Can a party holding a preliminary decree of a partition suit acquire title to a specific portion of a particular property and can transfer it to third party?

Therefore, the question of specific immovable properties or specifically identified portions of immovable properties getting allotted to any person merely holding a preliminary decree with respect to an undivided share does not arise. A preliminary decree in a suit for partition merely declares the shares that the parties are entitled to in any of the properties included in the plaint schedule and liable to partition. On the basis of a mere declaration of the rights that take place under the preliminary decree, the parties cannot trade in, on specific items of properties or specific portions of suit schedule properties. Since there are three stages in a partition suit, namely (i) passing of a preliminary decree in terms of Order XX Rule 18(2); (ii) appointment of a Commissioner and passing of a final decree in terms of Order XXVI Rule 14 (3); and (iii) taking possession in execution of such decree under Order XXI Rule 35, no party to a suit for partition, even by way of compromise, can acquire any title to any specific item of property or any particular portion of a specific property, if such a compromise is struck only with a few parties to the suit. {Para 195}

In the Supreme Court of India

(Before V. Ramasubramanian and Pankaj Mithal, JJ.)

Civil Appeal Nos. of 2023

Trinity Infraventures Ltd. and Others Vs M.S. Murthy and Others.

Citation: 2023 SCC OnLine SC 738.

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