MUNUSWAMI MUDALIAR Vs. GOVINDARAJA CHETTIAR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The facts out of which this appeal arises are as follows: Defendant 1 executed a deed of mortgage (Ex. A), dated 30 October 1913, for Rs. 3,515 odd in favour of Subbaraya Mudaliar and Ekambara Mudaliar. The two mortgagees afterwards died each leaving a minor son. The mortgagor afterwards sold of the mortgaged property to defendant 4 under Ex. 1, dated 27 March 1916. The amount of consideration for sale was paid to the mortgagees. The suit is now brought for the balance due on the mortgage. But the property sold under Ex. 1 is also sought to be sold along with the other property. Defendant 4 in his statement pleaded that some time before the sale he and defendant 1 went to the sons of the original mortgagees who were at that time minors represented by mothers as their guardians and offered to pay them half the mortgage amount then due to thorn in consideration of their accepting it in full in full satisfaction of their claim against the properties intended to be purchased by him. The mortgagees agreed not to proceed against the property sold, if the consideration is duly paid to them. Accordingly, the property was purchased under Ex. 1 and the consideration amount was paid to the mortgagees. A receipt was also taken which is Ex. 2 dated 7 November 1916. Defendant 4 therefore contended that the property purchased by him under Ex. 1 has been released from the mortgage.

(2.) In the Court below a question arose as to whether Ex. 2 was admissible in evidence. The learned Subordinate Judge, who tried the case, held that it is admissible under Section 17(2) (xi), Registration Act, and therefore dismissed the plaintiff's suit so far as the property purchased under Ex. 1 is concerned. Ho gave a decree against the rest of the property. The plaintiff appeals seeking to make the property purchased by defendant 4 also liable. In so far as Ex. 2 is a receipt, no doubt it is admissible in evidence. But there are certain parts of the document which show that it is something more than a mere receipt It says: As. Rs. 1,900 has been received by us, we have-released only the lands purchased by you from our mortgage deed.

(3.) In so far as this portion of it is concerned it is also a release and from this point of view, the document is not admissible in evidence. But apart from Ex. 2 we have got the oral evidence of D. Ws. 1 and 2. According to D.W. 2 some time before the sale deed the purchaser and defendant 1 with the help of an intermediary Thangavelu went to the mortgagees and the mortgagees promised them to release half of the property if the purchaser paid the price into the-hands of the mortgagees. The payment was to be made partly in discharge of the mortgage amount and Rs. 625 in discharge of another unsecured debt due by the mortgagor to the mortgagees. We think this evidence shows that there was a binding contract between the parties, the effect of the contract being that if the purchaser paid down the amount to the mortgagees they should give him a release. Afterwards, when the amount was paid, the mortgagees accepted the amount and at the time of the acceptance they did not show by their conduct that they wished to resile or go behind the contract already made. The only meaning that could be attributed to the acceptance of the amount is that they thereby released the property from the mortgage. If according to law the release of a part of the mortgaged property from the mortgage requires to be in writing and registered, then this will not be enough. But if this is enough to amount to a complete release, we do not see any reason why the conduct of the mortgagees does not amount to a complete release.