G.R. No. 9487 ; September 4, 1917

FACTS: The plaintiffs filed an action in the Court of First Instance of Manila to recover unpaid rents and a proportional amount of property taxes allegedly owed by the defendant under a rental contract. The parties entered into a stipulation of facts. Based on this stipulation, the trial court rendered judgment in favor of the plaintiffs, ordering the defendant to pay P3,063.65. This amount comprised two items: (a) P1,900 as the balance of unpaid rent, and (b) P1,163.65 as the defendant’s share of the taxes on the property. The defendant appealed the decision.

ISSUE: Whether the trial court correctly awarded the sum of P1,163.65 for the defendant’s share of the property taxes based solely on the stipulation of facts.

RULING: The Supreme Court modified the trial court’s decision. The Court held that while the stipulation of facts contained the defendant’s admission of the P1,900 unpaid rent and her promise to pay a proportional share of the taxes, it failed to specify the actual amount of taxes she had agreed to pay. No other evidence was presented to prove this amount. Consequently, there was no legal basis to support the award of P1,163.65 for taxes. The judgment was affirmed only with respect to the admitted rent of P1,900, and the amount for taxes was eliminated. The modified judgment was affirmed without costs.

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