SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
D.A. DESAI, A.D. KOSHAL AND R.B. MISRA, JJ.
Dahyabhai Chimanlal (dead) by L. Rs. Appellants
Versus
Ambalal Himatlal, Respondent,
Civil Appeal No. 1972 of 1969. D/- 6-5-1981.
– in the case of Dahyabhai Chimanlal v. Ambalal Himatlal, AIR 1981 SC 1556, the trustees got their names entered as members of the company and obviously the dividend would be payable to them. Once the trustees recovered the dividend they were under an obligation to distribute the income to the beneficiaries. And the recipient of the income with a liability to distribute the sale had received notice of assignment. There was no further obligation on the part of the 1st respondent to obtain power of attorney so as to make arrangements or directly receiving the dividend from the companies. The Companies may or may not recognize such authority. If the appellant did obtain such a power of attorney that by itself is not indicative of a legal liability for every assignee to make such an arrangement for safe-guarding his interest. Therefore, not taking a power of attorney or same such authority by which the 1st respondent could have managed to collect the dividend income directly from the companies would not be indicative of any negligence, in action or omission on the part of the 1st respondent so as to confer same right on the appellant.
Judgment
DESAI J.:- Sir Rustom, Vakil of Ahmedabad died on November 1. 1933, leaving behind him his widow Lady Tehmina. three sons Jehangir. Percy and Toos and his daughters. He had made his last will and testament on November 18, 1924. By this will he appointed five persons as executors and gave a specific direction in clause 8 of the will that certain properties therein specified be settled on trust by executing a trust deed and the executors were to be trustees for the purpose of the trust. A further direction was given that his son Jehangir be appointed as an additional trustee and executor when he attained the age of 21 years. By clause 8-F of the will he directed that during the lifetime of his son Jehangir. Percy end Toos the entire income of the trust properties shall be enjoyed by them in equal shares but that after the lifetime of each son, trust property falling to his 1/3 share interest as well as principal shall go to his children (sons and daughters) in the proportion therein mentioned. After his death there was some litigation between Percy on the one hand and Jehangir, Toos and Lady Tehmina on the other for administration of the estate of the deceased. The litigation ended in a consent decree and pursuant to the terms of the consent decree a trust deed was executed on April 14. 1941, Some of the trustees named by the testator had died in the meantime with the result that the trust deed named Jehangir, Percy. Lady Tehmina and three other persons as trustees. A schedule was annexed to the trust deed specifying the properties which were settled on trust in fulfilment of the direction given in the will of the testator. A reference to the 10th Schedule is necessary for the purposes of this appeal in which shares of a number of companies and the right to specific share in the income of certain managing agency companies was enumerated. By 1948 of the three trustees other than the descendents of the testator only one Sarosh KothawaIa was surviving and he desired to retire as a trustee. Accordingly, by the indenture dated August 3, 1949 Sarosh Kothawala retired as a trustee and Toos one of the sons of the testator was appointed as a trustee. Consequently Jehangir. Percy, Tom and Lady Tehmina were the trustees and from amongst them Jehangir. Percy Toos were also the beneficiaries of the trust.
2. On October 12. 1949, Jehangir took a loan of Rs. 1,00,000/- from Ist respondent Sheth Ambalal Himatlal and assigned to him by way of charge to secure repayment of the amount advanced all rights claims and interest over the income payable to him under clause 8-F of the will of Sir Rustom Vakil. On January 7, 1950. Toos borrowed a loan of Rs. 1,00,000/- from the Ist respondent and made an identical assignment of this share of the income in favour of the creditor. On Mar, 28, 1950. Percy borrowed a loan of Rupees 1,00,000/- from the first respondent and made a similar assignment of his share of the income in favour of the income in favour of the Ist respondent. Notice of assignment was given to the trustees in each case on the very day which the advance was made. Jehangir, percy and Toos obtained from Ist respondent creditor extension of time for the repayment of the advance of Rs. 3,00,000/- on the pretext that the income of the year 1949-50 was yet to be recovered by them and by pledging a part of the shares comprised in the trust. Respondent No. 1 asserts that in consideration of the extension of time granted by him the debtors Jehangir, Percy and Toos agreed to be jointly and severally liable for repayment of the whole of the amount of Rs, 3.00,000/- to him. Subsequently on June 14. 1951. Jehangir Percy and Toos borrowed a loan of Rs. 3.00,000/- from the appellant Sheth Dahyabhai and assigned in his favour the right to receive certain dividend and the right to receive the income of the three commission agencies till the debt was fully repaid. A further loan of Rs. 3,00,000/- was borrowed by Jehangir, Percy and Toos from Sheth Dah
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