Judges : P.K.BALASUBRAMANYAN,T.M.HASSAN PILLAI
Ittiyachan - Appellant
Versus
Tomy - Respondent
Case No : E.F.A. No. 16 of 2001
Decided On : 08/09/2001
Advocates Appeared :
P.N.K. Achan; Dinesh R. Shenoy; For Appellant S. Venkitasubramanya Ayyar; P.V. Baby; For Respondents
Civil Procedure Code 1908, Order XXI, Rule 97 & 99 - Transfer of Property Act 1882, Section 10 - Property - Claims - Settlement - Income - Statement - Interest - Appellant hereinafter referred to as claimant along with his four sons and three daughters are heirs of his wife died - Properties inherited from and an item of property purchased jointly by and claimant were subject matter of settlement or partition marked in proceeding - Under that settlement or partition daughters of took their shares in terms of money - Item therein was divided into four and each of sons took portion extending from east to west and one to south of other - Held, Court do not think that it is necessary to multiply authorities on above question - As court have noticed though limited in nature restraint operates in such a way that allottee could not deal with property at all unless father chose to agree to join him in deed - This in our view operates as restraint on alienation especially in context of fact that father has not taken any right or interest over property in question - Position could be different in case where he had retained unto himself right to take income from property during his lifetime or had taken life estate therein - Court therefore inclined to think that restriction imposed in cannot be deemed to be valid - Appeal dismissed
P.K. Balasubramanyan, Ag. C.J.
1. The appellant is the petitioner in E.A.455 of 1999 in E.P. 319 of 1996 in O.S. 385 of 1992 on the file of the Subordinate Judge's Court of North Paravur. That application was filed by him invoking O. XXI R.97, O. XLVII R.1 and S.151 of the Code of Civil Procedure. The appellant, the petitioner in E.A. 455 of 1999, is the father of the judgment debtor in O.S. 385 of 1992. The decree holder in that suit was impleaded as respondent No.1 and the judgment debtor was impleaded as respondent No. 2 in E.A. 455 of 1999. That application was opposed by the decree holder. The Court below, after an enquiry, dismissed that application. Hence, this appeal is filed by the appellant invoking O. XXI R.103 of the Code of Civil Procedure read with O. XLI R.1 thereof.
2. The appellant, hereinafter referred to as "the claimant", along with his four sons and three daughters are the heirs of his wife Mariya. Mariya died. The properties inherited from Mariya and an item of property purchased jointly by Mariya and the claimant, were the subject matter of a settlement or partition, marked Ext. A4 in the proceeding. Under that settlement or partition dated 15.10.1988, the daughters of Mariya took their shares in terms of money. Item No.1 therein (we are concerned with that item here) was divided into four and each of the sons took a portion extending from east to west and one to the south of the other. It was provided in that partition or settlement deed that the claimant would have a life interest over item No. 2 to that deed. On the terms of Ext. A4, the division of item No.1 was outright division. But, it was provided therein that if during the lifetime of the father, the claimant, the allottees-sons, wanted to dispose of their shares, they must do so with the consent of the father and with the junction of the father in the deed of sale. Acting against this particular term in the settlement deed, the judgment debtor entered into an agreement for sale with the decree holder to sell the 21 cents obtained by him under Ext. A4. He did not perform his part of the contract and this led to the decree holder filing the suit O.S. 385 of 1992 for specific performance of the agreement for sale. The suit was filed on 15.7.1992. The judgment debtor appeared on 17.10.1992. He was thereafter set ex parte and the suit was decreed. The ex parte decree against him was set aside on his application. Thereafter he filed a written statement. Issues were struck. The suit was included in the list for trial to 11.8.1994. The defendant did not appear. He was again set ex parte and the suit was decreed. The judgment debtor filed I.A. 4620 of 1994 to set aside the ex parte decree. After taking evidence, that application was ultimately dismissed on 28.8.1995. On 13.6.1996, the Execution Petition was filed by the decree holder. The judgment debtor appeared on 10.3.1997. Ultimately on 9.6.1998, the balance purchase price was deposited. A draft sale deed was produced thereafter. On 1.9.1998 the Court approved the draft sale deed. On 21.5.1999, the Court directed that the property be identified. The brothers of the judgment debtor obstructed. The Surveyor, who had been directed to identify the property, sought police help from Court. That was granted. On 28.5.1999, the Surveyor completed his work and on 15.6.1999 he filed a report and plan. Thereafter the Court executed the sale deed on 13.8.1999. The Court ordered delivery and the property was delivered over on 30.8.1999.
3. In view of the fact that delivery had been effected by the Court as evidenced by the report of the Amin, the claimant ought to have filed an application for re-delivery under O. XXI R.99 of the Code of Civil Procedure. But, what he did was to make an application under O. XXI R.97 of the Code of Civil Procedure as if he were offering obstruction to the delivery. He also invoked O. XLVII R.1 of the Code of Civil Procedure seeking a review of the order, directing delivery
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