Who owns the fruits naturally falling upon an adjacent land?

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Alburo Law
April 03, 2026

AT A GLANCE

Fruits that naturally fall onto adjacent land belong to the owner of that land under Article 681 of the Civil Code.

It is not uncommon for fruits from a neighbor’s tree to fall into another’s property. This raises a practical legal question: who owns these fruits?

Under Article 681 of the Civil Code of the Philippines, fruits naturally falling upon adjacent land belong to the owner of said land.

Thus, If the fruits from a neighboring tree fall naturally onto your property, you are legally entitled to them as the owner of the land where they fell.

However, this rule applies only when the fruits fall naturally. If the fruits are still attached to the tree, ownership remains with the tree owner. Likewise, fruits that are taken down through artificial means, such as by shaking the tree or using poles, do not fall under this rule and remain the property of the tree owner.

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Inclaims or disputes between an overseas Filipino worker and their employer, the submission of the claim or dispute by one party to the voluntary arbitrator does not automatically vest the voluntary arbitrator with jurisdiction, if the other party interposes a consistent objection to such jurisdiction. In these instances, the general rule on the jurisdiction of the labor arbiter under Republic Act No. 8042, as amended, shall prevail.

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