Case Laws: Stamp duty payable on agreement to sell which has been executed with a specific clause of delivery of possession to proposed buyer, but both parties state that actual possession was never delivered.

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(Supreme Court of India) | | 07-10-2013

In this case, it was observed by court that the court being an authority to receive a document in evidence to give effect thereto, the agreement to sell with possession is an instrument which requires payment of the stamp duty applicable to a deed of conveyance.

Relevant Para is as follows:-

“Mr. Sharma contends that for admissibility of the document what is relevant is the recital therein. He submits that agreement to sell is “conveyance” as defined under Section 2(10) of the Act and shall be chargeable with duty as contemplated under Section 3 of the Act. According to him, as the agreement in question is not duly stamped, it shall be inadmissible in evidence under Section 35 of the Act. Mr. Fakhruddin, however, submits that the defendants having joined the issue with regard to the possession of the plaintiffs in terms of the agreement to sell, the document in question shall not come within the expression “conveyance” as defined under the Act and, hence, it cannot be said that it is not duly stamped.

In view of the rival submission, the question which falls for our determination is as to whether the admissibility of a document produced by the party would depend upon the recital in the document or the plea of the adversary in the suit and whether the document in question is “conveyance” as defined under the Act and is duly stamped.

As stated earlier, the plaintiffs filed a suit for specific performance of contract and their case is founded on the agreement to sell executed on 27th December, 2000. The agreement to sell acknowledges payment of the part of consideration money and further giving actual physical possession to the purchaser by the seller. Though the defendants dispute that, but in our opinion, for determination of the question of admissibility of a document, it is the recital therein which shall be decisive. Whether the possession in fact was given or not in terms of the agreement to sell is a question of fact which requires adjudication. But, at the time of considering the question of admissibility of document, it is the recital therein which shall govern the issue. It does not mean that the recital in the document shall be conclusive but for the purpose of admissibility it is the terms and conditions incorporated therein which shall hold the field.”

2. B. Ratnamala v. G. Rudramma2

(High Court of Telangana) | 20-08-1999

In this case, it was observed by the court that agreement containing specific recital of delivery of possession or indicating delivery of possession even in the past is liable for stamp duty as a sale under the said Explanation.

Relevant Para is as follows:-

“(9) WHILE considering the provisions of the Indian Stamp Act, it has to be borne in mind that the said Act being a fiscal statute, plain language of the section as per its natural meaning is the true guide. No inferences, analogies or any presumptions can have any place. As the incidence of duty is on the execution of the deed, regard must, therefore, be had only to the terms of the document. Thus the main question that falls for consideration is the interpretation of the expressions “followed by or evidencing delivery of possession”. These expressions cannot be read in isolation and one has to find the true meaning by reading the entire Explanation and more so in conjunction with the earlier expression. i.e., “agreement”. Even if these two expressions are looked independently, it means an agreement to sell followed by delivery of possession and an agreement to sell evidencing delivery of possession. In the first case,. i.e., “followed by delivery”, possession cannot be disjuncted from the basic source. i.e., agreement to sell. Therefore, the expression followed by delivery of possession should have a direct nexus to the agreement and should be read in juxtaposition to the word agreement and it cannot be independent or outside the agreement. Therefore, the delivery of possession should follow the agreement. e. , through the agreement. It takes in its sweep the recital in the agreement itself that delivery of possession is being handed over. It will also cover cases of delivery of possession contemporaneous with the execution of Agreement, even if there is no specific recital in the Agreement. In other words, the delivery of possession should be intimately and inextricably connected with the Agreement. And in the second type,. i.e. , agreements evidencing delivery of possession, if the document contains evidence of delivery of possession by a recital in that behalf, that is sufficient. Such delivery of possession can be prior to the date of agreement and need not be under the agreement. If the Agreement records the fact that the possession was delivered earlier and such recital serves as evidence of delivery of possession, though prior to the Agreement, it falls under the second limb. Therefore, on a proper interpretation of the said expressions, it would follow that an agreement containing specific recital of delivery of possession or indicating delivery of possession even in the past is liable for stamp duty as a sale under the said Explanation.”

1 http://www.legitquest.com/case/omprakash-v-laxminarayan/8060F

2 https://www.legitquest.com/case/b-ratnamala-v-g-rudramma/3A8B1

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