IN THE HIGH COURT OF MARAS
Oldfield
Lakshmi Ammal Alias Pichai Ammal
Versus
Alamelu Ammal And Anr.
Decided On : 13 March, 1923
Partition - Property Rights - Survivorship - The court confirmed the plaintiff's right to half the property and held that she was entitled to the benefit of the decree obtained, despite the argument that she had acquired the right to the whole estate by survivorship. The court dismissed the amendment application to introduce a new cause of action based on the death of the plaintiff's sister.
Fact of the Case:
The plaintiff sued her sister and her sister's husband for partition and possession of a moiety of a property alleged to be stridhanam property of their mother. The suit reached the stage of a preliminary decree recognizing the plaintiff's right to half the property. After the death of the plaintiff's sister, the plaintiff sought to have her sister's daughter impleaded as the legal representative of the deceased and also applied for an amendment of the plaint to claim the other moiety of the property based on survivorship.
Finding of the Court:
The lower appellate Court granted the application to have the sister's daughter impleaded as the legal representative of the deceased but dismissed the amendment application to introduce a new cause of action based on the death of the plaintiff's sister. The court confirmed the plaintiff's right to half the property and held that she was entitled to the benefit of the decree obtained.
Issues: Impleadment of legal representative, Amendment of plaint to introduce new cause of action based on survivorship
Ratio Decidendi: The plaintiff's right to half the property was confirmed, and she was held entitled to the benefit of the decree obtained. The court dismissed the amendment application to introduce a new cause of action based on the death of the plaintiff's sister, as it was not convinced that the lower Court was wrong in passing the contrary order.
Final Decision: The court confirmed the plaintiff's right to half the property and dismissed the amendment application to introduce a new cause of action based on the death of the plaintiff's sister. Each party was ordered to bear their costs in the case.
Oldfield, J.
1. The facts are that the plaintiff sued her sister and also the latters husband, although he need not be further referred to, for partition and possession of a moiety of a certain property alleged to be stridhanam property of their mother. The suit eventually reached the stage of a preliminary decree, recognizing the plaintiffs right to half the property; and it is now pending for the passing of a final decree after ascertainment, by metes and bounds, of the plaintiffs share. The present proceedings, have arisen from the death of the plaintiffs sister. Thereon the plaintiff has moved in one application to have her sisters daughter, respondent, impleaded as legal representative of the deceased and in another for an amendment of the plaint to enable her to obtain a decree in these proceedings, not merely for the moiety of the property, horn which she alleges she was wrongfully excluded during her sisters lifetime, but also for the other moiety, on the ground that by survivorship she is entitled to the whole.
2. The lower appellate Court has granted both these applications; and we think that it was justified in granting the first. I he claimants right to a half share of the property has been finally established, and nothing more remains to be done except to ascertain that half share and make a final decree for the delivery to her of possession of it. That can be done against any person, who (like the respondent) has come into possession in succession to the deceased. It is suggested that the plaintiff is now no longer entitled to the benefit of the decree she has obtained, because she has lost the character of a joint tenant and has acquired in its stead a right to the whole estate. That we do not think sufficient to deprive her of her original cause of action, when the proceedings have been instituted and have resulted in recognition of her right in a preliminary decree. Taking this view we confirm the lower appellate Courts decision5, so far as it relates to I.A. No. 741.
3. Turning to I.A. No. 740 for the amendment, we observe that the lower appellate Court can hardly be regarded as having exercised judicial discretion. For it made its order simply on the ground that it was not sure that the lower Court was right in passing the contrary order. We are unable to see in the present case any reason for departing from the ordinary rule, that an amendment should not be made to introduce a new cause of action. The cause of action assumed in the amendment is the death of the plaintiffs sister; and that of course was not available when the original plaint was presented. There is however no reason that we can see why the plaintiff should not take the ordinary course of suing on the a1.use of action, which she has acquired and which, unless some objection is established, will entitle her to the other moiety of property. We therefore modify the lower appellate Courts order by dismissing I.A. No. 740 of 1920. In the circumstances of the case each party will bear his costs in this and in the lower appellate Court. In the District Munsifs Court the respondent will pay the plaintiffs costs in I.A. No. 741 and obtain costs from the plaintiff in I.A. No.740.
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