Title
Nacorda vs. Yatco
Case
G.R. No. L-19520
Decision Date
Aug 12, 1966
J.M. Tuason & Co. sued Fernando Castro for land possession; Nacorda spouses intervened, claiming ownership. SC denied injunction, upheld final judgment execution, ruling ownership claims must be litigated separately.
A

Case Summary (G.R. No. L-19520)

Background of the Case

In Civil Case No. Q-4108, J. M. Tuason & Co., Inc. initiated legal proceedings against Fernando Castro to recover possession of approximately 100 square meters of land. The complaint alleged that Castro unlawfully entered the land without consent, seeking his ejection along with damages calculated at P30.00 per month. In August 1959, Judge Yatco ruled in favor of J. M. Tuason & Co., reducing the damages to P10.00 from May 1953 until possession was restored, leading to a writ of execution issued on October 9, 1959, which included an order for demolition of structures on the property.

Petition by the Nacorda Spouses

On February 22, 1960, Felipe Nacorda and Luz Nacorda filed a petition in Civil Case No. Q-4108, asserting ownership of the land and house based on a series of transfers from the original owner. They claimed Fernando Castro was merely their tenant. Judge Yatco denied their petition, and subsequently, the Nacorda spouses initiated a separate action in Civil Case No. 5053 with Judge Hermogenes Caluag, seeking a declaration of ownership and a writ of preliminary injunction against the enforcement of the earlier ruling.

Court Orders and Subsequent Developments

On February 10, 1962, Judge Yatco instructed Castro to vacate the property within 30 days. The Nacorda spouses recognized that Judge Caluag could not interfere with another branch of the same court and thus sought an injunction from the higher court to halt the demolition order. Their initial petition was accepted, but the requested preliminary injunction was not granted. On March 19, 1962, Castro indicated he had demolished his house voluntarily, but the plaintiff requested the sheriff to enforce the demolition order on March 21, stating the house remained locked. The court granted the motion, permitting the sheriff to proceed with the demolition on March 27, 1962.

Claim for Mandatory Injunction

The Nacorda spouses then filed a "Supplementary Petition for Mandatory Injunction," claiming ownership of the demolished house and requesting the restoration of the property. The court addressed the petition but clarified that the primary remedy of injunction was inappropriate. It emphasized that an injunction cannot prevent the enforcement

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