070689AG * * * INFORMACIÓN POSESORIA * ACTOR/A:
[Nombre9] Y [Nombre3], AMBOS ESQUIVEL SAENZ * * * * * * * * * * * * VOTO N°* 1287-F-15* * * * * * TRIBUNAL AGRARIO. SEGUNDO CIRCUITO JUDICIAL DE SAN JOSÉ.- A las trece horas y cincuenta y cuatro minutos del diecisiete de diciembre de dos mil quince.-* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PROCESO DE INFORMACIÓN POSESORIA interpuestas por quien en vida se llamó: [Nombre1] , mayor de edad, pensionado, viudo, cédula de identidad número CED1- - , vecino de Pozos de Santa Ana, San José, quien* realizó cesión de derechos a favor de sus hijos y ahora promoventes* [Nombre2] , mayor de edad, soltero, comerciante, cédula de identidad número CED2- - , y [Nombre3] , mayor, casado una vez, bodeguero, cédula de identidad número CED3- - , ambos vecinos de Pozos de Santa Ana, San José. Figuran, además, el licenciado Marcelo Gamboa Venegas, mayor, abogado, carné número once mil cuatrocientos once, como curador procesal de la sociedad propietaria del terreno objeto de las presentes diligencias, denominada LO MANTENEMOS VERDE SOCIEDAD ANÓNIMA, cédula jurídica número CED4 - , representada por [Nombre4] , divorciado, norteamericano, tarjeta de turismo número CED5 tres mil trescientos veinte y [Nombre5] , único apellido por su nacionalidad norteamericano, mayor, soltero, vecino de Estados Unidos de América, como presidente y tesorero respectivamente.
Como parte tercera interesada en su condición de colindante, [Nombre6][Nombre7] , mayor, casada, secretaria bilingüe, cédula de identidad CED6 - - , vecina de [Dirección1] , * * en su condición de albacea de la SUCESIÓN [Nombre8] , quien fue mayor, soltero, fotógrafo clínico, cédula de identidad CED7 - - . Intervienen como partes interesadas el INSTITUTO DE DESARROLLO RURAL, representado por Carmelina [Nombre1] Hidalgo, mayor, divorciada, abogada, vecina de Escazú, cédula número CED8- - , en su condición de apoderada general judicial* y el ESTADO por medio de su Representante, Procuraduría General de la República, apersonándose en su representación la Procuradora Agraria Adjunta la Licenciada Lidyana Rodríguez Paniagua. Asimismo interviene, la licenciada Marianela Fernández Rodríguez, carnet CED9 , como apoderada especial judicial de los promoventes. Tramitado ante el Juzgado Agrario del Segundo Circuito Judicial de San José, Goicoechea.- * * * RESULTANDO* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 1.- La parte promovente interpuso este proceso de información posesoria para que se ordene: la cancelación de la inscripción de la finca de la Providencia de San José, número 162670, y se ordene la inscripción de inmueble en el Registro Público a su nombre, sin perjuicio de terceros de mejor derecho; inmueble que se describe así: " Terreno para jardín y cultivo de árboles frutales, con una casa, sito en el [Dirección2] , , Provincia de San José, con una medida según el Registro de 6290.06 metros cuadrados no obstante su medida real conforme al plano catastrado es de 5924.74 metros, con linderos actuales así: [Dirección3] de frente a esta, puntos 8-14 del plano, suroeste Río Pozos, este vereda pública con 15.36 metros de frente de esta, puntos 7-8 del plano y sureste Federico Lehman* Struve, plano catastrado SJ-294364-77, inscrita a nombre de LO MANTENEMOS VERDE * SOCIEDAD ANÓNIMA".
