IN THE HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR
MANINDRA MOHAN SHRIVASTAVA, RAJANI DUBEY, JJ.
SUNIL KUMAR JAIN - Appellant
Vs.
ANJU CHOUDHRY W/O GIRIJA SHANKAR CHOUDHARY - Respondent
First Appeal No. 113 of 2014
Decided On : 10-01-2019
Civil Procedure Code,1908 - Order 2, 18 , 23 and 41 – Rule 1 , 4 , 2 and 33 - Arbitration Act, 1940 - Specific Relief Act - Section 12 , 16(C) , 19(b) and 14 - Contract Act - Section 62 - Limitation Act - Article 54 - Suit land - Sale deed - Balance payments - Decreed - Appellants filed a suit seeking decree of specific performance of contract on pleadings inter alia that defendant No.4 a Power of Attorney Holder of defendants No.1 to 3 executed an agreement for sale of suit land in dispute (Khasra No.77, 78 & 80, admeasuring 1.06 Acres, 2.60 Acres and 0.78 Acres, total ad measuring 4.44 acres situated in Village, in favour of plaintiff for a consideration and received advance of Rs.6 Lakhs - According to plaintiffs pleadings, as per conditions stipulated in agreement sale deed was required to be executed within a period of three months and before that demarcation of suit land was required to be carried out, so that balance payments could be made - According to plaintiff, though, he was always ready and willing to perform his part of contract, but defendants failed to provide 30 feet wide road as per agreement – Held, 1st Respondent was ready and willing to perform contract in its entirety -To that extent there would be readiness and willingness on part of the 1st Respondent - But in cases where a contract is not capable of being performed in whole then readiness and willingness at all stages, is readiness and willingness to accept part performance - If a contract is not capable of being performed in whole and a party clearly indicates that he is not willing to accept part performance, then there is no readiness and willingness, at all stages, to accept part performance - In that case there can be no specific performance of a part of contract at a later stage - None of authorities cited by lay down anything contrary - Court are not inclined to exercise discretion in favour of plaintiff, which was admitted in present case that after dismissal of suit and before filing of appeal, property in dispute has been sold in favour of defendants No.5 & 6. Provision contained in Section 19(b) of Specific Relief Act, 1963, protects a transferee for value who has paid his money in good faith and without notice of original contract - Relief of specific performance of contract is discretionary relief - In the result, appeal is dismissed.
1. This appeal is directed against the impugned judgment and decree dated 19-06-2014 passed by the First Additional District Judge to the Court of 3rd Additional Judge, Bilaspur in Civil Suit No.59-A/2013, by which, suit filed by the appellant-plaintiff for specific performance of contract has been dismissed.
2. The appellants filed a suit seeking decree of specific performance of contract on the pleadings inter alia that the defendant No.4-Ashok Jaiswal, a Power of Attorney Holder of defendants No.1 to 3 executed an agreement on 01-05-2007 for sale of suit land in dispute (Khasra No.77, 78 & 80, admeasuring 1.06 Acres, 2.60 Acres and 0.78 Acres, total ad measuring 4.44 acres situated in Village Lokhandi, Tahsil Takhatpur, District Bilaspur), in favour of the plaintiff for a consideration of Rs.43,75,000/- and received advance of Rs.6 Lakhs. According to the plaintiff's pleadings, as per the conditions stipulated in the agreement, the sale deed was required to be executed within a period of three months and before that, demarcation of the suit land was required to be carried out, so that balance payments could be made. Moreover, according to the plaintiff, 30 feet wide road on the western side of the land in dispute was also required to be made available to the plaintiff in order to provide access to the land in dispute from the main road.
According to the plaintiff, though, he was always ready and willing to perform his part of contract, but the defendants failed to provide 30 feet wide road as per the agreement and therefore, the plaintiff expressed that the sale deed of the land in dispute may be executed by reducing the amount of sale consideration by Rs.15 Lakhs, which the defendants agreed, but despite several demands, the defendants failed to perform his part of contract, giving rise to the dispute.
3. The defendants contested the plaintiff's suit on the pleadings that even though, demarcation report indicated existence of road, despite giving notice on 20-11-2007, the plaintiff did not appear before the Deputy Registrar for execution and registration of the sale deed along with payment of the balance amount of consideration. Therefore, the plaintiff having failed to perform his part of contract, he is not entitled to any relief. It was also pleaded that the suit otherwise was barred by limitation.
4. The learned trial Court on the basis of the pleadings of the parties and issues arising therefrom, framed as many six issues, which are as below:-
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The learned Trial Court recorded a finding that the plaintiff succeeded in proving that the agreement to sell was executed on 01-05-2007 in respect of the land in dispute and further that it was one of the stipulations that 30 feet wide road would be made available. The learned trial Court therefore, proceeded to hold in favour of the plaintiff and against the defendants on the first issue that the agreement dated 01-05-2007 was not cancelled. On the second issue, the learned trial Court also recorded a finding that the plaintiff was ready and willing to perform his part of contract. On the third issue, the learned trial Co
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