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{\title IN THE HIGH COURT OF FIJI (AT SUVA)}{\author Amelia Rasovo}{\operator blake_r}{\creatim\yr2004\mo8\dy30\hr14\min12}{\revtim\yr2004\mo8\dy31\hr9\min24}{\printim\yr2002\mo7\dy12\hr9\min26}{\version3}{\edmins1}{\nofpages2}{\nofwords465}
{\nofchars2654}{\*\company Judicial Department}{\nofcharsws3113}{\vern16389}}\widowctrl\ftnbj\aenddoc\noxlattoyen\expshrtn\noultrlspc\dntblnsbdb\nospaceforul\hyphcaps0\formshade\horzdoc\dghspace180\dgvspace180\dghorigin1701\dgvorigin1984\dghshow0\dgvshow0
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\qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2186676 \fs20\lang1033\langfe5129\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp5129 {\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 IN THE HIGH COURT OF FIJI}{
\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid2186676\charrsid2186676 
\par }{\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 (AT SUVA)
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2186676 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2186676 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 CIVIL ACTION NO. HBC 357 OF 2000S
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2186676 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2186676 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 Between:
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2186676 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2186676 {\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 VIDYA SAGAR
\par }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 Plaintiff}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806 
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2186676 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid2186676\charrsid2186676 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2186676 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 and
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2186676 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2186676 {\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 HOUSING AUTHORITY
\par }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 Defendant
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2186676 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 
\par Ms. V. Lal for the Plaintiff
\par S. Chandra for the Defendant
\par 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2186676 {\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 DECISION
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2186676 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 
\par The Housing Authority owned land at Waila which it subdivided.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid2186676  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 One of the lots was purchased by the Plaintiff.
\par 
\par The Plaintiff\rquote s case is that in 1999 a landslide which was caused by a blocked road drain damaged his property.
\par 
\par The Defendant\rquote s case is that the road in question did not belong to it at the time that the landslide occurred since it had already been dedicated to the Director of Lands.
\par 
\par At a conference held in December 2001 under the provisions of O 34 r 2 (6) I pointed out that the Housing Authority had raised a legal defence which if decided in its favour would in all likelihood determine the outcome of the proceedings without the need
 for a trial to be held.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid2186676  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 I asked both counsel to file written submissions.
\par 
\par In his written submissions filed on behalf of the Housing Authority Mr. Chandra stated (without any contradiction by the Plaintiff) that the road in question (Lot 7 on DP 7194) was
 dedicated and the instrument of dedication was registered on 26 March 1996.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid2186676  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 
Mr. Chandra submitted that in the absence of fraud which was not being alleged the dedication granted the Director of Lands indefeasible title to the land by virtue of Section 39 of the Land Transfer Act (Cap 31).}{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid2186676  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 Citing remarks by Hardman J in }{\fs24\ul\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 
Walker v. District Land Registrar}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676  (1923) GLR 465 he submitted that:
\par 
\par }\pard \ql \li720\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin720\itap0\pararsid2186676 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 \'93
When dedication is complete the ownership of the dedicator in the land is extinguished altogether.\'94
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2186676 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 
\par Mr. Chandra submitted that the liability of the Housing Authority as dedicator had been extinguished.
\par 
\par In her written submission in answer Ms. Lal exhibited a copy of a letter from the Department of Lands and Survey dated 3 November 1999 which reported that the Depar
tment had concluded that the dedication of the road was accepted by the Director of Lands in error.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid2186676  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 
The error apparently consisted in not obtaining from the PWD its certification that the road had been constructed to its standards and that the PWD}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid2186676  }{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 had undertaken its further maintenance.
\par 
\par In my view a simple error not involving fraud cannot provide a ground for impeaching the dedication.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid2186676  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 
Accordingly the dedication must be indefeasible and I so hold.
\par 
\par It is perhaps worth adding that according to a letter written on 3 December 1999 also exhibited to Ms. Lal\rquote s written submission the Housing Authority appeared to accept that it had some responsibility for what had occurred.}{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid2186676  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 It undertook to carry out certain works on the road.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid2186676  }{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 What the value of the actual damage to the Plaintiff\rquote s land (apparently unimproved) was, I do not know.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid2186676  }{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 Whether the action is properly within the jurisdiction of the High Court or whether it should in fact have been commenced in the Magistrates\rquote  Court is not clear.}{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid2186676  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 There seem to be gro
unds for optimism that realistic discussions between the existing parties and the Director of Lands could lead to a settlement of this action without the need to take the proceedings further.
\par 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2186676 {\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 M.D. Scott
\par Judge
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2186676 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8657806\charrsid2186676 
\par 15 July 2002
\par }}