Madras High Court
MAHARAJAN
Ranganayaki Ammal - Appellant
Versus
P.Natesa Mudali - Respondent
Decided On : 08/14/1970
LIMITATION ACT, 1908 - SECTION 182(5) - EXECUTION APPLICATION - STEP-IN-AID OF EXECUTION - TRANSMISSION OF DECREE - IMPLEADING LEGAL REPRESENTATIVES - PERIOD OF LIMITATION - COMPUTATION.
Fact of the Case:
The decree-holder obtained a decree against the judgment-debtor in 1954. The judgment-debtor died in 1955. In 1957, the decree-holder filed an execution petition to implead the widow of the judgment-debtor as his legal representative. The petition was dismissed for want of prosecution. In 1960, the decree-holder filed an application for transmission of the decree to another court for impleading the widow and her two sons as legal representatives. The application was allowed. In 1961, the decree-holder filed another application to recall the decree from the other court. The application was allowed. In 1963, the decree-holder filed an execution application to implead the legal representatives and for transmission of the decree to the other court. The legal representatives objected that the application was barred by limitation.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the execution application was not barred by limitation. The court held that the application for transmission of the decree in 1960 was a step-in-aid of execution and saved the decree from the bar of limitation. The court also held that the application to recall the decree in 1961 was also a step-in-aid of execution and saved the decree from the bar of limitation.
Issues: Whether the execution application filed by the decree-holder in 1963 was barred by limitation under Article 182 of the Limitation Act.
Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the execution application was not barred by limitation because it was filed within three years from the date of the final order passed on the application for transmission of the decree in 1960, which was a step-in-aid of execution. The court also held that the application to recall the decree in 1961 was also a step-in-aid of execution and saved the decree from the bar of limitation.
Final Decision: The court dismissed the appeal.
ORDER :- The question that arises for determination in this appeal is whether the execution application filed by the decree-holder in E. A. No. 2881 of 1963 on 16-9-1963 is barred by time under Art. 182 of the Limitation Act. The decree-holder in this case obtained on 10-3-1954 a decree against one Sundararajan Chetty and another. Sundararajan Chetti died on 20-2-1955. On 9-3-1957, the decree-holder filed E. P. No. 364 of 1957 praying for impleading Ranganayaki, the wife of Sundararaja Chetty as his legal representative and for execution of the decree against the assets of Sundararaja Chetty in the hands of Ranganayaki. On the same day C. M. P. No. 714 of 1957 was filed by the decree-holder praying for impleading Ranganayaki as a legal representative. Evidently at the time when these petitions were filed, the decree-holder was not aware that the deceased Sundararaja Chetti had left him surviving not only his widow but also his two sons. Notice was taken out to Ranganayaki in E. P. No. 364 of 1957 in C. M. P. 714 of 1957 but it was not served for want of the correct address of Ranganayaki. Therefore fresh steps were ordered, but the decree-holder failed to take steps with the result on 8-10-1957 E. P. No. 364 of 1957 was dismissed by the court Subsequently on 3-10-1960, that is to say, within three years after the final order on the previous E. P., the decree-holder filed E. A. No. 3041 of 1960 for transmission of the decree to the District Munsif's court, Kancheepuram, for impleading Ranganayaki the proposed legal representative. This application was ordered by the court on 13-10-1960 but without notice to the proposed legal representative. On 27-3-1961 the decree-holder filed E. A. No. 1365 of 1961 praying that the decree sent to the Kancheepuram Court might be recalled in order to enable the decree-holder to bring on record Ranganayaki. Swaminathan and Narayanan as the legal representatives of the deceased judgment-debtor. On 19-4-1961 the Court, without issuing notice to the proposed legal representatives, passed an order recalling the decree. On 16-9-1963 the decree-holder filed E. A. No. 2881 of 1963, in which he prayed for impleading the legal representatives and for transmission of the decree to the District Munsif's Court, Kancheepuram. The legal representatives of the judgment-debtor filed a counter to this application and contended that this E. A. was barred by time. This objection was overruled by the executing court and it is against this order the present appeal has been filed.
2. Under Art 182, clause 5 of the Limitation Act, 1908, the decree-holder has a period of three years for filing his execution application and the time from which this period begins to run is the date of the final order passed on an application made in accordance with law to the proper court for execution or to take some step-in-aid of execution of the decree or order. The present application has been filed within three years after the final order in E. A. No. 3041 of 1960 as well as within three years after the final order in E. A. 1365 of 1961. The former of these two execution applications was for transmission of the decree to the District Munsif's Court, Kancheepuram, and for impleading Ranganayaki as the legal representative of the deceased judgment-debtor. Transmission was ordered as prayed for on 13-10-1960. The application in E. A. No. 3041 of 1960 being a step-in-aid of the execution of the decree the decree-holder is entitled to reckon the period of three years from 13-10-1960, on which date E. A. No. 3041 of 1960 was ordered. The E. A. in dispute has been filed within three years and is therefore not barred by time. As for E. A. No. 1365 of 1961, which was for recalling the decree sent to the District Munsif's Court, Kancheepuram to enable the decree-holder to bring on record the three legal representatives of the deceased, it is in my view clearly a step-in-aid of execution and the order thereon having been passed on 19-
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