Research › Browse › Judgment

Madras High Court · body

1929 DIGILAW 273 (MAD)

Varalakshmi Ammal v. Venkammal

1929-08-09

S.CHETTY

body1929
JUDGMENT Sundaratn Chetty, J. 1. This second appeal arises out of a suit brought by the plaintiff-respondent, for a declaration that the Will Ex. III alleged to have been executed by her deceased father, one Krishna Ayyar, is not genuine and that, even if it be found to be genuine, it is invalid. The defendant is the widow of Krishna Iyer, and was his third wife. The plaintiff is her stepdaughter. 2. The main point for consideration is whether the deceased Krishna Ayyar had any disposing power over the suit house after the execution of the registered settlement deed by him on 10th April, 1920, (vide Ex. I). This question turns upon a proper construction of the terms of Ex. I. By this deed the settlor gave his wife (the defendant) a right to enjoy the house along with him during his lifetime and after his death should enjoy the house till the end of her lifetime and thereafter the house should be taken by his heirs absolutely. There is no doubt that he intended to confer a life-estate on his wife in this house. The point in dispute is as to what he did with the remainder. The lower Appellate Court held that under this deed the deceased made a disposition of the remainder in favour of his heirs absolutely on the termination of the life-estate conferred on his wife. In this view, it held that the subsequent disposal of the house under the Will, Ex. III, is ineffectual. 3. It is contended for the appellant that the lower Court has misconstrued Ex. I and that the words in Ex. I relating to the devolution of the property on the settlors heirs after the wifes lifetime indicate merely that she should take only a life-interest on a careful consideration I find it difficult to accede to this contention. The words in Ex, I, namely, after my wifes lifetime my heirs should take the property absolutely", indicate to my mind a disposition of the remainder in favour of those who would be his heirs at the time of his wifes death. In order to make this clearer, there are words to the effect that he would not make any alienation of the property during his life time and that even if he made any, it would be valid. In order to make this clearer, there are words to the effect that he would not make any alienation of the property during his life time and that even if he made any, it would be valid. This is consistent with the idea that he had divested himself even of the remainder. There is also a direction that those heirs should take the property with absolute rights. Even if the heir happens to be a female, she takes this property absolutely by virtue of this clause. Some meaning or significance has to be attached to the word absolutely and if the settlor did not intend to make a disposition of the remainder in favour of his heirs, there would be no need for him to say that they must take it with absolute rights. Under Ex, II which was executed by him on the same day, he gave some lands to his wife with absolute rights, but as regards the suit house he restricted her right to life enjoyment under Ex. I giving the remainder to his own heirs absolutely. Even considering Exs. I and II together, it is difficult to hold that there was no idea of disposition of the remainder in the suit house, in the mind of the deceased The construction of the terms of Ex. I made by the lower Appellate Court is correct. 4. The next contention is, that the gift of the remainder in favour of his own heirs is not legal and valid. It seems to me that after the termination of the life-estate given to the widow, the remainder should go to the heirs of the settlor who would be in existence at the time of the widows death and they must take the property absolutely. In a recent decision of the Privy Council reported as Madhavrao Ganpatrao Desai v. Balabhai Raghunath Agaskar 107 Ind. Cas. 119 : 52 B. 176 :A.I.R. 1928 P.C. 33 : 30 Bom. L.R. 282 : 57 C.L.J. 198 : 54 M.L.J. 245 : 27 L.W. 400 : I.L.T. 40 Bom. In a recent decision of the Privy Council reported as Madhavrao Ganpatrao Desai v. Balabhai Raghunath Agaskar 107 Ind. Cas. 119 : 52 B. 176 :A.I.R. 1928 P.C. 33 : 30 Bom. L.R. 282 : 57 C.L.J. 198 : 54 M.L.J. 245 : 27 L.W. 400 : I.L.T. 40 Bom. 86 : 26 A.L.J. 560 : 32 C.W.N. 925 : 55 I.A. 74 : (1928) M.W.N. 960 (P.C.) was it held upon a construction of a deed, similarly worded, that the intention was to make an independent gift to those persona who should be the male heirs of the daughter on her death, to whom a life estate was given. (Vide also Periyanayaki Animal v. Ratnavelu Muda-Uar 83 Ind. Cas. 23 : 47 M.L.J. 310 : 20 L.W. 449 : A.I.R. 1925 Mad. 61 : (1924) M.W.N. 516. In the present case the gift of the remainder is to the settlors own heirs, who happen to be alive on the date of his wifes death and they take a contingent estate. The decision in Ramguttee Acharjee v. Kristo Soonduree Debia 20 W.R. 472 relied on by the learned Vakil for the appellant is clearly distinguishable, for in that case, the testator attempted to effect a disposition of the property in his own way, if the adopted son in whom the property vested absolutedly should die unmarried. It was held that this bequest offended the rule laid down in Jatindra Mohan Tagore v. Gnendra Mohan Tagore 1 I.A. Sup. Vol. 47 : 18 W.R. 359 : 9 B.L.R. 377 : 3 Sar. P.C. 82 : 2 Suth. P.C.J. 692 (P.C.), Even the decision in Benode Behari Bose v. Nistarini Dassi 33 C. 180 : 2 C.L.J. 189 : 9 C.W.N. 961 : 15 M.L.J. 331 : 7 Bom. L.R. 887 : 32 I.A. 193 (P.C.) does not materially help the appellants contention in this case. It seems to me that the settlor had no disposing power over the suit property after the execution of Ex. I. The plaintiff as a holder of a contingent estate at least, is entitled to maintain the suit for declaration. 5. The decision of the lower Appellate Court is correct and this appeal is dismissed with costs.