IN THE HIGH COURT OF MADHYA PRADESH
Dwarkadhish Bansal, J
Suresh Chand v. Shiv Vishal Through LRs. & Others
First Appeal No. 730 of 2000 (Jabalpur): against the order dated 12.7.2000 passed by Second Additional District Judge, Shahdol in Civil Suit No. 8-A/1989; Decided on 18.7.2024.
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(1) Court Fees Act, 1870 -- S. 7(iv)(c) and 7(v) -- suit for declaration of sale deeds as null and void and recovery of possession -- twenty times of land revenue paid as Court fee -- Court neither determined valuation of suit nor Court fee -- in absence of determination of valuation of suit and Court fee, trial Court has no jurisdiction to dismiss suit for want of proper valuation and payment of Court. AIR 1988 SC 1636 followed. [Para 10]
(2) Civil P.C. 1908 -- O. 14 R. 2 -- issue required evidence -- same decided as preliminary issue -- such issue ought to have been decided along with other issues. AIR 1988 SC 1636 referred to. [Para 12]
JUDGMENT
1. This first appeal has been preferred by appellant/plaintiff challenging the order dated 12.7.2000 passed by 2nd Additional District Judge, Shahdol, in Civil Suit No.8-A/1989, whereby plaintiff’s suit has been dismissed for want of compliance of order dated 30.10.1999.
2. Short facts of the case are that the plaintiff Suresh Kumar instituted a suit for declaring the sale deed dated 24.7.1971 to be null and void and recovery of possession of the suit property as well as for declaring the subsequent sale deeds executed by defendant 1 in favour of defendants 12-18. On basis of consideration mentioned in the sale deed dated 24.7.1971 and on basis of twenty times of land revenue,the plaintiff valued the suit for the relief(s) claimed in the plaint and paid requisite court fee as described in paragraph 35 of the plaint.
3. Upon filing written statement by defendant(s), trial Court framed issues and proceeded furtherto record evidence of the parties, but during pendency of suit and incompliance of order dated 24.3.1998 passed by this Court in C.R. No.669/1998, trial Court proceeded to decide issue No.11 as preliminary issue and after hearing arguments of the parties, decided the same against the plaintiff, vide order dated 30.10.1999 by holding that the plaintiff has not paid requisite Court fee on the valuation of Rs.22,000/- and for other relief(s) and directed the plaintiff to amend the plaint putting valuation on the basis of market value and then to pay Court fee thereon,however trial Court did not determine any valuationor court fee payable by the plaintiff.
4. In pursuance of direction contained in paragraph 17 of the order dated 30.10.1999, the plaintiff filed an application proposing amendment in plaint regarding valuation and payment of Court fee and on valuation of Rs.22,000/- paid Court fee of Rs.2330/- on 03.12.1999 and also shown willingness to pay court fee according to the valuation made in the plaint, but the application for amendment was rejected by trial Court vide order dated 4.1.2000, which was challenged before the High Court by filing C.R. No.182/2000, however by the time civil revision rendered infructuousbecause of passing of final order dt. 12.7.2000by trial Court dismissing the suit.
5. Learned counsel for the plaintiff submits that according to plaint averments and the relief claimed therein, the plaintiff rightly and properly valued the suit and paid requisite court fee and upon passing the order dtd. 30.10.1999 on preliminary issue No.11, the plaintiff proposed amendment in the plaint regarding valuation and payment of court fee and also paid Court fee amount of Rs.2,330/-, but trial Court committed illegality in dismissing the application for amendment under Order 6 rule 17 CPC and even at the time of rejection of application, trial Court did notdetermine/specify the valuation and payment of court fee.
6. In support of her submissions learned counsel placed reliance on the decision of Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of M/s. Commercial Aviation and Travel Company and others v. Mrs. Vimla Pannalal AIR 1988 SC 1636 and submits that trial Court was not correct in dismissing the suit, that toowithout final determination of valuation and Court fee. With these submissions learned counsel prays for setting aside the impugned order.
7. Learned counsel appearing for LRs of respondent 1 supports the impugned order and prays for dismissal of the appeal, with the further submissions that after passing of order dated 30.10.1999, the plaintiff was given several opportunities to comply the order dated 30.10.1999 and upon failure of the plaintiff, the suit has rightly been dismissed. With these submissions he prays for dismissal of the first appeal.
8. Heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the record.
9. Perusal of order dated 30.10.1999 shows that although trial Court has found that valuationput by the plaintiff is not proper and consequentlyit directed the plaintiff to value the suit as per market va
Point of law: Court Fee - It is evident that the Court has to find cut that the claim is under valued. Then at least require the plaintiff to correct the valuation and fix a time to pay deficit Court....
Amendment under Order VI Rule 17 CPC allowed for clerical valuation error at pre-trial stage without defendant objection.
The valuation of the suit property and the court fee to be paid are matters of trial and the defendants shall be at liberty to lead evidence at that stage. While deciding an application under Order V....
Trial courts must adjudicate proper valuation and allow time for fee remittance rather than dismissing suits prematurely.
The main legal point established in the judgment is that the correct payment of court fee in a suit must be determined in accordance with settled legal principles and the specific provisions of the C....
A suit which has not been properly valued and proper court fee has not been paid, can rejected in terms of Order 7 Rule 11 of CPC.
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