De Jesus Et Al V Howmart Corp

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De Jesus et al v Howmart Corp.

et al

12 CA REP 831

FACTS:

Jesus and Luz Miranda de Jesus are owners of the building located in Tondo,Manila. They
brought an action for damages against Homart Corporation and Howmill Manufacturing
Corporation, owners of the land adjoining the plaintiff on the same street where a sixty story
concrete building was constructed. Plaintiffs allege that the defendants failed to observe the
necessary care and precautions to protect the construction of the plaintiffs by depriving it of
sufficient lateral or subjacent support, thereby causing it to sink in some parts; its walls,
ceilings, and floorings to crack in some places; and by the careless manner of handling the
cement used the roofings of the building of the plaintiff were damaged with the
accumulated debris piled thereon.

ISSUE:

Whether or not proper precautions had been taken by the defendants in constructing the
building in question so as to prevent causing damage to the building of the plaintiff.

HELD:

No. Article 684 of the New Civil Code provides No property shall make such excavations
upon his land as to deprive any adjacent land or building sufficient lateral or subjacent
support. A reading of Article 684 shows that the duty of an adjacent owner not to deprive
any adjacent land or building of sufficient lateral or subjacent support is an absolute one. It
does not depend on the degree of care and precaution made by the proprietor in making the
excavation or building on his land. Plaintiffs house which adjoins the seven story concrete
building constructed by the defendants had sunk by about eight inches. The sinking of the
left side of the house of the plaintiffs was due to the weakening of subjacent support and to
the weight of the seven story concrete building constructed by the defendant, as the
excavation made necessarily disturbed the subjacent soil of the plaintiffs land. Defendants
having failed to provide the plaintiffs land and house with sufficient lateral and subjacent
support are liable for damages.

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