Judges : THOMAS
SREEDHARAN - Appellant
Versus
BHASKARAN - Respondent
Case No : C.R.P. No. 1580 of 1983-E.
Decided On : 11/01/1985
Advocates Appeared :
C.P.D. Nayar; D. Krishna Prasad; For Petitioner N. Subramonian; For Respondent
Compromise Decree - Property Dispute - 0.21 R.2, Civil Procedure Code - Executability of Compromise Decree - Absence of Clause for Enforcement - Precedent Cases - Interpretation of Compromise Settlement
Fact of the Case:
Two brothers were in a dispute over a property, and a compromise decree was passed. The plaintiff filed an Execution Petition, claiming that the defendant failed to pay the agreed sum, while the defendant resisted, citing the plaintiff's failure to vacate the property as a condition precedent for payment.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the compromise decree was executable, even without a specific clause for enforcement, based on precedent cases and legal principles. However, the court found the Execution Petition premature, as the plaintiff's right to demand release of the defendant's rights arose only after a specific period from vacating the property.
Issues: The issues included the executability of the compromise decree, absence of a specific enforcement clause, and the timing of the plaintiff's right to demand release of the defendant's rights.
Ratio Decidendi: The court emphasized that a compromise decree is executable even without an express clause for enforcement, based on legal principles and precedent cases. However, the plaintiff's right to demand release of the defendant's rights was tied to a specific period from vacating the property.
Final Decision: The court allowed the revision, set aside the previous order, and dismissed the Execution Petition as premature. The plaintiff was allowed to file another Execution Petition after attaining the right to demand release of the defendant's rights.
1. Two brothers, residing under the same roof, are involved in this litigation over a plot of land in which their residential building is situate. Their mother was also a party in the suit as second respondent, but she bade farewell to her terrestrial terrain on 28-2-1980 without waiting to see the remaining portions of the fight between her two children. The suit was filed by the elder brother in 1977 for partition of his 1/3 share. On 18-10-1979, the parties filed a compromise petition in the suit and a decree was passed in terms of the compromise on that day itself. As the second defendant is not alive now, I shall refer to the parties as the plaintiff and defendant respectively.
2. As per the terms of the compromise, the plaintiff agreed to release all his rights and interests in the property, if the defendant pays to him a sum of Rs. 6,250/- on or before 6-2-1980, and the defendant on bis part has agreed to release all his rights and interests in the property in the event of his failure to make the payment as aforesaid and in that case the plaintiff would pay him an amount of Rs. 5,250/-. Both sides
agreed that the rights of their mother over this property would devolve on the plaintiff and defendant equally. There is a further term in the compromise that the plaintiff would vacate from the building in the suit property within two months from 'the date of the compromise. These are the material clauses mentioned in the compromise petition.
3. The plaintiff had filed an Execution Petition on 14-7-1980, contending that the defendant had failed to pay the sum which be bad undertaken to pay within 6-12-1980, and the plaintiff on his part has offered to pay the sum which he has agreed as per the terms of the compromise. The prayer in the Execution Petition is to get the release deed executed through court in execution proceedings. The defendant resisted the Execution Petition on various grounds, among which the important are that the defendant was willing and ready to pay the sum which he has to pay and that he went to the office of the registry on 6-2-1980 itself for the purpose of getting a release deed executed by the plaintiff. The defendant's stand is that the plaintiff did not turn up to receive the amount as the plaintiff was unable to vacate from the building situated in the property which is a condition precedent for receiving the sum from the defendant. His further contention is that the plaintiff has required an extension of period for six months more to vacate from the building. According to him, it was this subsequent development which had rendered the execution of the release deed impossible. Yet another ground on which the defendant resisted the Execution Petition is that the compromise decree is not executable in as much as it consists of only a contract for sale of the property and a separate suit for specific performance alone is the remedy to enforce it.
4. The objections of the defendant were overruled by the lower court as per its order dated 26-2-1983 and the defendant is directed to execute a release deed within two months, failing which the plaintiff is given an option to apply to the court to get the said deed executed. That order of the lower court is challenged by the defendant in this revision
5. The learned counsel for the petitioner has raised a three-fold contention here. Firstly, that the compromise decree is not executable in as much as it does not contain a clause that in the event of failure to get the release deed executed, the other party is entitled to get the release deed executed and registered through court Secondly, that the plaintiff has at present no right to claim a release of defendant's rights in the property because such right would enure to the plaintiff only if the defendant fails to perform his obligation to pay the sum agreed upon and that it was the plaintiff who had failed to perform the first condition to vacate from the premises within two months from the date of t
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