WRITTEN STATEMENT AND ADDITIONAL WRITTEN STATEMENT – DELAY AND CHANGE IN STAND EXPLAINED BY SUPREME COURT

WRITTEN STATEMENT AND ADDITIONAL WRITTEN STATEMENT – DELAY AND CHANGE IN STAND EXPLAINED BY SUPREME COURT

The Hon’ble Supreme court of India in Olympic Industries VS Mulla Hussainy Bhai Mulla Akberally & Ors. JUSTICE Tarun Chatterjee, JUSTICE H.L. Dattu, July 07, 2009. CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE, 1908: Or.8, r.9 - Subsequent pleadings - Additional written statement - Held: Even by filing an amendment or additional written statement, it is open to defendant to add a new ground of defence or to substitute or alter the defence or even to take inconsistent pleas in the written statement so long as the pleadings do not result in causing grave injuries/irretrievable prejudice to plaintiff - Mere delay is not sufficient to refuse amendment of pleadings or an additional written statement. Mere delay is not sufficient to refuse to allow amendment of pleadings or filing of additional written statement under Order 8 Rule 9 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 where no prejudice was caused to the party opposing such amendment or acceptance of additional written statement which could easily be compensated by cost. That apart, the delay in filing the additional written statement has been properly explained by the appellant. Even if the examination of PW-1 or his cross-examination was over, then also, it was open to the court to accept the additional written statement filed by the appellant by awarding some cost against the appellant. Even by filing an amendment or additional written statement, it is open to the defendant to add a new ground of defence or substituting or altering the defence or even taking inconsistent pleas in the written statement as long as the pleadings do not result in causing grave injustice and irretrievable prejudice to plaintiff or displacing him completely. It is well settled that courts should be more generous in allowing the amendment of written statement than in the case of plaint. While allowing additional written statement or refusing to accept the same, the court should only see that if such additional written statement is not accepted, the real controversy between the parties could not be decided. In the instant case, by filing additional written statement, no injustice/prejudice would be caused to the respondents, but that would help the court to decide the real controversy between the parties.

Supreme Court Of India Bench Consiting Of Justice R.V. Raveendran And Justice A K Patnaik In T.G. Ashok Kumar VS Govindammal & Anr., Decided on 08-12-2010, The principle underlying Section 52 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882 is clear. During the pendency in a court of competent jurisdiction of any suit which is not collusive, in which any right of an immovable property is directly and specifically in question, such property cannot be transferred by any party to the suit so as to affect the rights of any other party to the suit under any decree that may be made in such suit. If ultimately the title of the pendente lite transferor is upheld in regard to the transferred property, the transferee's title will not be affected. On the other hand, if the title of the pendente lite transferor is recognized or accepted only in regard to a part of the transferred property, then the transferee's title will be saved only in regard to that extent and the transfer in regard to the remaining portion of the transferred property to which the transferor is found not entitled, will be invalid and the transferee will not get any right, title or interest in that portion. If the property transferred pendente lite, is allotted in entirety to some other party or parties or if the transferor is held to have no right or title in that property, the transferee will not have any title to the property. Where a co-owner alienates a property or a portion of a property representing to be the absolute owner, equities can no doubt be adjusted while making the division during the final decree proceedings, if feasible and practical (that is without causing loss or hardship or inconvenience to other parties) by allotting the property or portion of the property transferred pendente lite, to the share of the transferor, so that the bonafide transferee's right and title are saved fully or partially.

SUGGESTION TO THE LAW MAKERS

Absence of a mechanism for prospective purchasers to verify whether a property is subject to any pending suit or a decree or attachment cause lot of hardship, loss, anxiety and unnecessary litigation. At present, a prospective purchaser can find out about any existing encumbrance over a property either by inspection of the Registration Registers or by securing a certificate relating to encumbrances (that is copies of entries in the Registration Registers) from the jurisdictional Sub-Registrar under Section 57 of the Registration Act, 1908. But a prospective purchaser has no way to ascertain whether there is any suit or proceeding pending in respect of the property, if the person offering the property for sale does not disclose it or deliberately suppresses the information. The inconveniences, risks, hardships and misery as a result of such transfers could be avoided and the property litigations could be reduced to a considerable extent, if there is some satisfactory and reliable method by which a prospective purchaser can ascertain whether any suit is pending (or whether the property is subject to any decree or attachment) before he decides to purchase the property. A solution has been found to this problem in the States of Maharashtra by an appropriate local amendment to section 52 of the Act, by Bombay Act 4 of 1939. The Law Commission and the Parliament must consider such amendment or other suitable amendment to cover the existing void in title verification or due diligence procedures. Provision can also be made for compulsory registration of such notices in respect of decrees and in regard to attachments of immoveable properties. 

At present in most of the States, agreements to sell are not compulsorily registrable as they do not involve transfer of any right, title or interest in an immoveable property. Registration of agreements of sale will reduce property litigation. It will go a long way to discourage generation and circulation of black money in real estate matters, as also undervaluation of documents for purposes of stamp duty. It will also discourage the growth of land mafia and muscleman who dominate the real estate scene in various parts of the country.