2020 Supreme(Bom) 691
IN THE HIGH COURT OF BOMBAY
SADHANA S. JADHAV, J.
Gulabrao Vishwas Desai - Appellant
Versus
Bhau Dhondi Desai and Ors. - Respondents
Second Appeal No. 124 of 1995
Decided On : 09-01-2020
For the Appellant : V.S. Gokhale, APP.
For the Respondents: Saurabh S. Kurade.
Headnote:
Transfer of Property Act, 1882 - section 58 - mortgage deed - impugns judgment - sale deed - Appellant herein has filed a suit for re-conveyance/redemption of mortgage on basis of mortgage deed dated 27th January 1969 executed between parties before Registrar - It was a registered document - Both Court have held that very title of said document which means a sale for specific period- According to plaintiff this was not a sale deed but a deed of mortgage executed between parties and was covered by section 58 of Transfer of Property Act 1882 - Perused original mortgage deed It clearly indicates that in order to meet agricultural expenses plaintiff i-e- present appellant had borrowed a sum - from original defendant and it was agreed between parties after years from date of execution of deed upto 10 years property shall be re-conveyed in favor of plaintiff – Held, It was necessary for Courts to consider intention of parties at time of execution of deed- It appears that only because contingency clause such as default clause was not mentioned in deed Courts below have held that it is a final sale deed - very fact that land was to be reconveyed in favor of plaintiff upon payment - would mean by inference that upon failure to pay said amount between period of 7 years to 10 years property would naturally devolve upon vendee i-e- defendant- It is seen that suit was instituted in year- deed was executed in year 1968 - Facts of case would show that plaintiff had specifically pleaded that he had issued notice to defendant - appeal is allowed
JUDGMENT :
Sadhana S. Jadhav, J.
1. The appellant herein impugns the judgment and order dated 3rd August 1988 thereby upholding the judgment and order passed by the Civil Judge, Junior Division, Ajara in Reg. Civil Suit No. 33 of 1982. Although there are concurrent findings, the substantial question of law in the present case is restricted to the issue framed by the appellant in Issue No. 1 and Issue No. 2 which reads as follows:-
"(1) Does plaintiff prove that the suit property was mortgaged with the defendant on 27/1/68 for Rs.2,000/-?
(2) Does he further prove that defendant refused to redeem the property?"
2. The said issues call for considering the interpretation of the document i.e. the mortgage deed which is marked at Exh. 30 in the original proceedings.
3. The appellant herein has filed a suit for re-conveyance/redemption of the mortgage on the basis of the mortgage deed dated 27th January 1969 executed between the parties before Registrar. It was a registered document. Both the Court have held that the very title of the said document is eqnr [kjsnh i= which means a sale for specific period. According to the plaintiff, this was not a sale deed but a deed of mortgage executed between the parties and was covered by section 58 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882. Section 58 reads thus:
"58. "Mortgage", "mortgagor", "mortgagee", "mortgage-money" and "mortgage-deed" defined.--
"(a) A mortgage is the transfer of an interest in specific immoveable property for the purpose of securing the payment of money advanced or to be advanced by way of loan, an existing or future debt, or the performance of an engagement which may give rise to a pecuniary liability. The transferor is called a mortgagor, the transferee a mortgagee; the principal money and interest of which payment is secured for the time being are called the mortgage-money, and the instrument (if any) by which the transfer is effected is called a mortgage-deed.
(b) Simple mortgage.--Where, without delivering possession of the mortgaged property, the mortgagor binds himself personally to pay the mortgage-money, and agrees, expressly or impliedly, that, in the event of his failing to pay according to his contract, the mortgagee shall have a right to cause the mortgaged property to be sold and the proceeds of sale to be applied, so far as may be necessary, in payment of the mortgage-money, the transaction is called a simple mortgage and the mortgagee a simple mortgagee.
(c) Mortgage by conditional sale.--Where, the mortgagor ostensibly sells the mortgaged property--on condition that on default of payment of the mortgage-money on a certain date the sale shall become absolute, or on condition that on such payment being made the sale shall become void, or on condition that on such payment being made the buyer shall transfer the property to the seller, the transaction is called mortgage by conditional sale and the mortgagee a mortgagee by conditional sale: 1[Provided that no such transaction shall be deemed to be a mortgage, unless the condition is embodied in the document which effects or purports to effect the sale.]
4. Perused the original mortgage deed. It clearly indicates that in order to meet agricultural expenses the plaintiff i.e. the present appellant had borrowed a sum of Rs. 2,000/- from the original defendant and it was agreed between the parties that upon return of Rs. 2,000/- after 7 years from the date of execution of the deed upto 10 years the property shall be re-conveyed in favour of the plaintiff. By the said deed, the defendant was put into possession of the said agricultural land which admeasured approximately 7 Acres along with trees and the other properties inherent in the said agricultural land and the executant would have no interest in the said land for a period of 7 years upto 10 years or till he returns the amount of Rs. 2,000/-.
5. The intention of the parties was more than clear that it was a conditional sale deed/mortgage deed. The clause of re-conveyance o