Andhra Pradesh High Court
Judges : P.CHANDRA REDDY, SRINIVASA CHARI
Chavali Venkataswami - Appellant
Versus
Chavali Kotayyas - Respondent
Decided On : 04-24-59
RECEIVERSHIP - APPOINTMENT - JURISDICTION - JUST AND CONVENIENT - MOTOR VEHICLES ACT, 1939, SEC. 60 (1) (C) - OWNERSHIP OF VEHICLES - PERMIT-HOLDER - REPRESENTATIVE OF FAMILY - ADVERSE POSSESSION.
Fact of the Case:
Plaintiff filed a suit for division of properties, including buses and lorries, alleging joint ownership with defendants. Defendant No. 1, Kotayya, denied joint ownership and claimed exclusive ownership. During the pendency of the suit, the plaintiff and defendant No. 2 filed an application for the appointment of a Receiver, which was later withdrawn. Subsequently, defendant No. 2 filed an application for the appointment of a Receiver, which was granted by the Subordinate Judge. The plaintiff appealed against this order, and the High Court appointed an interim Receiver.
Finding of the Court:
The High Court held that the Subordinate Judge had jurisdiction to appoint a Receiver on the application of the defendant, even though the defendant had not claimed any relief but was only resisting the suit. The Court noted that the words of Order 40, Rule 1, C. P. C., which deals with the appointment of Receivers, are "just and convenient," and that the Court has a complete discretion in this matter. The Court also held that the fact that the permits for the buses and lorries were in the name of defendant No. 1 did not mean that he was the owner of the vehicles, as the Motor Vehicles Act, 1939, Sec. 60 (1) (c), as amended, envisages the grant of a permit to the owner.
Issues: 1. Whether the Subordinate Judge had jurisdiction to appoint a Receiver on the application of the defendant, who had not claimed any relief but was only resisting the suit? 2. Whether the fact that the permits for the buses and lorries were in the name of defendant No. 1 meant that he was the owner of the vehicles?
Ratio Decidendi: 1. The Court held that the Subordinate Judge had jurisdiction to appoint a Receiver on the application of the defendant, as the words of Order 40, Rule 1, C. P. C., which deals with the appointment of Receivers, are "just and convenient," and that the Court has a complete discretion in this matter. 2. The Court held that the fact that the permits for the buses and lorries were in the name of defendant No. 1 did not mean that he was the owner of the vehicles, as the Motor Vehicles Act, 1939, Sec. 60 (1) (c), as amended, envisages the grant of a permit to the owner.
Final Decision: The High Court appointed an independent Advocate Receiver in place of the present Advocate Receiver.
( 2 ) IT may be necessary to state a few facts in order to understand how this litigation started and under what circumstances this order for the appointment of a Receiver was made. Five brothers, Papayya, Iyyavaru, Kotayya, Jalayya, and Venkataswami are all the sons of one Chintayya. The suit was filed by Venkataswami, the plaintiff, for division of properties mentioned in the schedule to the plaint both moveable nd immovable. We are now concerned with the buses and lorries forming part of the movable properties mentioned in Schedule A to the plaint. The plaintiffs case was that in 1945 among the brothers, Papayya and Jalayya had gone out of the family and three others remained joint. It was also alleged that the plaintiff, defendants Nos. 1, and 2 were partners in the business entitled to a 1/3 share each. The further case of the plaintiff was that defendant No. 1 Kotayya was the manger of the business and had the benefit of the monies realised in the business; that amounts realised in the business were invested later on and they all formed part of the partnership business. Defendant No. 1 denied that there was any joint family property and averred that the properties belonged to him. He also stated that the alleged partnership with regard to the motor buses business was illegal not having been recognized by the authorities and being in contravention of the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act. His further case ws that in September, 1957, the plaintiff defendants Nos. 1 to 3 referred the matter to arbitration and in pursuance of the award of the arbitrators each one was put in possession of certain vehicles and that they were running them separately.
( 3 ) AFTER the pleadings were filed an application for the appointment of a Receiver was filed by the plaintiff which was subsequently withdrawn by him. It would appear that defendant a No. I. A. 1032 of 1958. Curiously enough the next day after the withdrawal of the application by the plaintiff, the second defendant filed an application for the appointment of a Receiver. This is I. A. 1055 of 1958. After hearing the arguments of the parties in regard to the appointment of a Receiver the Subordinate Judge appointed the plaintiff, the 1st and 3rd defendants as receivers sin respect of the vehicles according to the permits that they were holding. Against this order of the Subordinate Judge passed in the above applications the plaintiff preferred an appeal to this Court. He applied for the issue of an order directing suspension of the order appointing Receiver and our learned brother, ranganatham Chetty, J. passed an order on 31/10/1958 in C. M. Ps. 8693 and 8685 of 1958 appointing the 1st defendant and the plaintiff as joints receivers with equal powers to be in charge of a the suit vehicles excepting vehicle bearing No. APG-12. The further direction was that an account be opened in the joint names of the Receivers, that they should retain a third of the collections in their hands and deposit the 2/3rd in bank; if there was any disagreement they were to apply to the Court for directions. After this, the matter went to the lower Court and there being disagreement between the Receivers appointed by this Court, they applied
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