La parte promovente en cumplimiento de la prevención ordenada por el despacho mediante resolución de las 8:09 horas del 24 de Octubre del 2011, indico:* En relación a la extensión del terreno, menciona que la totalidad del área es de 5944 metros cuadrados según área medida en campo. Además señala que hay construcción de una casa habitación cuya medida aproximada es de 230 metros cuadrados. De manera que los restantes 5714 metros corresponden a terreno para cultivar; asimismo aclara que las colindancias actuales de la finca objeto de este proceso son: [Dirección4] , [Dirección5] , este [Nombre8] . En alusión a la prevención de las 11:30 horas del 2 de marzo del 2012 realizada por el Juzgado, el promovente aporta nuevo plano SJ-1579173-2012 e indica que la medida real del inmueble según dicho plano es de 5944 metros cuadrados. En relación a la prevención 17:04 del 21 de Julio del 2014 la parte promovente aporta el plano catastrado SJ-1783112-2014 (ver en el escritorio virtual del Juzgado Agrario de San José, en la bandeja de documentos asociados: el incorporado a las 21/08/2012 02:17:16 p.m.- escrito inicial en imágenes 25 a 29, plano catastrado imagen 21, el incorporado el 21/08/2012 02:20:15 p.m. - cumplimiento de prevenciones a imágenes 62 a 65, plano SJ-1579173-2012 imagen 147; ver bandeja de escritos, el incorporado 20/11/2014 05:08:54 p.m.-plano SJ-1783112-2014 Imagen 4).-* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 2.- El Licenciado Marcelo Gamboa Venegas, como curador procesal de la parte LO MANTENEMOS VERDE SOCIEDAD ANÓNIMA, solicita: "...se RECHACE DE PLANO las presentes diligencias de información posesoria, por carecer del elemento fundamental de obtener la posesión con animus domino, es decir a título de dueño, desde ya opongo la excepción de falta de derecho, por carecer de un elemento esencial que configure el promovente original como acreedor del derecho que pretende." (ver escritorio virtual del Juzgado Agrario de San José, en la bandeja de documentos asociados, incorporado a las 21/08/2012 02:17:16 p.m., imágenes 254 a 256), sin que se opusiera dentro del plazo otorgado el proceso ordinario de oposición.- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 3.- La señora [Nombre7] , en carácter de Albacea de la Sucesión del colindante [Nombre8] , el día 14 de setiembre del 2010, presentó Incidente de Nulidad Absoluta, solicitando: "1.-...darle curso a este incidente de Nulidad Absoluta procediendo a anular toda actuación procesal actos y resoluciones desde la fecha en el promovente haya incumplido con lo apercibido en la resolución del 24 de setiembre del 2004. 2.-En caso de que no se otorgue la nulidad absoluta, se solicita que se rechace este proceso de Información Posesoria por cuanto: a. Los linderos de la finca sobre la cual se está pidiendo la titulación no está debidamente definida por la ausencia de la cerca en el lindero este. b. El ingreso de los promoventes a esta finca se dio originalmente por tolerancia, lo cual no otorga derecho alguno, ni aún el de posesión. 3.-Se solicita la condenatoria a los promoventes por FRAUDE DE LEY por lo que deben pagar daños y perjuicios a esta sucesión. 4.- Se solicita la condenatoria en costas procesales y personales a ambos promoventes en forma solidaria por el establecimiento de este incidente donde su actuar es de mala fe".
Posteriormente, el 28 de enero del 2011, la señora Esquivel* Piza en condición dicha de la sucesión oponente manifestó haber llegado a un acuerdo con la parte incidentada, desiste del referido incidente y su conformidad con las presentes diligencias. (Ver escritorio virtual del Juzgado Agrario de San José, en la bandeja de documentos incorporados: del 21/08/2012 02:18:35 p.m. imágenes de la 32 a 41-Incidente de Nulidad, y del 21/08/2012 02:20:15 p.m. imagen 17 -Solicitud de dejar sin efecto el Incidente de Nulidad)* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 4.- Se tuvo como partes al Estado y al Instituto de Desarrollo Rural, a quienes se les confirió audiencia. El representante del Estado, la Procuraduría General de la República, se apersonó en los términos que corren a folio 110 del tomo I del expediente digitalizado, y el Instituto de Desarrollo Rural se apersonó en los términos del memorial 564 del II Tomo del expediente escaneado.- * * * 5* .- La jueza Zoila Flor Ramírez Arce del Juzgado Agrario del Segundo Circuito Judicial de San José, mediante sentencia número 2015000165 de las diez horas y treinta y cuatro minutos del treinta y uno de agosto del dos mil quince , resolvió: "POR TANTO: De conformidad con lo expuesto y normativa legal citada; Se rechaza las presentes diligencias de Información Posesoria promovidas por quien en vida se llamó: [Nombre1] , y realizó cesión de derechos a favor de sus hijos y ahora promoventes* [Nombre9] , y [Nombre3] .
