Case Digest (G.R. No. L-7401)
Facts:
- Arsenio Escudero and others (plaintiffs/appellants) vs. Gertrudo Flores and others (defendants/appellees).
- Originated from Civil Case No. 9296, where the Flores heirs sued the Escuderos for land recovery.
- The Laguna Court of First Instance ruled in favor of the Flores heirs, ordering the Escuderos to deliver one-sixth of the property and pay monthly rentals of P20.83 starting October 11, 1939.
- The judgment was confirmed on appeal in March 1953.
- On May 21, 1953, the Escuderos filed a new lawsuit to annul the previous judgment, alleging fraud by the Flores heirs regarding the concealment of their mother’s prior receipt of her share of the property.
- The Escuderos claimed the Flores heirs had no right to the land and that their previous counsel erred in the stipulation of facts.
- The Flores heirs filed a motion to dismiss, citing res judicata and lack of standing.
- The trial court, led by Judge Nicasio Yatco, granted the motion to dismiss on June 30, 1953, prompting the appeal.
Issue:
- (Unlock)
Ruling:
- The Supreme Court upheld the trial court's dismissal of the Escuderos' complaint.
- The Court confirmed that the complaint was barred by res judicata, as the prior judgment was final and issued by a competent court.
- The alleged fraud by the Flores heirs was deemed insufficient for annulment, being intrinsic t...(Unlock)
Ratio:
- The decision was based on res judicata principles, preventing relitigation of issues already judicially determined.
- The previous judgment in Civil Case No. 9296 was final, rendered on the merits with proper jurisdiction.
- The Escuderos' fraud claim was inadequate to overturn ...continue reading
Case Digest (G.R. No. L-7401)
Facts:
The case involves Arsenio Escudero and others as plaintiffs and appellants against Gertrudo Flores and others as defendants and appellees. The events leading to this case began with Civil Case No. 9296, where the Flores heirs sued the Escuderos for the recovery of a piece of land. The Laguna Court of First Instance rendered a judgment in favor of the Flores heirs, ordering the Escuderos to deliver one-sixth of the property in question and to pay monthly rentals of P20.83 starting from October 11, 1939. The judgment was confirmed on appeal in March 1953. Subsequently, on May 21, 1953, the Escuderos filed a new lawsuit seeking to annul the previous judgment, claiming that the Flores heirs had committed fraud by concealing the fact that their mother, Romualda Beltran, had already received her share of the property from her parents. The Escuderos argued that the Flores heirs had no right to the land and that their previous counsel had erred in approving the stipulation of facts in the earlier case. In response, the Flores heirs filed a motion to dismiss the complaint, asserting that it was barred by prior judgment and that the Escuderos lacked the personality to sue. The trial court, presided over by Judge Nicasio Yatco, granted the motion to dismiss on June 30, 1953, leading to the present appeal.