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{\title IN THE HIGH COURT OF FIJI (AT SUVA)}{\author Amelia Rasovo}{\operator blake_r}{\creatim\yr2004\mo8\dy30\hr10\min39}{\revtim\yr2004\mo8\dy31\hr10\min11}{\version3}{\edmins2}{\nofpages2}{\nofwords612}{\nofchars3490}{\*\company Judicial Department}
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\qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15017348 \fs20\lang1033\langfe5129\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp5129 {\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 IN THE HIGH COURT OF FIJI}{
\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid15017348\charrsid15017348 
\par }{\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 (AT SUVA)
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15017348 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15017348 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 CIVIL APPEAL NO. HBA 23 OF 2001S
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15017348 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15017348 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 Between:
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15017348 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15017348 {\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 SARAS SHIU RAM
\par }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 Appellant
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15017348 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15017348 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 and
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15017348 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15017348 {\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 VIRENDRA KUMAR
\par }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 and
\par }{\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 PARVATI
\par }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 Respondents
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15017348 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 
\par D. Sharma for the Appellant
\par Ms. V. Lal for the Respondents
\par 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15017348 {\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 JUDGMENT
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15017348 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 
\par On 24 November 1993 the Appellant agreed to sell the Respondents a vacant piece of land Lot 40 on DP 5521 for $20,000.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid15017348  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 
A copy of the agreement is at page 98 of the record.
\par 
\par There are a number of curious features about this agreement.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid15017348  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 While it several times refers to a \'93date of settlement\'94
 no date for such settlement is specified.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid15017348  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 Despite this omission time was stated to be the essence of the contract.}{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid15017348  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 The contract also inc
ludes a warranty by the Appellant that the title deed to the property was unencumbered although the deposit provision makes it clear that the Appellant did not actually have title to the property at the time that she agreed to sell it.
\par 
\par The title to the property at the time the agreement was entered into was in fact held by the Nasinu Land Purchase and Housing Cooperative Society Limited (the Coop) of which the Appellant was apparently a member.
\par 
\par In November 1993 the Respondents paid the Appellant $5000 pursuant to the agreement.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid15017348  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 In June 1994 a further $3000 was paid.}{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid15017348  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 The Respondents moved into the property two days after signing the sale and purchase agreement.
\par 
\par In breach of the agreement the Appellant did not obtain title to the property and did not convey the title to the Respondents.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid15017348  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 
The Respondents eventually obtained title from the Coop in February 1998 (see pages 35 and 38 of the record).
\par 
\par On 1 December 1998 the Respondents issued proceedings in the Suva Magistrates\rquote  Court for the return of the $8,000 paid.
\par 
\par In his concise and clear Judgment the Resident Magistrate (J. Singh Esq) found as a fact that the Respondents had paid $8,000 to the Appellant but that she had not conveyed the title to them.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid15017348  }{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 In these circumstances there was a clear breach of
 contract, in fact a total failure of consideration by the Appellant and, absent special reasons, the Resident Magistrate had no alternative but to order the refund of the $8,000 to the Respondents.
\par 
\par The special reasons for not ordering the refund which were advanced before the Resident Magistrate and again before this Court arose from the somewhat mysterious nature of the dealings between the Appellant and the Coop.
\par 
\par The Appellant claimed that she had fully paid the Coop for the land in question and that she was therefore entitled to have the land conveyed to her.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid15017348  }{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 She relied on a receipt No. 0724 dated 30 November 1993 which appears to show a payment of $8,500 \'93being full and final payment on Lot 40 Stage III on DP 5521\'94
 issued by the Coop (see page 26 of the record).}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid15017348  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 
The Coop however wrote to the Respondents in March 1997 (page 93) and advised them that the Appellant had only paid a deposit of either $3,000 or $8,000 (the figure is not clear in the exhibit) in March 1984 since which she had paid nothing w
ith the result that she had \'93lost her claim to purchase the lot\'94 which she was not entitled to sell.
\par 
\par The Coop was not a party to the proceedings in the Magistrates\rquote  Court and it is impossible to know where the truth lies but in my view the Resident Magist
rate was right to hold that the misconduct of the Coop, even if proved, could not amount to a defence to the Respondents\rquote  action against the Appellant.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid15017348  }{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 And neither in my view can the fact that the Respondent\rquote s apparently lived on the land rent free from N
ovember 1993 to February 1998 or the fact that the Respondents were apparently able to negotiate the purchase price for the property down from the original $20,000 asked by the Coop to $11,500 eventually agreed upon and paid.
\par 
\par As the Resident Magistrate saw it the Appellant\rquote s grievance, if justified, must be against the Coop and not against the Respondents.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid15017348  }{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 I agree.
\par 
\par Mr. Sharma filed an excellent and helpful written submission and said all that could possibly be said on behalf of the Appellant.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid15017348  }{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 In my opinion however there was no error in the Resident Magistrate\rquote s approach.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid15017348  }{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 The appeal fails and is dismissed.
\par 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15017348 {\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 M.D. Scott
\par Judge
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15017348 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid7426737\charrsid15017348 
\par 18 April 2002
\par }}