Assigned Case Digest submitted by

CHRISTOPHER G. HALNIN

Assignment No. 11 – Item no. 1

N!"AL vs. CO!RT O# APPEALS

#ACTS$

Someti
Sometime
me in Decemb
December
er 1974,
1974, ater
ater trial
trial an! "earin
"earin#,
#, t"e t"en $o%rt
$o%rt o &irst
&irst 'nstan
'nstance
ce (no)
(no)
Re#ional *rial co%rt+ ren!ere! its %!#ment in avor o private respon!ents an! or!ere! t"e
 partition o t"e propert- o t"e late &ran $. /-on
/-on an! ar- strom /-on.
/-on. *"e or!er o 
 partition )as airme! in toto b-
b - t"e $o%rt o Appeals in 2%l- 19 t"en reman!e! to t"e lo)er 
co%rt an! t)o -ears later, a )rit o eec%tion )as iss%e! b - t"e latter.

n 2%l- 17, 194, ar- /-on artin, !a%#"ter o t"e late &ran $. /-on an! ar- strom
/-on, assiste! b- "er co%nsel ile! a motion to %as" t"e or!er o eec%tion )it" preliminar-
in%nction. 'n "er motion, s"e conten!s t"at not bein# a part- to t"e above8entitle! case "er 
ri#"ts, interests, o)ners"ip an! participation over t"e lan! s"o%l! not be aecte! b- a %!#ment
in t"e
t"e sai!
sai! case
case t"at
t"at t"e
t"e or!e
or!err o eec
eec%t
%tio
ion
n is %nen
%neno
orc
rcea
eabl
blee inso
insoa
arr as "er
"er s"ar
s"are,
e, ri#"t
ri#"t,,
o)ners
o)ners"ip
"ip an! partici
participat
pation
ion is concern
concerne!,
e!, sai!
sai! s"are
s"are not "avin#
"avin# been
been bro%#"t
bro%#"t )it"in
)it"in t"e
2%ris!iction o t"e co%rt a %o. S"e %rt"er invoes Section 1, R%le 69 o t"e R%les o $o%rt.

n 2an%ar- 197, t"e lo)er co%rt iss%e! t"e assaile! or!er !irectin# t"e incl%sion o ar- /-on
artin as co8o)ner )it" a s"are in t"e partition o t"e propert-
*"e petitioner ile! an appeal beore t"e $A assailin# t"e !ecision o t"e lo)er co%rt )"et"er or 
not t"e trial co%rt ma- or!er t"e incl%sion o ar- /. artin as co8"eir entitle! to participate in
t"e partition o t"e propert- consi!erin# t"at s"e )as neit"er a part- plainti nor a part-
!een!ant in $ivil $ase No. 7 or partition an! acco%ntin# o t"e aoresai! propert- an! t"at
t"e !ecision ren!ere! in sai! case "as lon# become inal an! eec%tor-.

ISS!E$

:"et"er or not t"e proper reme!- to enorce a ri#"t o an ecl%!e! "eir to a inal an! eec%tor-
 %!#ment o partition is a motion to %as" sai! %!#ment;

HELD$

*"e $o%rt "el! in t"e ne#ative. *"e $o%rt sai! t"at )"en a inal %!#ment becomes eec%tor-, it
t"ereb- becomes imm%table an! %nalterable. *"e %!#ment ma- no lon#er be mo!iie! in an-
respect, even i t"e mo!iication is meant to correct )"at is perceive! to be an erroneo%s
concl%sion o act or la), an! re#ar!less o )"et"er t"e mo!iication is attempte! to be ma!e b-
t"e $o%rt ren!erin# it or b- t"e "i#"est $o%rt o lan!. *"e onl- reco#ni<e! eceptions are t"e
correction o clerical errors or t"e main# o so8calle! n%nc pro t%nc entries )"ic" ca%se no
 pre%!ice to an- part-, an!, o co%rse, )"ere t"e %!#ment is voi!.=

&%rt"ermore, =an- amen!ment or alteration )"ic" s%bstantiall- aects a inal an! eec%tor-
 %!#ment is n%ll an! voi! or lac o %ris!iction, incl%!in# t"e entire procee!in#s "el! or t"at
 p%rpose.=
'n t"e case at bar, t"e !ecision o t"e trial co%rt in $ivil $ase No. 7 "as become inal an!
eec%tor-. *"%s, %pon its inalit-, t"e trial %!#e lost "is % ris!iction over t"e case. $onse%entl-,
an- mo!iication t"at "e )o%l! mae, as in t"is case, t"e incl%sion o ar- /-on artin )o%l!
 be in ecess o "is a%t"orit-.

*"e reme!- o ar- /-on artin is to ile an in!epen!ent s%it a#ainst t"e parties in $ivil $ase
 No. 7 an! all ot"er "eirs or "er s"are in t"e s%bect propert-, in or!er t"at all t"e parties in
interest can prove t"eir respective claims.