Download PDF

Tanzania Judgment

TZHC

19980808 TZHC Dar es Salaam

On this page

Professional case brief

Research organized from the available case record

Source document

01

Holding and result

The objector established prima facie ownership of the attached property, and in the absence of proof that the property was held to defeat the decree, execution against her property is wrongful and unlawful.

Court disposition

Objection allowed in relation to attachment of objector's property; dismissed regarding eviction order.

Orders

  • Attachment of objector's property set aside
  • Objection regarding eviction order dismissed

02

Material facts

Parties

Filbert Andrew Lutubija t/a Lutubija Enterprises

Defendant/judgment Debtor

Joseph Marijani

Plaintiff/decree Holder Counsel: Mr. Maira

Adelaide Damas Marijani

Objector/applicant

Amounts and remedies

  • Money Decree: TZS 23,360,649.5

03

Procedural history

  1. Posture

    Civil / Ruling on Objection Proceedings During Execution

04

Questions and positions

Legal issues

Party arguments

Applicant
The objector claimed the attached property belonged to her, not the judgment debtor, as she had started her own business in the suit premises with a valid business license after the plaintiff surrendered the premises.
Respondent
The decree-holder argued the objector was abusing court process to shield her husband from execution, asserting the goods belonged to the judgment debtor's business.

05

Court’s reasoning

  1. 01

    general principles of execution under civil procedure

    Execution cannot be levied on property not belonging to the judgment debtor unless it is proven that the property is held in trust or to defeat the decree.

06

Ratio, limits and disposition

Ratio decidendi

The objector established prima facie ownership of the attached property, and in the absence of proof that the property was held to defeat the decree, execution against her property is wrongful and unlawful.

Obiter and limits

  • If the decree was obtained by fraud, the remedy lies in proceedings to set aside the decree, not in objection proceedings.
  • The objector is a stranger to the eviction order, which is directed against the judgment debtor.

Court disposition

Objection allowed in relation to attachment of objector's property; dismissed regarding eviction order.

  • Attachment of objector's property set aside
  • Objection regarding eviction order dismissed

Source and reliance status

TZHC · 8 August 1998

This page organises the available record for research. Confirm quotations, current status, and subsequent treatment against the official source before relying on the case.

Judgment reading view

Judgment text

The complete available source text.

Source document

TZHC

Judgment· 8 August 1998

19980808 TZHC Dar es Salaam

IN TEB HICJ: r3cm1T OF Tt..NZANIA • CIVIL CASE NO. 25 OF 1991 FILBERT LUTUBIJA ••ooc,eoeoooo••••oo•oooAPP:SLLANT

VERSUS MARIJ ANI JO.SEPH •• oo o•• e •••• o ••••••••• oJit:~SPOI\J""DENT RULING...,,. ,._..,... Ma.ckanja, Jc Plaintiff Joseph Marijnni brour;ht o.. .::.;uit ac;,:;inst Filbert Andrew Lutubija t/a Lutubija Enterprises fr,r rec~very o-Y sever· ~1 reliefli The defendant was direr:;ted tn file ti, 0. -:Jritt);_1 st:7.teir:ent of defence but, as the record shows, clirl not do so. It was, in consequence, directed that the plaintiff c1,':l prove his co..se _eE,x~_te. That was done and a decree ex ;earte wa2 P-~l:cSCd in his favour. The ·reliefs h,:: ,:,;ot 1.,ra.s a..'11 eviction order ,· against the defendant 9..Ild a si;;iple r1, ..-i:-iey· decree in the sum of Shs. 23,360,649/50.' In the course of executing that decree property c'.}.1e::(ed tc, be the property of the judgment debtor was attached., T1.1,, j-;F:<_::i:-1e:1-t '..2.e::,tor's wife, alleging that the property that was attached K1,:mgeJ. to her, has filed objection 1 proceedings against that execution. :.Adelaide Damas Marijani, the cb,jector, has submitted that at one time the l:i.tigants were business parters,, Their relationship became sour and ultimately it went asundero That· -?..fter some time the plaintiff surrendered the suit premises. It was d thnt point ir; timo that the objector began a business of her own in the suit prenises, c:implete with a business licence in her own right. That busii1css licence, Noo

B.000110l+05, 1;.ras issued on 31st May, 1996. Her stock-intro:JG, she swears, 1:Hs the property that was attached in execution of the :'.:,lai;1tiff 1 s decree a.go.inst -t_;he judgment d-,,'i:>tor. The decree - holder zu1d the applicant were each represented by learned counsel. It is r,:cthcr i,.nusual that learned counsel would not limit themselves to the issues ':,~fore then. Insten.cl of addressinc; themselves on the single issue 'b.fore them they strayed in :::-..cc'.1,sc,-:i::ns e.nd c0unter accousation of frande The issue here is ~-,hether the property attachec: belcmf.:'GC, to the· judgment-- debtor. If, a$ it is alleged, the decree wac obtained by frand, the remedy does not reside in c-bj ection proce•.:;,::inr;s. It mu,:;t 1~e persued in proceedings intended to have the. ex parte decree set ,3.s:lde •..

2. Unless it be set aside the one who owns it has 2. right to execute it. The decree-holder accuses the objector of ,ibusinc c,=1urt process 1,ecause she i.s shielding her hush:md F,,,_;::'.:i.r:.;:;t execut i0n of th,2 :1ecreeo To him~ even thouc11 th8 :msines.:, hc,s no,,, c\t,.ngcd h'1n.:s :frcni the litic.;ants to her, the sho:;x;oocl.s in her ;3;:,op 1,e1on:~: to M:,_r:i_: .-:,ni Ji;ntcrprises, her husband's husines,s ntJ_me,. I o.rn foi~ fro''l :)cinr; pe:c,suD::leJ,, The objector has a right to mm property. 'I'ho_t property \·Jill :rer112in hei~ until the decree-holder proves, for instance, th.-J_-:: 11•2r co.pitc.l is l::::undere.'1. money advanced to her by the judgment-debtor in on effort to defeat the decree. In the absence of su<;:h proof Emy exer::ution levied on her property in satisfaction of her husband's lic,~,:iJ_ity is wronsful ,:ml unlawful. There is also a pr:iyer thc:t the eviction ordm'.' be set -3.side. I am sure the objector is a stra.nger to th,"-t order bec,::,11Gc it is :lirected · against 1 1 the judgment-debtor. 1':.'lis pr~,.;rc,r ,.;ouL: the::ofore f:d.l. Upon the foregoing re:Jsons the objection in rela.tion to ·the attachment of the objector's property succeed.so It is accordingly set a.side. The objection in respect of the eviction order fails. In the event the objection is allowed to the extent shown; it is otherwise di,smissecl in some other respects. I , ---:::·---"-~--· ---·€>.-1~ - JO ~lo i\i:1 c 1~,::'-~lj [l L/ 8/8/1998 Appearances: Mr. Maira, AdvocDte': F::ir Decree - holder In person: For ~pplicant

Source wording is retained. Consult the source document for its original formatting and pagination.

Authorities

Authorities used by the court

Cases, legislation, regulations, and constitutional provisions identified in the available record.

No structured authorities are available for this judgment.

Refer to the full judgment and official source for citations that have not yet been extracted.

Case-aware research

Ask AI about this case

The judgment and available research above are public. New questions open in a separate private conversation grounded in this case.

About this LexChat collection

This page organizes the available case record for research. Verify quotations, current status, and subsequent treatment against the source document. Corrections can be reported to hello@esheria.ai.

Legal information, not legal advice. Research summaries do not replace the judgment.