G.R. No.

84811 August 29, 1989

SOLID HOMES, INC., petitioner,
vs.
TERESITA PAYAWAL and COURT OF APPEALS, respondents.

Facts:
On August 31, 1982 Teresita Payawal filed a complaint against Solid Homes Inc.,
before the Regional Trial Court alleging that they contracted to sell her subdivision lot
in Marikina on June 9, 1975. Subsequently Solid Homes Inc. executed a deed of sale
but failed to deliver the corresponding certificate title despite of repeated demands by
Payawal because defendant had mortgaged the property in bad faith to a financing
company. Thereafter, Solid Homes Inc moved to dismiss the complaint on the ground
that the court had no jurisdiction this being rested in the National Housing Authority
under PD no. 597. The motion was denied, hence, the petition to reverse said decision
of the Court of Appeals in sustaining the jurisdiction of the Regional Trial Court was
submitted by Solid Homes Inc. to the Supreme Court.

Issue:
Whether or not the trial court had jurisdiction over cases involving claims, refund and
any other claims filed by subdivision lot or condominium unit buyers against the project
owner, developer, dealer, broker or salesman?

Held:
The Supreme Court ruled that the applicable law is PD No. 957. The National Housing
Authority has the jurisdiction. As amended by PD No 1344 entitled “Empowering the
National Housing Authority to issue writs of execution in the enforcement of its
decisions under Presidential Decree No 957” Section 1 provides, in the exercise of its
function to regulate the real estate trade and business and in addition to its powers
provided for in PD No 957 that the National Housing Authority shall have exclusive
jurisdiction to hear and decide cases of the following nature: a) unsound real estate
business practices, b) claims involving refund and any other claims filed by subdivision
lot owners or condo unit buyers against project owner, developer, dealer, broker, or
salesman and, c) cases involving specific performance of contractual statutory
obligations filed by buyers of subdivision lot or condominium unit against the owner,
developer, dealer, broker or salesman. The challenged decision of the respondent court
was reversed and the decision of RTC is Set Aside without prejudice to the filing of the
appropriate complaint before the HLURB.