G.R. No. 167391 - Phil-Ville Development and Housing Corp. vs. Bonifacio

OCT No. 994 was registered on May 3, 1917 in the name of Isabel Gil de Sola as judicial administratrix of the Maysilo Estate (Original Land Registration Case No. 4429).
Portions of Lot 23-A of the Maysilo Estate were subdivided under subdivision plan Psd-2731 into Lots 1-G, 1-H, etc., covered by TCT No. T-148220.
Phil-Ville Development and Housing Corporation acquired Lots 1-G-1, 1-G-2 and 1-G-3 (aggregate area: 8,694 m²) by purchase from N. Dela Merced and Sons, Inc. on July 24, 1984, and these are now covered by TCT Nos. 270921, 270922 and 270923.

In 1961, alleged heirs of Maria de la Concepcion Vidal filed Land Registration Case No. 4557 for substitution on OCT No. 994; the CFI granted substitution on May 25, 1962.
Petition for partition of OCT Nos. 982–985 and 994 was granted in Civil Case No. C-424; commissioners failed to act.
On September 9, 1996, the RTC granted a Supplemental Motion to segregate portions of Lots 23, 28-A-1 and 28-A-2, leading to issuance of TCT No. C-314537 in the name of Eleuteria Rivera (portion of Lot 23, area: 14,391.54 m²).
Writ of possession issued December 26, 1996; notice to vacate served on Phil-Ville and Bonifacio Shopping Center, Inc.
Court of Appeals (CA-G.R. SP No. 43009 and CA-G.R. SP No. 43034) set aside the 1996 RTC Order, writ and notice to vacate; Eleuteria Rivera died February 22, 1997.
Department Order No. 137 (April 23, 1997) and Senate Resolution No. 1032 (October 7, 1997) investigated titling anomalies.

On June 5, 1997, Phil-Ville filed Civil Case No. C-507 for Quieting of Title and Damages against the surviving heirs of Eleuteria Rivera and the Register of Deeds of Caloocan City.
RTC, Branch 122, on March 24, 2000 ordered:

Respondents filed Notices of Appeal, later withdrew their appeal in CA-G.R. CV No. 66547; CA dismissed Danilo Bonifacio and Carmen Bernardino on October 17, 2002.
Respondents filed a Petition for Review on Certiorari to the Supreme Court (G.R. No. 142640), which was referred to the CA (CA-G.R. SP No. 62211).
On January 31, 2005, the CA set aside the RTC decision in C-507 and dismissed Phil-Ville’s complaint, ruling the RTC lacked jurisdiction as the action sought annulment of the CFI’s May 25, 1962 Order.
CA denied Phil-Ville’s motion for reconsideration on March 15, 2005.

Phil-Ville filed this petition (G.R. No. 167391) to set aside the CA’s January 31, 2005 Decision and March 15, 2005 Resolution.
Petitioner’s main contentions:

Whether the CA acted with grave abuse of discretion in taking cognizance of respondents’ Petition for Review in CA-G.R. SP No. 62211 after dismissal of their appeal in CA-G.R. CV No. 66547.

Whether the RTC had jurisdiction to hear Civil Case No. C-507 for Quieting of Title and Damages, or whether the complaint was effectively an action for annulment of the CFI Order of May 25, 1962.

Whether TCT No. C-314537 (Eleuteria Rivera) constitutes a cloud on Phil-Ville’s titles to Lots 1-G-1, 1-G-2, and 1-G-3, given its invalidity and its technical description relative to Phil-Ville’s parcels.