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1925 DIGILAW 254 (ALL)

Tufail Hasan v. Muhamdi Begam

1925-05-26

DANIELS, SULAIMAN

body1925
JUDGMENT Sulaiman and Daniels, JJ. - This is aDefendant's appeal arising out of a suit for redemption. It appears that on a previous occasion the Plaintiff instituted a suit for redemption of this very mortgage and obtained a compromise decree in December, 1916. The decree as framed was not in accordance with the compromise and was accordingly subsequently corrected in April, 1924. The amended decree stood as follows: On payment of Rs. 225 to theDefendant within one month of the date of the compromise the Plaintiff would be entitled to get the property redeemed and to be put in possession; but after the expiry of the fixed period he will be entitled to execute his decree on payment of Rs. 225. Parties shall bear their own costs. 2. The Plaintiff failed to pay the amount in time and failed to apply for execution within three years. He, however, has brought a second suit for redemption of that property. The trial court dismissed the suit holding that the claim was barred by the provisions of Section 11 of the Code of Civil Procedure. On appeal the learned Subordinate Judge has taken the contrary view and remanded the case for trial of the other points involved in the case.' In our opinion the view taken by the lower appellate court is correct. When it is borne in mind that the original mortgage-deed was a usufructuary mortgage, a suit for redemption of that mortgage, in spite of a default of payment of the mortgage money within the time fixed, can be brought. If there had been no compromise, the proper course would have been that the property would be sold and the mortgage money realized thereby. By mere lapse of the time fixed, the mortgagee does not become the absolute proprietor of the mortgaged property. The case, however, was compromised and the decree was passed in terms of the compromise. The compromise nowhere expressly stated that in default of the payment of Rs. 225 within one month the Plaintiff's right to redeem would be extinguished or that his exclusive remedy would be to apply for execution. We may note that the decree as originally framed bore a clause that in default of payment his right to redeem would be extinguished, but the court subsequently corrected this, holding that it was not in accordance with the compromise. We may note that the decree as originally framed bore a clause that in default of payment his right to redeem would be extinguished, but the court subsequently corrected this, holding that it was not in accordance with the compromise. It seems to us that when under the compromise the parties did not agree that the Plaintiff's right to redeem would be extinguished absolutely, he is not prevented from bringing a second suit for redemption, and the mortgagee is still a mortgagee and has not become the absolute pro-prietary of the property. In support of our view we may refer to the case of Hari Ram v. Indraj ILR (1924) 5 Lah. 371. which has been followed by the Punjab High Court in the case of Arura v. Bur Singh ILR (1922) All. 730. 3. We accordingly dismiss this appeal with costs.