[2010] KEHC 2172 (KLR)
The court found that the plaintiff had established a prima facie case that the transaction may be null and void for lack of proper Land Control Board consent, as required by law for dealings in agricultural land. The court held that there were triable issues regarding the validity of the charge and the exercise of...
Source-derived case information.
- Citation
- [2010] KEHC 2172 (KLR)
- Parties
- Plaintiff: Joseph Kiplagat Kogos; Defendant: Family Bank Limited
- Court
- High Court
- Court Station
- High Court at Eldoret
- Jurisdiction
- Kenya
- Case Number
- Civil Case 13 of 2009
- Procedural Posture
- Civil Case / Interlocutory Application for Injunction
- Outcome
- Interlocutory injunction granted in favour of the plaintiff pending determination of the suit. Costs to the plaintiff.
- Legal Topics
- Land Control Board Consent, Charge of Land, Injunctive Relief, Statutory Power of Sale
- Source Language
- en
Source-derived case record
Summary, issues, holding and outcome
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Parties
Joseph Kiplagat Kogos
Plaintiff
Family Bank Limited
Defendant
Procedural Posture
Civil Case / Interlocutory Application for Injunction
Legal Issues
- 1 Whether the transaction between the plaintiff and defendant was null and void for lack of proper Land Control Board consent.
- 2 Whether the plaintiff is entitled to an interlocutory injunction restraining the defendant from dealing with the suit land pending determination of the suit.
- 3 Whether the defendant's exercise of statutory power of sale was lawful.
Ratio Decidendi
The court found that the plaintiff had established a prima facie case that the transaction may be null and void for lack of proper Land Control Board consent, as required by law for dealings in agricultural land. The court held that there were triable issues regarding the validity of the charge and the exercise of the statutory power of sale by the defendant. To preserve the subject matter of the suit, the court granted an interlocutory injunction restraining the defendant from dealing with the suit land until the determination of the main suit. The court also noted that costs would be awarded to the plaintiff/applicant.
Court Disposition
Interlocutory injunction granted in favour of the plaintiff pending determination of the suit. Costs to the plaintiff.
Orders
- An interlocutory injunction is hereby issued restraining the defendant from dealing with the suit land pending determination of the main suit.
- Costs of the application are awarded to the plaintiff.
Full Case Text
Judgment text and source record
35 paragraphs
REPUBLIC OF KENYA IN THE HIGH COURT OF KENYA AT ELDORET
Civil Case 13 of 2009
JOSEPH KIPLAGAT KOGOS…………………PLAINTIFF
=VERSUS=
FAMILY BANK LIMITED………………………DEFENDANT
RULING
Application for Injunction dated 9th February,2009.
I.Introduction
1. The Applicant/Plaintiff herein alleges that he had a loan with Equity Bank.The Respondent/Defendant enticed him to transfer his loan to the Defendant organization.They were then a “Family Building Society” but later converted to a Family Bank Limited.The new loan was on a more favourable terms.
2. The Appeallant Plaintiffs Plaintiff agreed to this.He entered into a transaction with the Respondent/Defendant that saw him sign ablank land control boardform (13. 10. 2006) saw his security, by way of land title TR 65376 comprising of 42. 53 ha LR. 8376/5 being charged and used as collateral.
3. The Land was Agricultural land.No transfer would normally be permitted without the Consent of the Land Control board.
4. The Plaintiff filed this current case on 9th February, 2009 together with an application for injunction restraining the said Respondent/Defendant from dealing with the said land.The reasons being that the transaction between the parties were null void.That the Applicant/Plaintiff did not execute the documents according to law. The transaction from the start was therefore not valid.
5. The orders for injunction were granted exparte till the determination of the application and the main suit
(Mwilu J) on 9/2/2009.
6. In reply the Respondent advocates claimed that the said applicant/Plaintiff had taken the moneys from them.He cannot now say that he would not pay the same.He who comes to equity must come to do equity.That the Plaintiff is not entitled to a claim of injunction.The Applicant/Plaintiff has no intention to pay the debt.
II.Findings
7. There are triable issues raised in this application.The
main suit is a declaratory claim to declare that the whole transaction was null and void.That there was no valid land control board, any sale undertaken was illegal.
8. The Respondent/Defendantclaim that it was the
Plaintiffs who approached them and they were not the ones who enticed him to take up the loan.
9. From the evidence and submissions made it appears that the Respondent /Defendants may have been exercising their rights of Sale that is often described as a Statutory right of sale. If this has occurred and title has moved on there may require the joinder of a 3rd party.
10. The transaction requires to be proved in trial as to whether indeed it was ultra vires null and void?In the meantime, the rights of the parties to preserve the suit property land is reasonable to be given.The Respondent/Defendant asked this Court to observe that the said Applicant has taken their moneys, namely he cannot have the land and the moneys advanced to him at once.
11. This Court finds that a prima facie case has been made out.The Applicant has injunction till the determination of the suit.
12. The costs to the Plaintiff/Applicant.
13. Obiter dictum; Order VI r. 2,3 requiresthat the Plaint should not give a narration of the evidence but state per paragraph the fact/claim briefly.It is hoped that this will be adhered to.
DATEDTHIS 30TH DAY OF APRIL, 2010 AT ELDORET.
…………………………………….
M.A. ANG’AWA
JUDGE
(i)P. GicheruAdvocate instructed by the firm of M/s Gicheru & Co. Advocate for the
Plaintiff - Present
(ii)Gitonga Advocate instructed by the firm of M/sGitonga & Co. Advocate for the
Defendant- Present
(iii) Okoth Advocate from the firm of M/s Okoth & Co. Advocate forthe
Respondent/Applicant- Present