SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Article Pause Article
judgment-img

2008 Supreme(Bom) 62

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
N. A. Britto, J.
DENIS MAZARELLO -Appellant.
vs.
IRITON MAZARELLO and others - Respondents.
Appeal from order no.66 of 2007
Decided On 17-1-2008

Advocates:
For appellant:M S. Usgaonkar, Senior Advocate with Sudesh Usgaonkar
For respondents No.1 to 6: Anthony D' Silva List of cases referred:

The failure to file exclusion applications justified the exclusion of properties from the inventory, and the prompt description of a property by the Administrator precluded its exclusion.

Headnote:

Inventory Proceedings - Exclusion of Properties - The court held that the failure to file an application for exclusion of properties belonging to the inheritance, as required by Article 1383 of the Civil Procedure Code, 1939, justified the exclusion of the said properties. The Administrator's prompt description of a property, without challenging the order to enlist it, precluded the contention for exclusion. The court also clarified that a previous decision regarding property rights under a different article of the Civil Code had no application to the case.

Fact of the Case:

Inventory Proceedings were initiated upon the death of the appellant's parents, and the Administrator enlisted two properties without any exclusion applications. The appellant contested the exclusion of the properties and the enlistment of a third property.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the exclusion of properties was justified due to the failure to file exclusion applications and that the prompt description of the third property by the Administrator precluded its exclusion. The court also clarified that a previous decision regarding property rights had no application to the case. The impugned order was set aside, and the trial court was directed to expedite the inventory proceedings.

Issues: Exclusion of properties from inventory, prompt description of properties by the Administrator, application of previous decision on property rights.

Ratio Decidendi: The failure to file exclusion applications justified the exclusion of properties from the inventory. The Administrator's prompt description of a property precluded its exclusion. A previous decision on property rights had no application to the case.

Final Decision: The appeal was allowed, and the impugned order was set aside. The trial court was directed to expedite the disposal of the inventory proceedings within a year.

ORAL JUDGMENT:- Admit. By consent heard forthwith.

2. Heard Shri Usgaonkar, the learned Senior Counsel on behalf of the appellant/applicant in Special Inventory Proceedings No. 74/2005/A and Shri Anthony D'Silva, the learned Counsel on behalf of respondents No. 1 to 6.

3. Inventory Proceedings were initiated by the appellant/applicant Denis Mazarello upon the death of his parents Shri Inacinho Mazarello and Smt. Annuciacao Mazarello, who left behind seven sons and three daughters. Respondent No.1, Iriton Mazarello, now represented by learned Advocate Shri D'Silva, was appointed as the Administrator on 26-7-2006 and by application dated 26-7-2006, the said Administrator enlisted two properties surveyed under Nos. 376/10 and 384/4 of Velim Village, being immovable properties. Apparently, none of the other interested parties filed any application for exclusion of the said two properties as contemplated by Article 1383 of the Civil Procedure Code, 1939. Learned Advocate Shri D'Silva has drawn my attention to the application dated 12-3-2007 as an application for exclusion of the said two properties. In my view, the said application cannot be considered as an application for exclusion of the said two properties belonging to the inheritance. In the absence of any application for exclusion of the said two properties enlisted by the Administrator by his application dated 26-7-2006, the learned Civil Judge, Senior Division was not at all justified in excluding the said properties.

4. As far as the third property bearing Survey No. 360/7 of Village Velim is concerned, the appellant/applicant brought to the notice of the Court that the Administrator had not enlisted the aforesaid property. Admittedly, the Administrator, pursuant to the said application, enlisted third property surveyed under No. 360/7 by his application dated 17-1-2007, Counsel on behalf of respondent No.1, Iriton Mazarello submits that if at all the Administrator enlisted the said property, he did the same pursuant to the order of the learned Civil Judge Senior Division, Margao. However, the learned Counsel on behalf of respondent No.1, Iriton Mazarello was unable to point out to the date of the order of the learned Civil Judge Senior Division except to some reference in the impugned order. In my view, the Administrator having not challenged the said order and having complied with the same cannot now make any grievance about the same.

5. Article 1380 of the said Civil Procedure Code provides that:

Where there is complaint about lack of description of the properties, notice shall be given to the Administrator or to the donee to describe the properties or give their say.

If one who has been served with the notice, admits the existence of the properties and acknowledges that they belong to the inheritance, but is unable to describe them at once, he may apply that time be granted for the purpose of description.

In the event he denies the existence of the properties or declares that they do not belong to the inheritance, the judge shall invite the parties to lead the evidence they desire, hold the enquiry he deems necessary and finally decide whether the properties should be described.

Where the dispute cannot be summarily decided in terms of the above, because there is necessity of a larger investigation, the parties shall be directed to pursue ordinary remedy, and the inventory shall proceed in respect of other properties. Sole paragraph: The failure to file the reply within time, the notice having been served in person, amounts, for all purposes, to an admission of the existence of the properties and of the duty to describe them.

6. To repeat, the respondent No. 1 Iriton Mazarell, who was the Administrator, when complaint was made about lack of description, promptly described the third property without murmur or demur and without challenging the order by which he was required to enlist the same and therefore now cannot be permitted to contend that the said property was required to




Click Here to Read the rest of this document

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
whatsapp-icon Back to top