Sandigan affirms forfeiture of ex-Customs exec’s property

The Sandiganbayan has affirmed a Manila court docket ruling allowing the authorities to seize the suspected sick-gotten belongings of a retired Bureau of Customs legit. In a 28-web page selection dated July 18, the court’s Third Division denied the appeal of former Customs Operation Officer Manuel Valencia on the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 37’s Sept. 15, 2015, order in favor of the Office of the Ombudsman. On appeal, the 2015 courtroom order granted the Ombudsman’s forfeiture petition covering 5 contiguous parcels of land in Parañaque City received in 1988 for P1,225,070.00 despite Valencia’s best earning annual fundamental earnings of P47,622.00 at the time.

The Sandiganbayan stated the Manila RTC correctly dominated that the purchase of the land become “glaringly out of percentage” to Valencia’s revenue. It brought that he didn’t gift evidence to conquer the presumption of the anomaly. “All informed, shop for his bare allegations, respondent-appellant has did not provide any adequate substantiation to his alleged other lawful assets of profits,” the decision examine.

Although Valencia claimed he could use the proceeds of the 1977 sale of his family’s property in upscale Dasmariñas Village in Makati City, the courtroom referred to that the canceled title no longer comprise any
indication as to the value of the sale. Valencia argued that the court needs to have taken the judicial word of the truth that the high residences within the area were highly priced, but the selection said that “courts cannot take pleasure in guesswork.” The court additionally talked about that even though the Dasmariñas assets changed into offered for a sizable sum, it’s nevertheless unlikely for him to preserve all that quantity for the subsequent 11 years before shopping for the Parañaque plenty.

“The daily prices of life might have certainly whittled away from the said amount,” study the decision. “On the opposite hand, had such a quantity certainly remained intact or placed to work in lawful trade or deposit, the identical might have been easily installed by even the barest of documentary evidence.” The anti-graft court docket also rejected Valencia’s argument that the forfeiture proceedings need to have now not come about underneath the res judicata doctrine, which has barred the relitigation of an already settled count number.

Valencia tried to cite the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court’s June 2008 and April 2011 decisions to set aside the Ombudsman’s administrative ruling finding him responsible for dishonesty and disregarding him from the authority’s carrier. However, the Sandiganbayan cited that the executive ruling tackled dishonesty, not his potential as a public officer to buy the real houses. SFM Property Managers Owe Fiduciary Duties to Their Clients at Minimum

“Fiduciary” is largely described by using Black’s Law Dictionary as a time period derived from Roman regulation, which means that, as a noun, someone or legal entity, holding the character of a trustee, with admire to the belief and confidence involved as scrupulous appropriate-religion and candor in the direction of another’s affairs. A fiduciary additionally has responsibilities that can be described as top-faith, belief, special confidence, and candor toward any other’s interests. Typical fiduciary duties are imposed on and encompass such relationships as executor, administrator, trustee, actual property agents, attorneys, and, of direction, assets managers. An individual or organization who manages cash or assets, i.E., the supervisor, for other humans must exercise preferred care in that the hobbies of the money or belongings owners are positioned above and beyond those of the property manager. For example, in a few states, like California, a assets manager is statutorily defined as a person or entity that has the same obligations as a trustee, i.E., a fiduciary.

The way I always explain it to clients, using my hands to illustrate, is that my hobbies quit at the pinnacle of my head (one hand on the crown of my head), however the purchaser’s hobby upward thrust above and beyond my head and take precedence over my own (maintaining both of my fingers above my head in a clasped role). Most people understand the gesture and realize that as a property supervisor and a legal professional, my pastimes are an awful lot decrease than those of the clients in our relationship.

Common Fiduciary Duties Owed by way of Property Managers.

Since a belongings supervisor is a fiduciary they should act with the highest top-faith and honest dealing with recognize to the owner’s asset, divulge all material records that may have an effect on the proprietors decision-making with admire to that asset, and can’t in any manner, form or form act adversely to the owner’s hobbies. This may additionally sound easy, but some conditions stand up that tempt even the great property managers to once in a while no longer act on their customer’s pleasant hobbies to fit their very own self-interested convenience. Unfortunate as it can sound, it takes place regularly. The following is a short listing of some commonplace experience obligations, rights, and wrongs when a fiduciary courting exists between a supervisor and a proprietor.

A supervisor must have a written agreement with their customers and may even be legally entitled to make the most of the offerings they provide to the proprietor; however, a manager might not secretly profit from this relationship. For instance, a manager might also price an 8 percentage markup on materials and offerings provided with the aid of carriers to the owner’s assets. This is the prison and suitably provided that the settlement between the events is in concert with the markup. If this markup turned into now not in the settlement, then the regulation requires a belongings supervisor to disgorge or relinquish any mystery profits derived from the connection. There are so many possible examples of this. Still, a not unusual one is a supervisor creating a percent income on work and offerings supplied to their clients but not disclosed, like a brand new roof, bathroom remodels maintenance to indoor walls, and many others.