Title
Sibal vs. Valdez
Case
G.R. No. 26278
Decision Date
Aug 4, 1927
Dispute over attachment and sale of sugar cane and palay; court ruled sugar cane as personal property, affirmed Valdez's ownership, adjusted damages, and awarded Sibal half of palay harvest.

Case Digest (G.R. No. 26278)
Expanded Legal Reasoning Model

Facts:

  • Background and causes of action
  • On December 14, 1924, Leon Sibal sued in the CFI of Tarlac for
    • Redemption of sugar cane attached under a Pampanga writ of execution and refusal by Emiliano Valdez to accept tendered redemption price.
    • Injunction against Valdez and his agents from harvesting sugar cane and palay on seven parcels, and recovery of P1,056 for palay taken.
  • On April 29, 1924, under execution No. 1301 (Pampanga), deputy sheriff Vitaliano Mamawal attached Sibal’s personal and real property in Tarlac.
    • May 9–10, 1924: personal property (including sugar cane on seven parcels) sold at auction to Valdez for P1,550 (P600 for cane).
    • June 25, 1924: eight parcels of real estate sold to Valdez for P12,200; same date Macondray & Co. conveyed to Valdez its interest and Sibal’s redemption rights in eight parcels for P2,579.97.
  • Prior attachment and redemption of land
  • May 11, 1923: under Manila execution No. 20203, eight parcels of Sibal’s land were attached and sold July 30, 1923 to Macondray & Co. for P4,273.93.
  • September 24, 1923: Sibal paid P2,000 on redemption, reducing Macondray’s balance to P2,579.97.
  • Trial court proceedings and judgment
  • December 27, 1924: preliminary injunction granted on P6,000 bond.
  • Valdez’s amended answer denied Sibal’s claims, asserted ownership of parcels 1, 2, 7 and related palay, and counterclaimed P11,833.76 for losses from the injunction.
  • April 28, 1926: CFI ruled sugar cane personal property (non-redeemable), found Valdez owner of disputed parcels, awarded him P9,439.08 from Sibal and his sureties, and dismissed Sibal’s causes.

Issues:

  • Is the sugar cane (ungathered crop) attached under execution real property subject to redemption or personal property?
  • Did Valdez validly acquire ownership of the seven parcels (1, 2, 7, 8) and the palay?
  • What are Valdez’s proper recoverable damages for sugar cane, sugar-cane shoots and palay lost or harvested?
  • What effect did Sibal’s absence at trial and failure to cross-examine have on the evidentiary weight?

Ruling:

  • (Subscriber-Only)

Ratio:

  • (Subscriber-Only)

Doctrine:

  • (Subscriber-Only)

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