IN THE HIGH COURT OF MADRAS
Lakshmana Rao, J.
Radhakrishna Chettiar
Versus
Narayanaswami Aiyar
Decided On : 23.09.1936
Trust Property - Will - S.C. Suit No. 192 of 1920 - O.S. No. 12 of 1927 - [Order 20, Rule 12, Civil Procedure Code]
Fact of the Case:
The appellant, claiming property under his father's will, sought recovery of the property from the respondent, who purchased it in execution of a decree against the appellant's mother. The lower courts held in favor of the respondent, but a second appeal was made.
Finding of the Court:
The decision in O.S. No. 12 of 1927 does not operate as res judicata, and the sale in execution of the decree could not pass anything more than the right, title, and interest of the appellant's mother. The will only created a life interest in the mother, and the remainderman (appellant) is entitled to possession.
Issues: Validity of the lower courts' decisions, res judicata, extent of interest under the will, and entitlement to possession.
Ratio Decidendi: The decision in O.S. No. 12 of 1927 does not bar the appellant's claim, and the sale in execution of the decree only passed the right, title, and interest of the appellant's mother. The will created only a life interest in the mother, entitling the remainderman to possession.
Final Decision: The decision of the lower courts was set aside, and a decree for possession was granted in favor of the appellant with mesne profits.
Lakshmana Rao, J.
1. The plaintiff is the appellant and the suit is for recovery of the plaint property from the respondent the purchaser in execution of the decree in S.C. Suit No. 192 of 1920 obtained by one Subramania Aiyar against Kaliammal the mother of the appellant. The appellant claims the property under the will of his father and the undisputed facts are that the father died in 1916 possessed of the plaint property and other properties situate in the villages of Mangalavaram and Sourirajanpatnam. He left him surviving his widow Kaliammal and son the appellant and after setting out the amount of his debts and charities to be conducted in perpetuity for the welfare of his soul the will directs, Kaliammal to sell the properties in Sourirajanpatnam, discharge the debts, pay Rs. 200 to a temple and invest the balance of sale proceeds in the purchase of properties. The will then provides that Kaliammal should as trustee enjoy the properties so purchased and the Mangalavaram property and out of the income thereof pay the kist, spend Rs. 10 and Rs. 5 annually on two religious charities, give annually an allowance of paddy to the appellant and his wife and another female relative and maintain herself. The will directs her next to conduct an appeal which was pending and it finally provides that on her death the appellant and his heirs should from generation to generation enjoy the properties as trustees, pay the allowance to the female relative and maintain themselves. Kaliammal entered into possession on the death of her husband and she borrowed Rs. 100 on a promissory note in 1917 from Subramania Aiyar for conducting the appeal which was pending. The amount was not repaid and S.C. Suit No. 192 of 1920 was instituted by Subramania Aiyar against Kaliammal for recovery of the amount due under the promissory note. A personal decree was passed against her and the plaint property was attached in execution of that decree. An unsuccessful claim petition was filed by Kaliammal as trustee objecting to the attachment of the plaint property on the ground that it was trust property not liable to be attached or sold in execution of a personal decree against her and O.S. No. 12 of 1927 was instituted by her as trustee to set aside the order on the claim petition on the same ground. The suit was dismissed on the ground that the property was private property burdened with a trust and saleable in execution of a decree against the holder thereof, and the property was sold. It was purchased by the respondent and when he went for delivery the appellant obstructed him. The obstruction was removed on 13th October, 1927, and the property was delivered. Kaliammal died subsequently and the suit out of which this appeal arises was instituted by the appellant within a year of the dismissal of his application. It was resisted on the ground that under the will the property became the absolute property of Kaliammal and that even otherwise the decree in S.C. Suit No. 192of 1920 &as binding on the estate, and accepting these contentions the District Munsif dismissed the suit. He held further that the decision in O.S. No. 12 of 1927 operates as res judicata and on appeal the decree was confirmed by the Subordinate Judge of Negapatam on the ground that under the will there was an absolute gift of the property to the widow. A second appeal was taken and while differing from the lower Courts regarding the construction of the will and holding that the will creates only a life interest to the extent of the surplus income in Kaliammal the executrix named therein, our learned brother Wadsworth, J., upheld the decree of the lower Court on the ground that the decision in O.S. No, 12 of 1927 operates as res judicata.
2. Hence this Letters Patent Appeal and the initial question for determination is whether the decision in O.S. No. 12 of 1927 operates as res judicata. That suit was instituted by Kaliammal as trustee of the charities and not as executrix, and the at
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