[2015] KEHC 5926 (KLR)

[2015] KEHC 5926 (KLR)

The court found that the defendants were not justified in withholding the plaintiff’s title documents for 17 years. There was no evidence of an agreement on legal fees, nor any timely demand for payment or assertion of lien by the defendants until after the suit was filed. The defendants failed to complete the...

Source-derived case information.

Citation
[2015] KEHC 5926 (KLR)
Parties
Plaintiff: National Bank of Kenya; Defendant: Kang’ethe George Joseph; Defendant: Njuguna Paul Chuchu t/a Kangethe & Company Advocates
Court
High Court
Court Station
High Court at Nairobi (Milimani Law Courts)
Jurisdiction
Kenya
Case Number
? 718 of 2014
Procedural Posture
Miscellaneous Application / Judgment
Outcome
Plaintiff's application allowed; defendants ordered to release original title documents; each party to bear own costs.
Judges
RE Aburili
Legal Topics
Advocate Client Lien, Release of Title Documents, Legal Fees Dispute, Bank Security Interests
Source Language
en
Civil Procedure Commercial and Corporate Advocate Client Lien Release of Title Documents Legal Fees Dispute Bank Security Interests

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Parties

National Bank of Kenya

Plaintiff

Kang’ethe George Joseph

Defendant

Njuguna Paul Chuchu t/a Kangethe & Company Advocates

Defendant

Procedural Posture

Miscellaneous Application / Judgment

  1. 1 Whether the defendant was justified in withholding the client’s title documents for nearly 17 years.
  2. 2 Whether the defendants should be ordered to release the said title documents.
  3. 3 Who should bear the costs of the suit.

Ratio Decidendi

The court found that the defendants were not justified in withholding the plaintiff’s title documents for 17 years. There was no evidence of an agreement on legal fees, nor any timely demand for payment or assertion of lien by the defendants until after the suit was filed. The defendants failed to complete the instructions given by the plaintiff and did not pursue their fees through proper channels such as taxation. The right of lien claimed by the defendants was therefore not available, as it requires that fees be due and the work completed. The court exercised its discretion to order the immediate release of the documents, noting that the bank had a proprietary interest in the title as...

Court Disposition

Plaintiff's application allowed; defendants ordered to release original title documents; each party to bear own costs.

Orders

  • The defendants shall immediately deliver up to the plaintiff the original title documents in their possession, custody or power relating to land parcel no. CIS-MARA/EORR-ENKITOK/502 and any other documents relating to the said property.
  • Each party shall bear its own costs of the suit.