IN THE HIGH COURT OF BOMBAY
SURESH s/o LAHORMAL KHATRI
Versus
BALKISAN s/o SHIVNARAYANJI CHANDAK
Decided On: (OCTOBER 14, 2005) 2006
Specific Relief Act, 1963 - Section 16 - Application for extension of time to deposit balance amount - Delay on account of dispute over title of suit property - In reality no dispute as to title was in existence - Alleged dispute as to title to the suit property, as apprehended by the appellant after passing of the decree, was imaginary - Application for extension of time was mala fide - Rejection of application was proper.
Specific Relief Act, 1963 - Section 28(1) - Vendor’s application for rescission of contract upon failure of vendee to get contract executed - Trial Court granted application merely on finding that application for extension of time mala fide - Reason not sufficient to rescind contract - However, no interference called for as error of law by trial Court was found to be not patent or per se illegal. - Application for rescission of contract was filed on the ground that the appellant failed to get the contract executed as per the decree passed by the Court. The trial Court merely finding that the appellant’s application for extension of time was mala fide, concluded that the respondent No. 1 is entitled for rescission of contract and as such, held that the contract stood rescinded. Both the issued are independent. This is in the sense for declaring that the contracts stand rescinded, there must be specific finding of fact that the purchaser, under the agreement of sale, was not willing to performance his part of contract or that he has specifically refused to perform his part of the contract or that he has intentionally abandoned the contract. Merely because the appellant did not deposit the amount of consideration in the scheduled time, it cannot be inferred even that he has abandoned or denied or refused to perform the contract. The reason for not depositing the amount, through found to be concocted or false, that by itself, is not sufficient to hold that the respondent No. 1 is entitled to rescind the contract. But the order passed by the trial Court is confirmed only for the reason that the error of law was found to be not patent or per se illegal and that is the reason why there is no error in the approach the Single Judge in excising the writ jurisdiction.
P. S. BRAHME, J.
( 1 ) HEARD the learned counsel for the parties. Perused the records.
( 2 ) THE order passed by the learned Single Judge in Writ Petition No. 4756 of 2004 on 25th February, 2005 is the subject-matter of challenge in this appeal. The learned Single Judge dismissed the Writ Petition confirming the order dated 4-10-2004 passed by the Joint Civil Judge (Sr. Dn.), Amravati. The learned Joint civil Judge (Sr. Dn.), Amravati vide his order dated 4-10-2004 dismissed the r. M. J. C. No. 33 of 2004 filed by the appellant wherein he has sought for extension of time and R. M. J. C. No. 59 of 2004 filed by respondent No. 1 for rescission of contract came to be allowed.
( 3 ) THE facts which are not in dispute may be stated in brief as follows :-The appellant filed Special Civil Suit No. 69 of 2001 on 30-3-2001 against the respondent No. 1 (sole defendant) for specific performance of contract on the basis of agreement of sale dated 9-2-2001 whereunder the defendant agreed to sell his house property to the appellant. The learned Civil Judge by his judgment and order dated 29-12-2001 decreed the suit and the appellant was directed to pay balance amount of Rs. 72,00,000/- within three months from the date of judgment/decree. It was further observed that if the defendant fails to execute the sale deed of the suit property within four months, the appellant/plaintiff would be entitled to obtain the sale deed from the Court. However, the appellant/plaintiff could not deposit the entire amount within the stipulated period of three months because of dispute as to title of the suit property raised by respondent Nos. 2 to 6. Before filing of the suit, the appellant had issued notice on 24-2-2001 calling upon the respondent No. 1 to execute the sale deed. The respondent No. 1 gave reply to this notice on 26-2-2001 and also published a notice in Newspaper by which the respondent No. 1 admitted that he had received Rs. 50,000/- towards sale consideration and that he has signed the agreement dated 9-2-2001. He also informed the appellant by the said notice that he did not want to sell the property and therefore, the amount of Rs. 50,000/- was being returned by the demand draft. The appellant gave reply to this reply on 1-3-2001 and returned the said demand draft of Rs. 50,000/- to respondent No. 1 contending that the agreement dated 9-2-2001 between them was a concluded contract and that the respondent no. 1 could not resile from the said agreement. In addition to that, the appellant published a notice in the local Newspaper "hindustan", dated 24-2-2001 inviting objections, if any; upon which the respondent Nos. 5 and 6 - the sons of respondent No. 1 and late Nandkishor - of whom respondent Nos. 1 to 3 are wife and sons, took objection by giving a notice dated 1-3-2001. Apart from that, the respondent Nos. 5 and 6 and late Nandkishor also published a notice in the local newspaper dated 24-2-2001 and controverted the claim of the appellant on the basis of the agreement of sale contending that they have also share in the suit/house property along with the respondent No. 1. That is how, the respondents have thrown cloud on the title of respondent No. 1 over the suit property. In addition to that, the appellant noticed that after passing of the decree the respondent No. 1 has shifted his residence from the suit property to a flat because there were disputes between respondent No. l on one hand and respondent Nos. 2 to 6 on the other. So after passing of the decree, the appellant published a notice in Newspaper "hindustan", dated 22-2-2004 inter alia informing that the decree had been passed and inviting the objections, if any to the execution of the sale deed in pursuance of the decree. It is the contention of the appellant that in response to the notice published on 22-2-2004 respondent nos, 5 and 6 met him on 24-2-2004 and told that respondent No. 1 has shifted his residence from the suit property to a flat because there were disput
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