19980512 TZHC Dar es Salaam 1
The plaintiffs lack locus standi as they are not the duly appointed administrators of the estate; only such a person can sue to recover estate property. If the grant was fraudulently obtained, the proper course is to seek revocation of the grant before pursuing recovery.
Source-derived case information.
- Citation
- 19980512 TZHC Dar es Salaam 1
- Parties
- Plaintiff: Registered Trustees of Masjid Mwinyi; Defendant: Daniel Zakaria; Defendant: Pius Kipengele; Defendant: Steven M'kufuko
- Court
- TZHC
- Jurisdiction
- Tanzania
- Judgment Date
- 12 May 1998
- Procedural Posture
- Civil / Ruling on Preliminary Objection
- Outcome
- Suit dismissed with costs
- Legal Topics
- Locus Standi, Letters of Administration, Fraudulent Grant, Estate Administration
- Source Language
- en
Source-derived case record
Summary, issues, holding and outcome
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Parties
Registered Trustees of Masjid Mwinyi
Plaintiff
Daniel Zakaria
Defendant
Pius Kipengele
Defendant
Steven M'kufuko
Defendant
Procedural Posture
Civil / Ruling on Preliminary Objection
Legal Issues
- 1 Whether the plaintiffs have locus standi to sue for recovery of estate property
- 2 Whether the grant of letters of administration was fraudulently obtained
Ratio Decidendi
The plaintiffs lack locus standi as they are not the duly appointed administrators of the estate; only such a person can sue to recover estate property. If the grant was fraudulently obtained, the proper course is to seek revocation of the grant before pursuing recovery.
Court Disposition
Suit dismissed with costs
Orders
- Suit dismissed with costs to the defendants
Full Case Text
Judgment text and source record
1 paragraphs
IN TIIE HIGH ,cou:.::1T OF T:'\Ii7..;\I'!I.:\ ... --.-•- · AT D.i\11 ES S/tLii.:il'i .,,,,._ CIVIL C1\.SE NOo 2QO OF 1995 THE DEGLSTEm.."'D TRUS'rEES' ' OF M!~.SJID M''1INYI • ••• • • o. • . o • . o. • • • o o. o o. oPT.LINTIFF V 1: R S U S 1. D,:\NIEL Z1\KARIA 2. PIU.S KIPENGELE 3. STEVEN M'·liU-'iKO!i. •• o • • o • • • o a • • o • • • • • • o o o o • • o .DEFENDd°.NTS RULING Mackanja, Jo ·The Plaintiffs are the rec;istered Trustees. of Hasj id Mwinyi. They have brought" these proceedings to recover two houses which were left behid by ;ne fiziza Omari. It is allP.ged that the deceased pequeathe,i. tnose . . propertie5. to Masj'id Mwinyi. The. plendings ho~, t).1at soon after .t!le ii.eceased's death· Daniel Zaka.ria 1 a lifetime ·rriend of the deceased, applied for and eot letters of administration in respect of that estate.• The plrl.~tiffs did not apply for a Brant of letters of a.Jministra.tion. 1 . I They aver, however, that the .first dcfend,:i.nt frandulently disposed of the ( property formin~ the estate, including the suit houses. It is in their fraud averments that not only did the first defendant commit acts of in. respect of the estate, he also obtained the grant of letters of administration ·frandulently. The defendants have raised a preliminary po.int of objection · that the plaintiffs have no locus standi. ·on the '/ fact that only the .administrator .. of ----- Their contention is based the can sue or can be sued in respect/ estate./ That is correct, in. my of · /the estnte view, is quite elementll!'y law. No one can sue to recover any property · I beJ.onging to the estat~ except a person who is duly appointed administrate.· Ift :as ';the plaintiffs allege, the gr{:lnt was pbtainen franrl.lllently, there is · ., .. · 16 . a matter .-that· mt1s,:; 7re- . . nothing this court cMdo" now for / proved by ·the ndduction of evidence before the c•::mrt that ma.de thegrnnt. · ·I am sure the plaintiffs were not well advised when· they decided to- irn=.,i:i h!te these proceedings. Wl1c1.t they ought tc have done ahead of everything was to have the grant :r-evoked, if they have the evidence to establish their_caseo .! I • 1-· .. Once that \vus achfovcd they wov.ld then have filed an application to prove t h e ~ they contend was made by the deceased in f~vour 1 • of~Masjid Mwiny_i;. If they suc-ceeded they would then be the benefial f-· own0rs of the estate an behclf of Mnsjid Mwinyio Without that having been achieved the present suit i·ras instituted by people who have ' no rie;ht to be heard, and this is 'ti hat locus standi is nll about, the• rie;ht to I --- be hqard 0 There was also an objection relatint_; to misjoinder of defendants and misjoinder of causes of actiono It is no longer necessary to unmintainable det0rmine those issues because the suit is in respect of the first objection. · · Upon the forei~~ing considerations the suit is dismissed with costs. Del:ivered •. Jo M. Mackc~nj a . JtW~9E 12/5/98 Mr. Maftah, lkbrocate.: For the Pl,J.intif.f - (Absent) Dro Mvungi, Advocate: For the 1st and 2nd Defendants - (Absent) Mr. Ukwon?,a, hdvocate: F.or the 3rd Defenda."'lt - (Absent) I, I I I Certify that true copy of the Original.