Andhra Pradesh High Court
Judges : A.R.LAKSHAMANAN, C.KONDAIAH
Indira Bai Patel - Appellant
Versus
B.A.Patel - Respondent
Decided On : 04-23-73
HINDU LAW - MAINTENANCE - ENHANCEMENT - MATERIAL CHANGE IN CIRCUMSTANCES - COMPROMISE DECREE - BINDING NATURE - CONSTRUCTIVE RES JUDICATA - ESTOPPEL BY CONSENT - SEVERANCE OF STATUS - MITHILA SCHOOL OF HINDU LAW - APPLICABILITY - MAINTENANCE - QUANTUM - FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED.
Fact of the Case:
The plaintiff, the widow of the defendant's brother, filed a suit for partition of the family properties and for possession of her share. She also sought enhancement of maintenance from Rs. 65 per month to Rs. 500 per month. The defendant resisted the claim, contending that the suit was barred by limitation, that the compromise decree in an earlier suit was binding on the plaintiff, and that there was no justification for the enhancement of maintenance.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the compromise decree in the earlier suit was binding on the plaintiff and barred her from reagitating her claim for partition and possession of her share in the family properties. The court also held that the plaintiff was not entitled to claim half share in the family properties as there was no severance of status of the family and her son died as an undivided member of the family. The court further held that the plaintiff was entitled to claim enhanced maintenance under Section 25 of the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956, as there was a material change in the circumstances justifying such enhancement.
Issues: 1. Whether the compromise decree in the earlier suit was binding on the plaintiff and barred her from reagitating her claim for partition and possession of her share in the family properties. 2. Whether the plaintiff was entitled to claim half share in the family properties as there was severance of status of the family and her son died as an undivided member of the family. 3. Whether the plaintiff was entitled to claim enhanced maintenance under Section 25 of the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956.
Ratio Decidendi: 1. A compromise decree is as binding upon the parties thereto as a decree passed by invitum. 2. A consent decree has the binding force of res judicata and the plaintiff is barred from reagitating the question of accounts in a fresh suit. 3. A judgment by consent or default is as effective an estoppel between the parties as a judgment obtained from the Court after due contest on merits. 4. The amount of maintenance, whether fixed by a decree of Court or by agreement either before or after the commencement of the Act, may be altered subsequently if there is a material change in the circumstances justifying such alteration. 5. The quantum of maintenance has to be fixed on a consideration of the following material facts and circumstances: (i) the amount of free estate and the net income from the family properties; (ii) the past life of the married parties and the families; (iii) a survey of the condition and necessities and rights of the members of the family; (v) scale and mode of living; and (vi) age, habits, wants and class of living of the claimant for maintenance.
Final Decision: The appeal was allowed to the extent that the maintenance amount of Rs. 65 fixed for the plaintiff in O. S. No. 14/61 was enhanced to Rupees 185/- per mensem payable by the defendant from 30-10-1964. The appeal was dismissed in all other respects.
( 1 ) THIS appeal by the plaintiff is directed against the dismissal of her suit by the Fist Additional Chief Judge, City Civil Court, Hyderabad for cancellation of the compromise decree in O. S. No. 14 of 1961 on the file of the 4th Additional Judge, City Civil Court, Hyderabad; for partition of the plaint A and B schedule immovable properties into two equal shares and for delivery of possession of one such share and for a direction to the defendant to render an account of the profits realised from him from the suit properties from 1958 till the date of delivery of possession of the plaintiffs share ; or in the alternative for enhancement of the maintenance payable by the defendant to the plaintiff from Rs. 65. 00 to Rs. 500. 00 per month with effect from the date of suit; for allotment of one room in the first floor and three rooms in the ground floor of the plaint B Schedule house to the plaintiff for her separate residence and for payment of Rupees 10,000/- towards arrears of maintenance.
( 2 ) THE defendant B. A. Patel and the late husband of the plaintiff one Manik Rao Patel the sons of Maruthi alia Annaji Sadasiva Patel, constituted a Hindu Co-Parcenary. Their father had settled down at Hyderabad in the year 1914. The defendant was practicing as an advocate in the Civil Courts at Hyderabad till the year 1951 when he was appointed as a District and Sessions Judge by the erstwhile Hyderabad State Government. The plaintiffs husband who studied upto VIII standard , was working as part-time clerk in the library called Marathi Grantha Sangrahalaya at Hyderabad and also doing insurance business as an agent and earning some decent income. The joint family possessed Item 1 to 9 (A Schedule) dry lands situate in Shelgaon and Navkot Wadi villages in the district of Parshani now in the State of Maharastra. It also possessed items 10 and 11 , house properties situate at Parbhani. The plaint B Schedule property was claimed by the plaintiff as joint family property, but the defendant asserts that it is his self acquired property. On 20/08/1944 Manik Rao Patel died undivided leaving behind him his widow , the plaintiff and his only son called Madhukar and the defendant his undivided elder brother. After the death of Manik Rao, the defendant and the members of his family including the plaintiff and her son lived together in the plaint B schedule house situate in Sultan Bazar, Hyderabad till 12-1-1950 when the plaintiffs som Madhukar died at the age of 11 or 12 years. The plaintiff thereafter lived with the members of the defendants family till she filed O. S. 14/1961 for partition of the family properties and for possession of her half share. The suit claim for partition and possession of her share was resisted by the defendant on the ground that she was not entitled to any share in the family properties as her husband and son died as members of an undivided Hindu Coparcenary , except reasonable maintenance. The suit was posted peremptorily to 23/09/1961 for trial. On that day, the parties entered into a compromise whereunder a sum of Rs. 65. 00 per month was payable by the defendant to the plaintiff towards her maintenance and two rooms in the plaint B schedule house were allotted for the residence with a charge created on some of the family properties. The present suit was instituted in forma pauperis on 31-10-1964 for cancellation of the compromise decree on the ground that it was vitiated by fraud , undue influence, coercion and misrepresentation; and for partition and possession of her share in the plaint schedule properties ; or in the alternative for enhancement of the maintenance from Rs. 65. 00 to Rs. 500. 00 per month. The defendant resisted the claim of the plaintiff on the ground that the suit is barred by limitation , that the claim in so far as items 10 and 11 of the plaint A schedule are concerned, is barred under Order 2, Rule 2, Civil P. C. that the compromise decree in O. S. No. 14/1961 is valid and bindin
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