High Court Of Madhya Pradesh
R. S. GARG
SABINA ALIAS FARIDA - Appellant
Versus
MOHD.ABDUL WASIT - Respondents
C. R. 132 Of 1992
Decided On : 01/03/1996
COURT FEES ACT - SECTION 7 (IV) (C) AND ARTICLE 17 OF SCHEDULE II - CONSECUTIVE RELIEF - DECLARATION AND INJUNCTION - COURT FEES - VALUATION OF SUIT - INTERPRETATION.
Fact of the Case:
The plaintiff filed a suit seeking a declaration that the suit house belonged exclusively to her and an injunction restraining the defendant from interfering with her possession. She valued the suit for Rs. 3 lacs for the declaration and Rs. 300/- for the injunction, paying Court fees accordingly. The trial court directed her to pay proper Court fees, holding that the suit was undervalued.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the plaintiff had properly valued the suit and paid the appropriate Court fees. It set aside the trial court's order directing her to pay additional Court fees.
Issues: 1. Whether the relief of injunction was a consequential relief to the relief of declaration. 2. Whether the plaintiff was required to pay Court fees on the market value of the property for the declaration.
Ratio Decidendi: 1. The court interpreted Section 7 (iv) (c) of the Court Fees Act and Article 17 of Schedule II together to hold that if no consequential relief is prayed for, Section 7 (iv) (c) would not be applicable and the plaintiff is not liable to pay Court fees on the market value of the property. 2. The court held that the relief of injunction in the present case was not a consequential relief to the relief of declaration because the plaintiff could have claimed the injunction independently of the declaration.
Final Decision: The court allowed the revision petition and set aside the trial court's order directing the plaintiff to pay additional Court fees.
( 1 ) THE applicant-plaintiff being aggrieved by the order 21-2-92 passed in Civil Suit (unregistered) by the learned Ist Additional Distict Judge, Bhopal, directing the plaintiff to pay the proper Court-fee, has preferred this revision.
( 2 ) THE brief facts necessary for the present revision are that the plaintiff claiming to be an owner and title holder prayed for a declaration that the House No. 25 (the suit house) belongs to her exclusively and the defendant has no right and is not entitled to interfere with the possession of the plaintiff. For the purposes of the declaration the plaintiff valued the suit for Rupees Three lacs but, however, paid the fixed Court-fee under Schedule II, Article 17 of the Court-fees Act and for the purposes of the injunction valued it for Rs. 300/- and paid Court-fees Rs. 30/-, in all valued the suit for Rs. 3,00,300/- and paid Rs. 60/- as Court fees. The learned trial Court before registration of the suit, while checking the plaint came to the conclusion that the plaintiff has not properly valued the suit. It is note-worthy that in the order itself referring to State of M. P. v. Ramswarup, 1977 (2) MPWN 306 the Court below has observed that the plaintiff is in possession of the property and the alleged declaration is in relation to her title only, therefore, the Court-fees on the market value of the property is not required. However, the Court below referring to S. R. M. Ars. Sp. Sathappa Chattiar v. S. R. M. Ar. Rm. Ramanatham Chettiar, AIR 1958 SC 245 observed that the plaintiff must be given an opportunity to clear the ambiguity between the valuation of the suit and the Court-fee. Being aggrieved by this order the plaintiff has preferred this revision petition.
( 3 ) SHRI Jain submitted that for attraction of Section 7 (iv) (c) of the Court-fees Act the consequential relief must flow directly from the declaration or without such consequential relief either the declaration, or without the declaration such a consequential relief cannot be granted. According to him Article 17 of Schedule II would be applicable for the purposes of the Court-fees and the plaintiff being the dominus litis was entitled to put his own valuation of the property for the purposes of the pecuniary jurisdiction of the Court. On the other hand Shri Lalwani submitted that in the instant case the plaintiff could not have sought an injunction unless she was declared owner of the property and unless injunction is granted in her favour no declaration can be made. According to him Section 7 (iv) (c) fully applies to the facts of the case. 3a. Section 7 (iv) (c) refers to a prayer for a declaratory decree and consequential relief. Where the plaintiff wants to claim an injunction which is consequence of declaration or where without declaration of right or status the injunction cannot be granted, Section 7 (iv) (c) would apply with full force. Section 7 (iv) (d) relates to the relief of the injunction. Article 17 of Schedule II of Court-fee Act refers to certain suits wherein the fixed Court-fee is to be paid. It relates to such relief where the plaintiff seeks to obtain declaratory decree where no consequential relief is prayed. Section 7 (iv)c) and Article 17 of Schedule II read together lead to only irresistible conclusion that if no consequential reliefs is prayed for Section 7 (iv) (c) would not be applicable and plaintiff is not liable to pay the Court-fees on the market value of the property as a simple declaration would be sufficient. The Supreme Court in the matter of Shamshersingh v. Rajinder Prashad, AIR 1973 SC 2384 has observed as under :-The expression "consequential relief" means some relief, which would follow directly from the declaration given, the valuation of which is not capable of being definitely ascertained and which is not specifically provided for anywhere in the Act and cannot be claimed independently of the declaration as a "substantial relief". In the matter of Mahant Purshottam Dass v
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