Law signed allowing regional courts to handle higher value real estate cases听听
PRESIDENT听Rodrigo R. Duterte has signed into law the bill that would听allow regional courts to handle听civil actions involving real property听with a value of up to P400,000.听
Republic Act 11576,听signed into law on July 30,听amends the听Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980听to increase the coverage of Regional Trial Courts (RTCs) from the current limits of听P50,000 in Metro Manila听and P20,000 in other areas. RTCs听can hear disputes听relating to听property听title听or听possession.听听
With the legislative amendment,听RTCs also听now听have authority over actions and maritime jurisdiction, property cases wherein a diseased owner left or did not leave a will, and in all other cases in which听鈥渢he demand, exclusive of interest, damages of whatever kind, attorney鈥檚 fees, litigation expenses and costs or the value of the property in controversy exceeds鈥澨齈2 million.听听听
The former limit was听P200,000 in Metro Manila courts听and听P100,000听elsewhere.听听听听
The new law听gives听the Supreme Court (SC), as the supervisor of all courts, the authority to听鈥渞eflect the extraordinary supervening inflation and deflation of currency; reflect change in the land valuation; or maintain the proportion of caseload between first- and second-level courts.鈥澨听
In a news release on Thursday, SC Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo thanked Congress for supporting the bill until it was signed into law.听听听
鈥淭hrough this new law, the jurisdictional amounts of our trial courts have now been adjusted to levels which are more suitable to the current economic conditions and property valuation in the country,鈥澨齢e said.听听听
Mr. Gesmundo added that the new law听鈥渨ill no doubt help听declog听the dockets of our second-level courts, which in turn would lead to a faster adjudication of cases and better administration of justice.鈥澨鈥斕鼴ianca Angelica D.听A帽ago听听
