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1997 Supreme(Mad) 337

High Court of Judicature at Madras
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE S.S. SUBRAMANI
Lekshmiammal and others
Versus
S.Nagalekshmiammal and another
S.A.No.316 of 1984
Decided On : 07-03-1997

Advocates:
V.R. Venkataraman, Senior Counsel for S.Baskar, for Appellants.
T.R. Mani, Senior Counsel for T.Srinivasaraghavan, for Respondents.

Agreement being in complete, there was no concluded contract.

Headnote:Contract Act, 1872-Section 104-Oral agreement for purchase of property-Parties were to execute a deed of agreement for sale on payment of advance amount as agreed-Full terms and conditions of agreement are to be written-Held, agreement being in complete it may safely be held that there was no concluded contract.

Judgment :-

Legal representatives of deceased plaintiff in O.S. No.54 of 1980, on the file of Additional Sub Court, Nagercoil, are the appellants.

2. Suit filed by the deceased plaintiff was for specific performance of contract of sale, on the following allegations:

Deceased plaintiff was an honorary physician and he was running a dispensary, and he was residing in the plaint schedule property from 12. 1958 as atenant. The original owner was late Gomathi Ammal, mother of first defendant. The agreed rent was Rs.35. Gomathi Ammal was sick and she was living with plaintiff and his family from June, 1968 and was receiving regular treatment from plaintiff for acute rheumatism, high blood-pressure and other diseases. She died in the plaint schedule building on 21. 1976. It is said that on the death of Gomathi Ammal, the plaint schedule property was inherited by first defendant, who is her only heir V.R.Sundaram, husband of first defendant, was managing the affairs of the first defendant, and he was acting on her behalf in all matters regarding the plaint schedule property. After the death of Gomathi Ammal Sundaram demanded a rent of Rs.70, and plaintiff began to pay the same from February, 1976 onwards. Because the plaintiff was a professional, he could not leave that house. He was compelled to pay that amount as rent. The husband himself was collecting the rent from plaintiff, and it was being sent by mail transfer to his account in the Bank. It is further said that towards expenses for the medical treatment of Gomathi Ammal, nearly Rs.10,000 had to be spent by plaintiff. He has also effected improvements to the building. It is said that the first defendant and her husband agreed to pay the amount to plaintiff within one year. But Sundaram did not want to honour his commitment, and the relationship between the parties became strained. Sundaram began to demand the plaintiff to vacate the premises, and there was exchange of letters, including lawyer’s notice, asking the plaintiff to vacate the building. In the meanwhile, Sundaram was also transferred to the same place and, therefore, a demand was made for own occupation. Sundaram did not take legal proceedings, and time passed by, and in the meanwhile, first defendant’s husband was transferred to Madurai, and his requirement for own occupation also ceased. At that time, they also thought of selling the property, and a publication was made in ‘Dhina Malar’, for sale. Through one V.S.Srinivasa Iyer, plaintiff came to know about the publication, and plaintiff also offered to purchase the property for a reasonable price. In paragraph 7 of the plaint, it is said that V.S.Srinivasa Iyer is a cousin of first defendant’s husband. It is further said that through him, V.R.Sundaram agreed to sell the property to the plaintiff and pay to the first defendant such price, less Rs.10,000 due to him on account of the amount spent on Gomathi Ammal. In paragraph 8 and 9 of the plaint, it is further said that the first defendant and her husband offered to sell the plaint property to the plaintiff for a total sum of Rs.32,000 in full and final settlement of accounts between them. Plaintiff informed them that he was prepared to purchase the property on payment of Rs.30,000. The price was agreed. Such an oral arrangement was made on 20.12.1979 at the residence of first defendant at Kovilpatti, in the presence of first defendant and her husband, plaintiff, his son-in-law Sankaran, and one T.S.Narayana Iyer, father of plaintiff’s son-in-law. It is further said that a sum of Rs.5,000 was to be paid as advance, and the sale deed was to be executed on receipt of the balance sum of Rs.25,000, within six months. Plaintiff paid a token advance of Rs.101. It is further said that the first defendant, expressed that out of the balance amount of Rs.25,000, she would like to get a sum of Rs.10,000 even before the expiry of a period of six months, for which also, plaintiff agreed. It is further said that the parties were




































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