ALFONSO GUEVARRA, et al., complainants, vs. EULALIO JUANSON, respondent.

SYNOSIS
Actin! on "rit o# e$ec%tion iss%ed &' t(e )anila *it' *o%rt, respondents dep%t' s(eri##
o# Ri+al levied %pon t(e properties o# ,%d!ment de&tor, E%!enio G%evarra, and set t(e
p%&lic a%ction t(ereo# #or )a' -., ./01. 2e reset t(e sale #or J%l' -, ./01, a#ter
complainants #iled a replevin s%it in t(e *avite *it' *o%rt to recover t(e c(attels. 3(en
t(e replevin s%it "as denied, complainants moved to reconsider. 4(e' li5e"ise #iled "it(
t(e O##ice o# t(e rovincial S(eri## o# )a5ati, Ri+al, a motion to s%spend t(e sale %ntil
t(e *avite *o%rt s(all (ave resolved t(e motion #or reconsideration. 6%t &eca%se
respondent received no restrainin! order, (e proceeded "it( t(e sale on J%l' -, ./01. For
t(%s sellin! t(e personal properties "it(o%t a"aitin! action on t(e motion #or
reconsideration, respondent "as c(ar!ed "it( !rave a&%se o# a%t(orit' and ne!li!ence in
t(e per#ormance o# (is d%ties. )ean"(ile, on J%l' .1, ./01, t(e *avite *o%rt denied
reconsideration o# t(e order o# dismissal.
4(e S%preme *o%rt e$onerated respondent and dismissed t(e complaint, since t(e #acts
recited do not ma5e o%t a case a!ainst respondent.
SYLLA6US
.. A7)INIS4RA4IVE *O)LAIN48 S2ERIFFS8 NO A6USE OF AU42ORI4Y
OR NEGLE*4 OF 7U4Y 32ERE NO I)E7I)EN4 4O S*2E7ULE7 AU*4ION
SALE E9IS4S. : 3(ere, &' virt%e o# a co%rt;s e$ec%tion, a s(eri## proceeded "it( t(e
sc(ed%led a%ction sale, (e did not a&%se (is a%t(orit' and ne!lected none o# (is d%ties,
not"it(standin! t(e pendenc' in anot(er co%rt o# a motion to reconsider t(e dismissal o#
a replevin s%it to recover t(e properties s%&,ect o# t(e a%ction sale, it appearin! t(at "(en
t(e s(eri## sold t(e properties, t(ere "as no impediment to t(e sc(ed%led sale, no
restrainin! order (avin! &een sec%red to en,oin or s%spend t(e same. And it appearin!
#%rt(ermore, t(at t(e replevin s%it "as s%&se<%entl' dismissed, so t(at no pre,%dice "as
s%##ered &' t(e complainants res%ltin! #rom t(e sale, t(e s(eri## s(o%ld &e e$onerated o#
administrative c(ar!es. Still, as a preca%tionar' meas%re, it "o%ld (ave &een t(e &etter
part o# pr%dence (ad t(e s(eri## &e#ore proceedin! "it( t(e sale, =.> #irst c(ec5ed "(at
action, i# an', (ad &een ta5en on complainant;s motion #or reconsideration, and =1> also
in<%ired "(et(er a motion to s%spend t(e sale (ad &een #iled in co%rt and t(e action ta5en
t(ereon, i# an'.
R E S O L U 4 I O N
*AS4RO, J p?
6' virt%e o# a "rit o# e$ec%tion iss%ed &' t(e *it' *o%rt o# )anila, 6ranc( VIII, in its
civil case .0/-.@, t(e a&oveAnamed respondent, E%lalio *. J%anson, 7ep%t' S(eri## o#
Ri+al, levied %pon certain c(attels "(ic( (e #o%nd in t(e residence o# t(e ,%d!mentA
de&tor, E%!enio G%evarra, and s%&se<%entl' set t(e p%&lic a%ction t(ereo# #or )a' -.,
./01. 2o"ever, t(e complainants, t(e spo%ses Al#onso G%evarra and *larissa Victoriano,
and t(e spo%ses Am&rosio 4rias and Eloisa in+on on )a' 1B, ./01 #iled a replevin s%it
"it( t(e *it' *o%rt o# *avite, doc5eted t(erein as civil case .C.D, #or recover' o# t(e said
personal properties. 3(ere%pon t(e respondent J%anson reset t(e a%ction sale #or J%l' -,
./01.
On J%ne 11, ./01 t(e *it' *o%rt o# *avite dismissed t(e replevin s%it8 on J%ne 1/ t(e
complainants =t(erein plainti##s> moved to reconsider, noti#'in! t(e de#endants; co%nsel
t(at t(e motion #or reconsideration "o%ld &e s%&mitted on J%l' .., ./01 #or t(e co%rt;s
action8 t(e' li5e"ise #iled "it( t(e o##ice o# t(e rovincial S(eri## at )a5ati, Ri+al =not
"it( a co%rt> a motion to s%spend t(e sale %ntil t(e *avite co%rt s(all (ave resolved t(eir
motion #or reconsideration. =Anne$ L, rollo, p. CC>.
6eca%se t(e respondent s(eri## received no restrainin! order, (e proceeded "it( t(e
a%ction sale on J%l' -, ./01. On J%l' .1, ./01 t(e co%rt denied reconsideration o# t(e
order dismissin! t(e replevin s%it. For t(%s sellin! t(e personal properties "it(o%t
a"aitin! resol%tion o# t(e motion #or reconsideration o# t(e order o# dismissal, t(e
respondent s(eri## is no" c(ar!ed in t(e present administrative complaint "it( !rave
a&%se o# a%t(orit' and ne!li!ence in t(e per#ormance o# (is d%ties.
4(e #acts recited a&ove do not ma5e o%t a case a!ainst t(e respondent, and, in vie" o# t(e
s%&se<%ent denial o# t(eir motion #or reconsideration, t(e complainants s%##ered no
pre,%dice res%ltin! #rom t(e a%ction sale on J%l' -, ./01. 4(e respondent did not a&%se
(is a%t(orit' and ne!lected none o# (is d%ties. At t(e time (e sold t(e properties &' virt%e
o# t(e )anila co%rt;s "rit o# e$ec%tion, not"it(standin! t(e pendenc' o# t(e motion #or
reconsideration in t(e *avite co%rt, t(ere "as no le!al impediment to t(e sc(ed%led sale,
t(e complainants (avin! #ailed to o&tain an order en,oinin! or s%spendin! t(e sale. Still,
as a preca%tionar' meas%re, it "o%ld (ave &een t(e &etter part o# pr%dence (ad t(e
respondent, &e#ore proceedin! "it( t(e a%ction sale, =.> #irst c(ec5ed "it( t(e *avite
co%rt "(at action, i# an', (ad &een ta5en on t(e complainants; motion #or reconsideration
and =1> also in<%ired #rom t(e )anila co%rt "(et(er a motion to s%spend t(e sale (ad
&een #iled or not and t(e action ta5en t(ereon, i# an'.
A**OR7INGLY, t(e respondent s(eri## is e$onerated o# t(e c(ar!es and t(e complaint is
(ere&' dismissed.
)a5asiar, Es!%erra, )%Eo+ alma and )artin, JJ., conc%r.
4ee(an5ee, J., is on leave.