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1969 Supreme(All) 63

Allahbad High Court
JAGDISHSAHAI,D.D.SETH,YASHODANANDAN,R.L.GULATI,C.D.PAREKH
Asharfi Lal - Appellant
Versus
Firm Thakur Pd. Kishori Lal - Respondent
Decided On : 05/19/1969

Advocates:
V.B. Khare, for Appellant; Standing Counsel, for Respondents.

Headnote:

COURT FEES ACT (U. P. AMENDMENT) - SECTION 7 (I) AND 7 (IV) (B) - SUIT FOR ACCOUNTS - DECREE FOR RECOVERY OF SPECIFIC AMOUNT - AD VALOREM COURT-FEE PAYABLE ON AMOUNT DETERMINED AFTER ACCOUNTING.

Fact of the Case:

The plaintiff filed a suit for accounting and recovery of the sum found due after accounting. The suit was valued at Rs. 300. After accounting, it was found that a sum of Rs. 11,825/50 was due to the plaintiff. The trial court passed a decree for the recovery of the said amount. The defendant appealed to the District Judge, valuing the appeal at Rs. 300 and paying court fee on that amount. The plaintiff applied to the District Judge, stating that the correct valuation of the appeal was Rs. 11,825/50 and that ad valorem court fee was payable by the defendant.

Finding of the Court:

The court held that the suit was one for recovery of money and that the special provision contained in Section 7 (iv) (b) of the Court Fees Act (U. P. Amendment) would not apply. It further held that the decree passed in the case was clearly one for recovery of the sum of Rs. 11,825/50 and that ad valorem court-fee was payable on the amount determined after accounting.

Issues: Whether Section 7 (i) or Section 7 (iv) (b) of the Court Fees Act (U. P. Amendment) would be applicable to a suit for accounts in which a decree for the recovery of a specific amount has been passed.

Ratio Decidendi: A suit for accounts is nothing but a suit for recovery of money but only after the amount has been determined. The rendition or the taking of accounts is only incidental or ancillary and for the sole purpose of determining the exact amount due to the aggrieved party. Therefore, ad valorem court-fee is payable on the amount determined after accounting.

Final Decision: The appeal was dismissed.

Judgement

JAGDISH SAHAI, J. :- On a reference made by our brothers Broome and G. S. Lal, JJ. this appeal under Section 6-A of the Court-fees Act (U. P, Amendment) has been laid before us.

2. The respondent firm Thakur Prasad Kishori Lal brought the suit giving rise to this appeal for accounting and for the recovery of the sum found due after accounting to the plaintiff respondent from the defendant appellant Asharfi Lal. In the plaint the suit was valued at Rs. 300. Paragraph

10 of the plaint, which deals with the valuation of the suit reads:

"Yeh ki tayun maliyat dawa bagarz akhtiyar samayat wa adaya court-fees mublig 300 rupaiye kayam kiya jata hai. Baad kitab jis kadar rakam yaftani mudiyaan jimmgi mudalaham ayad ho us per mudaiyyan rasum sarkari ada karenge."

3. The relief claimed in the plaint reads thus :

"(a) Basadur digri infsakh sarakhat darmiyan farikain saakatdari fiks kar di jawe aur mudalaham ko hukum di jawe ki hisab kitab samjha de aur hisab kitab darmiyan farikain kara diya jawe aur jo rakam mudaiyyan jimmgi mudalaham sabit ho uski digri khilaf mudalaham sadir ki jawe.

(b) Kharcha Mudaiyyan mudalaham se mile.

(c) Yeh ki alaba ya bajay ya basamul dadrasi majkoorwale ke ham mudayyan aur jis digar dadrasi ke mustahak badanist adalat karar pawe uske bhi digri bahaq mudaiyyan bahaq mudalaham sadir ki jawe."

4. On accounting it was found that a sum of Rs. 11, 825/50 was due to the plaintiff respondent from the defendant appellant but before the trial Court decreed the suit and passed a formal decree or signed it made the plaintiff respondent deposit ad valorem court-fee on the sum of Rs. 11,825/50.

5. Dissatisfied with the decree passed by the trial Court the defendant appellant appealed before the District Judge. In the memorandum of appeal the valuation was shown at Rs. 300 and Court fee was paid on that amount. The Munsarim of the District Judge's Court made an endorsement that the court-fee paid was sufficient and the appeal was registered but the plaintiff respondent made an application to the District Judge stating therein that the correct valuation of the appeal was Rs. 11,825/50 on which amount ad valorem court-fee was payable by the defendant appellant. The learned Additional District Judge agreeing with the contention made by the plaintiff respondent passed an order directing the defendant appellant to pay ad valorem court-fee on Rs. 11,825/50 and make good the deficiency to the extent to which the Court fee already paid was deficient.

6. The defendant appellant appealed to this Court under Section 6-A of the Court Fees Act (U. P. Amendment) and, as already stated earlier, the matter has come to this Full Bench on a reference made by two learned Judges of this Court.

7. We have heard Sri V. B. Khare for the defendant appellant and Sri S. N. Sahai for the plaintiff respondent. The only controversy between the parties is as to whether Section 7 (i) of the Court Fees Act (U. P. Amendment) or Sec. 7 (iv) (b) would be applicable. Sri. V. B. Khare contends that clearly the suit was one for accounts and inasmuch as there is a specific provision relating to accounts in the shape of Section 7 (iv) (b) the general provision contained in Section 7 (i) would not apply on the principle that the special would exclude the general. Sri S. N. Sahai, on the other hand, contends that inasmuch as a decree now has been passed for the recovery of a specific amount, i.e., the sum of Rs. 11,825/50 the special provision that will be applicable will be clause (1) of Section 7 of the Court Fees Act (U. P. Amendment).

8. We are not impressed by the submission of Sri V. B. Khare that a suit of accounts always remains a suit for accounts even though a money decree is passed after accounting has been done. Properly analysed a suit for accounts is nothing but a suit for recovery of money but only after the amount has been determined. Consequently we find no justification for the submission that a suit for accounts would always remain a suit for

accou





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