Nunal vs. CA - Case Digest

Assigned Case Digest submitted by CHRISTOPHER G. HALNIN

Assignment No. 11 – Item no. 1

N!"AL vs. CO!RT O# APPEALS G.R. No. 94005 April 6, 1993

#ACTS$ Someti Sometime me in Decemb December er 1974, 1974, ater ater trial trial an! "earin "earin#, #, t"e t"en $o%rt $o%rt o &irst &irst 'nstan 'nstance ce (no) (no) Re#ional *rial co%rt+ ren!ere! its %!#ment in avor o private respon!ents an! or!ere! t"e  partition o t"e propert- o t"e late &ran $. /-on /-on an! ar- strom /-on. /-on. *"e or!er o   partition )as airme! in toto bb - t"e $o%rt o Appeals in 2%l- 19 t"en reman!e! to t"e lo)er  co%rt an! t)o -ears later, a )rit o eec%tion )as iss%e! b - t"e latter.

n 2%l- 17, 194, ar- /-on artin, !a%#"ter o t"e late &ran $. /-on an! ar- strom /-on, assiste! b- "er co%nsel ile! a motion to %as" t"e or!er o eec%tion )it" preliminarin%nction. 'n "er motion, s"e conten!s t"at not bein# a part- to t"e above8entitle! case "er  ri#"ts, interests, o)ners"ip an! participation over t"e lan! s"o%l! not be aecte! b- a %!#ment in t"e t"e sai! sai! case case t"at t"at t"e t"e or!e or!err o eec eec%t %tio ion n is %nen %neno orc rcea eabl blee inso insoa arr as "er "er s"ar s"are, e, ri#"t ri#"t,, o)ners o)ners"ip "ip an! partici participat pation ion is concern concerne!, e!, sai! sai! s"are s"are not "avin# "avin# been been bro%#"t bro%#"t )it"in )it"in t"e 2%ris!iction o t"e co%rt a %o. S"e %rt"er invoes Section 1, R%le 69 o t"e R%les o $o%rt.

n 2an%ar- 197, t"e lo)er co%rt iss%e! t"e assaile! or!er !irectin# t"e incl%sion o ar- /-on artin as co8o)ner )it" a s"are in t"e partition o t"e propert-

*"e petitioner ile! an appeal beore t"e $A assailin# t"e !ecision o t"e lo)er co%rt )"et"er or  not t"e trial co%rt ma- or!er t"e incl%sion o ar- /. artin as co8"eir entitle! to participate in t"e partition o t"e propert- consi!erin# t"at s"e )as neit"er a part- plainti nor a part!een!ant in $ivil $ase No. 7 or partition an! acco%ntin# o t"e aoresai! propert- an! t"at t"e !ecision ren!ere! in sai! case "as lon# become inal an! eec%tor-.

ISS!E$ :"et"er or not t"e proper reme!- to enorce a ri#"t o an ecl%!e! "eir to a inal an! eec%tor %!#ment o partition is a motion to %as" sai! %!#ment;

HELD$ *"e $o%rt "el! in t"e ne#ative. *"e $o%rt sai! t"at )"en a inal %!#ment becomes eec%tor-, it t"ereb- becomes imm%table an! %nalterable. *"e %!#ment ma- no lon#er be mo!iie! in anrespect, even i t"e mo!iication is meant to correct )"at is perceive! to be an erroneo%s concl%sion o act or la), an! re#ar!less o )"et"er t"e mo!iication is attempte! to be ma!e bt"e $o%rt ren!erin# it or b- t"e "i#"est $o%rt o lan!. *"e onl- reco#ni