Acudan los interesados, si a bien lo tienen, a la vía pertinente en defensa de sus derechos. Firme la presente, archívese el presente expediente electrónico número EXPN1- . Se rechaza, por improcedente en esta vía, la defensa de falta de derecho interpuesta por el Licenciado Marcelo Gamboa Venegas, como curador procesal de la sociedad propietaria del terreno objeto de las presentes diligencias, denominada "Lo mantenemos verde S.A.", (Ver Escritorio Virtual de San José, Documentos Asociados, Sentencia Primera Instancia del 31/08/2015 10:34:28 a.m.).- * * * 6* .- La apoderada especial judicial de los promoventes [Nombre10] formuló recurso de apelación con indicación expresa de las razones por las cuales refuta la tesis del j uzgado de instancia , (* Ver Escritorio Virtual de San José, Escritos, Incorporar Escrito de las 10:47:38 p.m del 03/09/2015* ).* -* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 7* .* - En la substanciación del proceso se han observado las prescripciones legales, y no se notan la existencia de errores u omisiones en el fallo capaces de producir su nulidad. -* * * * * * * * * * * * * Redacta la jueza Castro García; y,* CONSIDERANDOS* * * * * * * * * * * * * I- Sobre la solicitud de vista de la parte apelante que hace en su recurso se estima por esta Cámara se torna innecesario en esta oportunidad, por haber sido expuestos los agravios y haber suficientes elementos probatorios en autos para resolver el recurso incoado. * * * * * * * * * * * * * II- Hechos probados.
Se avala el hecho probado primero de la sentencia por haber sustento probatorio en los autos que le da fundamento, adicionando el siguiente detalle del terreno: Finca que se describe registralmente bajo matrícula [Placa1] de la provincia de San José. Sito en Pozos, [Dirección6] , [Dirección7] noveno de la provincia de San José. Naturaleza de terreno para construir jardín, agricultura y arboles frutales. Con cabida registral de seis mil doscientos noventa metros con seis decímetros cuadrados. [Nombre11] según registro al [Dirección4] , al sur Río Corrógres en medio [Nombre12] , al este [Dirección8] y al oeste vereda. Sin plano asociado al asiento registral. Valor fiscal de doscientos veinticinco mil colones. Finca que tiene plano actual número SJ-17833112-2014 con cabida de cinco mil quinientos treinta y seis metros cuadrados. Linderos actuales al [Dirección4] , al este [Nombre8] y al oeste Río Corrogres.
Estimada en cuatro millones de colones. Se prohíja el hecho sétimo por haber prueba que le otorgan base probatoria. No se avala el hecho segundo por haber prueba en el expediente que demuestra otra realidad fáctica. No se prohíja el hecho probado tercero y cuarto, por no corresponder técnicamente a hechos sino actuaciones del curador procesal nombrado a la sociedad Lo Mantenemos Verde S.A. y la albacea de la sucesión del colindante [Nombre8] . No se prohíja el hecho sexto, pues corresponde la descripción de una prueba pericial de proceso diverso al subjúdice y sin relación al objeto de este asunto ni actuaciones ejecutadas por la persona juzgadora de esta información posesoria. * De importancia, se tiene por acreditados en este asunto por esta instancia los siguientes hechos:
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