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Plasabas V Court of Appeals

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Plasabas v Court of Appeals (2009)

Facts
● Nieves filed a complaint for recovery of title. Subject lot was a parcel of coconut land in
Canturing, Maasin Southern Leyte.
● Subject lot is declared under a tax declaration in the of Nieves.
● Nieves (and co petitioner Malazarte) prayed that judgment be rendered confirming their
rights and legal title to the subject lot and for defendants to vacate plus damages.
● Respondents Lumen and Aunzo denied the allegations of ownership and possession of
the premises and claimed that they inherited the subject land from their common
ancestor, Francisco Plasabas.
● It was found out in the course of the trial that Nieves was not the sole and absolute
owner of the land based on the testimonies of Nieves’ witnesses:
Francisco - > son Leoncio -> Jovita Talam (Nieves’ grandmother) -> Antonina Talam (Nieves’
mother) -> Nieves’ and her siblings Jose, Victor and Victoria

Issue:
WON complaint should have been terminated at inception for petitioners' failure to implead
indispensable parties, the other co-owners

An indispensable party is a party who has such an interest in the controversy or


subject matter that a final adjudication cannot be made, in his absence, without inquiring
or affecting such interest.

Ruling of the Supreme Court:


● SC GRANTED the petition; REMANDS the case for disposition of merits

Article 487 of the Civil Code provides:


Any one of the co-owners may bring an action for ejectment.

● The above article covers ALL KINDS OF ACTIONS FOR THE RECOVERY OF
POSSESSION, including accion publiciana and a reivindicatory action.
● Suits of this nature is deemed to be instituted for the benefit of all however, if the
judgment is adverse, the same cannot prejudice the rights of the unimpleaded
co-owners.
● IN THIS CASE, petitioners Nieves and Malazarte do not have to implead their co-
owners as parties. (XPN: when the action is for the benefit of the plaintiff alone who
claims to be the sole owner)
● Petitioners acknowledged during the trial that the property is co-owned by Nieves
and her siblings, and that petitioners have been authorized by the co-owners to
pursue the case on the latter's behalf. Thus, the complaint is of the nature that is
contemplated under ART 487 of the Civil Code.
● Trial and appellate courts committed a reversible error when they summarily dismissed
the case since the non-joinder of indispensable parties is not a ground for dismissal of
action. The remedy is to implead the non-party claimed to be indispensable.

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