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CHATEAU DE BAIE CONDOMINIUM CORPORATION v. SPS. RAYMOND AND MA. ROSARIO MORENO

This case has been cited 3 times or more.

2013-11-11
PERALTA, J.
The issue is not novel. The nature of an action involving any dispute as to the validity of the assessment of association dues has been settled by the Court in Chateau de Baie Condominium Corporation v. Moreno.[27] In that case, respondents therein filed a complaint for intra-corporate dispute against the petitioner therein to question how it calculated the dues assessed against them, and to ask an accounting of association dues. Petitioner, however, moved for the dismissal of the case on the ground of lack of jurisdiction alleging that since the complaint was against the owner/developer of a condominium whose condominium project was registered with and licensed by the HLURB, the latter has the exclusive jurisdiction. In sustaining the denial of the motion to dismiss, the Court held that the dispute as to the validity of the assessments is purely an intra-corporate matter between petitioner and respondent and is thus within the exclusive jurisdiction of the RTC sitting as a special commercial court. More so in this case as respondent repeatedly questioned his characterization as a delinquent member and, consequently, petitioner's decision to bar him from exercising his rights to vote and be voted for. These issues are clearly corporate and the demand for damages is just incidental. Being corporate in nature, the issues should be threshed out before the RTC sitting as a special commercial court. The issues on damages can still be resolved in the same special commercial court just like a regular RTC which is still competent to tackle civil law issues incidental to intra-corporate disputes filed before it.[28]
2013-11-11
PERALTA, J.
Clearly, condominium corporations are not covered by the amendment. Thus, the intra-corporate dispute between petitioner and respondent is still within the jurisdiction of the RTC sitting as a special commercial court and not the HLURB. The doctrine laid down by the Court in Chateau de Baie Condominium Corporation v. Moreno[35] which in turn cited Wack Wack Condominium Corporation, et al v. CA [36] is still a good law.
2012-04-25
MENDOZA, J.
Based on the foregoing definition, there is no doubt that the controversy in this case is essentially intra-corporate in character, for being between a condominium corporation and its members-unit owners.  In the recent case of Chateau De Baie Condominium Corporation v. Sps. Moreno,[41] an action involving the legality of assessment dues against the condominium owner/developer, the Court held that, the matter being an intra-corporate dispute, the RTC had jurisdiction to hear the same pursuant to R.A. No. 8799.