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Cruz v. IAC Digest
Cruz v. IAC Digest
enforceable.
EPIFANIO CRUZ and EVELINA CRUZ, Petitioners, v. INTERMEDIATE
APPELLANT COURT, CALIXTRO O. ADRIATICO, RUFINO J. SANTIAGO and Ratio: The procedure outlined therein obviously refers to the situation where a full-
GODOFREDO VALMEO, Respondents. blown trial, with the introduction of evidence is entailed, such that the trial court
GR No. 72806 has to thereafter determine whether the allegations in the complaint have been
January 9, 1989 proved, then ascertain the total amount due to the plaintiff, and thereafter
render judgment for such amount with an order for the payment thereof in
Regalado, J: accordance with the prescription of the aforequoted section, sans the
agreement of the parties on those particulars. There being no such agreement,
Facts: Petitioners mortgaged certain properties to private respondents who the specified procedure has necessarily to be followed and the minimum
eventually sued them for non-payment and for the judicial foreclosure of period of ninety (90) days for payment, also referred to as the period for the
aforementioned mortgages under Rule 68 of the Rules of Court. In the course exercise of the equity, as distinguished from the right, of redemption has to be
of the proceedings a compromise agreement was reached and this became observed and provided for in the judgment in the foreclosure suit.
the basis of the Judgment on Compromise issued by the respondent Judge of Jurisprudentially, it has also been held that the exercise of the equity of
the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Bulacan: redemption may be made beyond the 90-days period but before the
foreclosure sale is confirmed by the court.
‘3. Upon full payment of the sums of P55,000.00 and P320,000.00 within the
period agreed upon, the plaintiff shall deliver to the defendants Transfer It stands to reason, however, that the aforesaid procedure cannot be of
Certificate of Title No. T-32286 (M) of the Registry of Deeds of Bulacan, substantial application to, and can be modified by, a valid agreement of the
Meycauayan Branch, together with all the documents submitted to the
parties, such as in the compromise agreement subject of and constituting the
plaintiff;
basis for the judgment on compromise rendered in Civil Case No. 7418-M of
4. Should the defendants fail to pay the sums agreed upon within the period the Regional Trial Court of Bulacan, as hereinbefore stated. The dispositions
stipulated, the defendants shall pay plaintiff the entire sum of P92,149.00 of Section 2 of Rule 68 clearly cannot apply since the parties therein had
under the Deed of Real Estate Mortgage attached to the complaint as Annex specifically agreed on the amounts to be paid, when they should be paid
‘C’ and an additional sum of P44,700.00 as attorney’s fees; and the effects of non-payment or violation of the terms of their
agreement. Thus, the petitioners undertook to pay on the obligation subject
5. Upon failure of the defendants to pay the sums agreed upon within the of the compromise agreement, P55,000.00 on or before August 20, 1984 and
period stipulated, plaintiff shall be entitled to a writ of execution directing the
P320,000.00 on or before September 30, 1984 and, in case of default on their
foreclosure of all the mortgages subject matter of this litigation and to the
principal sum of P300,000.00 in the Deed of Real Estate Mortgage attached part, the consequences are spelled out in Paragraphs 3, 4 and 5 of their
to the complaint as Annex ‘B’ shall be added the sum of P44,700.00 as aforequoted compromise agreement, all of which are premised on the precise
attorney’s fees.’ contingency of failure by the petitioners to comply within the period stipulated.
For failure of the petitioners to comply with certain provisions of the Paragraph 5 lucidly provides that, upon the happening of the aforesaid
agreement, private respondent moved for a writ of execution. The mortgaged contingency contemplated therein, private respondent Godofredo Valmeo
properties were foreclosed upon in an auction sale and were purchased by shall be entitled to a writ of execution directing the foreclosure of all the
the private respondents as the highest bidder. The sale was latter judicially mortgages subject matter of said litigation. It is noteworthy that this particular
confirmed. proviso is what distinguishes this case from other judicial foreclosure cases
decided on the bases of compromise agreements but which did not have the
Petitioners submitted that the aforestated judgment on compromise was same specification. Ineluctably, therefore, the petitioners herein thereby
null and void ab initio because it allegedly "denied them their equity of waived their so-called equity of redemption and the case was
redemption under Sec. 2, Rule 68 of the Rules of Court, by not allowing necessarily removed from the operation of Section 2, Rule 68 insofar as
the petitioners to pay ‘into court within a period of not less than ninety its provisions are inconsistent with the judgment on compromise.
(90) days from the date of the service of said order,’ and that it is only if
the petitioners default in said payment that the property should be sold It is hornbook knowledge that a judgment on compromise has the effect of res
to pay the judgment debt. judicata on the parties and should not be disturbed except for vices of consent
or forgery. To challenge the same, a party must move in the trial court to set
Issue: Whether or not the aforestated judgment on compromise was null and void ab aside the said judgment and also to annul the compromise agreement itself,
initio because it allegedly denied petitioners their equity of redemption under before he can appeal from that judgment. Definitely, the petitioners have
Sec. 2, Rule 68 of the Rules of Court. ignored these remedial avenues.