TUMALAD V. VICENCIO
41 SCRA 143

FACTS:

Vicencio  and  Simeon  executed  a  chattel  mortgage  in  favor  of  plaintiffs Tumalad  over  their  house,  which  was  being  rented  by  Madrigal  and company.    This  was  executed  to  guarantee  a  loan,  payable  in  one  year with a 12% per annum interest.  
 
The mortgage was extrajudicially foreclosed upon failure to pay the loan.  The house was sold at a public auction and the plaintiffs were the highest bidder.    A    corresponding  certificate  of  sale  was  issued.    Thereafter,  the plaintiffs filed an action for ejectment against the defendants, praying that the latter vacate the house as they were the proper owners.  
 

HELD:

Certain  deviations  have  been  allowed  from  the  general  doctrine  that buildings are immovable property such as when through stipulation, parties may  agree  to  treat  as  personal  property  those  by  their  nature  would  be real property.  This is partly based on the principle of estoppel wherein the
principle is predicated on statements by the owner declaring his house as chattel,  a  conduct  that  may  conceivably  stop  him  from  subsequently claiming otherwise.
 
In the case at bar, though there be no specific statement referring to the subject house as personal property, yet by ceding, selling or transferring a property through chattel  mortgage could only have meant  that defendant conveys  the  house  as  chattel,  or  at  least,  intended  to  treat  the  same  as
such,  so  that  they  should  not  now  be  allowed  to  make  an  inconsistent stand by claiming otherwise.