PROVREM DIGEST #7 - Finals

Barangay San Roque

vs.
eirs o! Fran"is"o Pas#or
Expropriation suit is incapable of
pecuniary estimation; thus, it falls
within the jurisdiction of the RTC,
regardless of the value of the subject
property.
Fa"#s$
Petitioner fled before the MTC a
complaint to expropriate a property of the
respondents
MTC dismissed the complaint on the
ground of lack of jurisdiction, stating that
in an action for eminent domain, the
%rin"i%al "ause is the e&er"ise o! su"'
%o(er or rig'#; thus, it is (i#'in #'e
e&"lusive original )uris*i"#ion o! #'e
RT+
TC also dismissed the complaint
holding that an action for eminent domain
a!ected title to real property; hence, the
value o! #'e %ro%er#y to be
expropriated "ould *e#er,ine ('e#'er
#'e "ase s'oul* -e .le* -e!ore #'e
MT+ or RT+ and since the #alue of the
property "as less than P$%, %%%&%% or P',
()%&%% to be exact, it should be fled
before the MTC
Petitioner appealed directly to this Court
raising a pure *uestion of la", in "hich the
court denied the Petition for e#ie" for
being posted out of time
Issue$
/'e#'er #'e MT+ 'as )uris*i"#ion
over "ases !or e,inen# *o,ain ('ere
#'e assesse* value is -elo( P012 111
or #'e RT+
el*$ RT+
+e agree "ith the petitioner that an
e&%ro%ria#ion sui# is in"a%a-le o!
%e"uniary es#i,a#ion
The court adopted the criterion of frst
ascertaining the nature of the principal
action or remedy sought,
'- .f it is primarily for the re"overy
o! su, o! ,oney, the claim is
considered "a%a-le o! %e"uniary
es#i,a#ion3 the jurisdiction "ould
depend on the amount of the claim
$- .f the basic issue is o#'er #'an
#'e rig'# #o re"over ,oney or #'e
,oney "lai, is %urely in"i*en#al #o or
a "onsequen"e o! #'e %rin"i%al relie!
soug'# --- subject of litigation may not be
estimated in terms of money and are
cogni/able exclusi#ely by the courts of
frst instance
In #'e %resen# "ase, an
e&%ro%ria#ion sui# does no# involve
#'e re"overy o! a su, o! ,oney
.t deals "ith the exercise by the
go#ernment of its authority and right to
take pri#ate property for public use
The value o! #'e %ro%er#y to be
expropriated is estimated in monetary
terms, ho"e#er, it is merely incidental to
the expropriation suit because the amount
of compensation is determined only after
the court is satisfed "ith the propriety of
the expropriation