[2009] UGCommC 3
The court found that the defendant, Kampala District Land Board, was not the controlling authority for the subject plot and did not have the power to lease it to the plaintiff. The lease offer was conditional, and the plaintiff or its professional advisers failed to verify the defendant's authority and the status of...
Source-derived case information.
- Citation
- [2009] UGCommC 3
- Parties
- Plaintiff: Jima Properties Ltd; Defendant: Kampala District Land Board
- Court
- Commercial Court of Uganda
- Jurisdiction
- Uganda
- Case Number
- Civil Suit No. 805 of 2007
- Procedural Posture
- Civil Suit / Ruling
- Outcome
- claim dismissed with costs
- Legal Topics
- Lease Agreements, Title Verification, Misrepresentation, Professional Negligence
- Source Language
- en
Source-derived case record
Summary, issues, holding and outcome
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Parties
Jima Properties Ltd
Plaintiff
Kampala District Land Board
Defendant
Procedural Posture
Civil Suit / Ruling
Legal Issues
- 1 Whether the defendant was the controlling authority with power to lease Plot 19 Bombo Road to the plaintiff.
- 2 Whether the defendant is liable for damages arising from the defective title issued to the plaintiff.
- 3 Whether the plaintiff's professional advisers owed a duty of care in verifying the title and authority of the lessor.
Ratio Decidendi
The court found that the defendant, Kampala District Land Board, was not the controlling authority for the subject plot and did not have the power to lease it to the plaintiff. The lease offer was conditional, and the plaintiff or its professional advisers failed to verify the defendant's authority and the status of the title. No misrepresentation, fraud, or deception was established on the part of the defendant. The proper cause of action, if any, would be against the plaintiff's professional advisers for failing in their duty of care. Consequently, the claim against the defendant was dismissed as misconceived, with costs awarded to the defendant.
Court Disposition
claim dismissed with costs
Orders
- The claim against the defendant is dismissed with costs to the defendant.
Full Case Text
Judgment text and source record
1 paragraphs
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JUSTICE ANUP SINGH CHOUDRY}{ \b\insrsid5142323\charrsid11149075 \par \par }\pard \qc \fi-1440\li1440\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin1440\itap0\pararsid11149075 {\b\insrsid5142323\charrsid11149075 \par R U L I N G \par }\pard \qj \fi-1440\li1440\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin1440\itap0\pararsid11149075 {\b\insrsid5142323\charrsid11149075 \par }\pard \qj \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11149075 {\insrsid5142323\charrsid11149075 This is a claim brought by Jima Properties Limited against the Defendants Kampala district Land Board in the sum of 141, 232, 489 shillings and also for the sum of 150,000 US dollars being the general damages and costs. \par }\pard \qj \fi-1440\li1440\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin1440\itap0\pararsid11149075 {\insrsid5142323\charrsid11149075 \par The facts of the case are: \par }\pard \qj \li1440\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin1440\itap0\pararsid11149075 {\insrsid5142323\charrsid11149075 \par }\pard \qj \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11149075 {\insrsid5142323\charrsid11149075 That on the 7}{\super\insrsid5142323\charrsid11149075 th}{\insrsid5142323\charrsid11149075 August 2004 the Plaintiff applied to the Defendant for a lease of Plot 19 Bombo Road Kampala and on the 11}{\super\insrsid5142323\charrsid11149075 th}{\insrsid5142323\charrsid11149075 August 2004 the D}{\insrsid1009349\charrsid11149075 efendant offered the Plaintiff }{\insrsid5142323\charrsid11149075 lease of }{\insrsid1009349\charrsid11149075 the said}{\insrsid5142323\charrsid11149075 Plot}{\insrsid1009349\charrsid11149075 .}{\insrsid5142323\charrsid11149075 }{ \insrsid1009349\charrsid11149075 However}{\insrsid5142323\charrsid11149075 , on completion of the lease the Plaintiff applied for Certificate of Title }{\insrsid1009349\charrsid11149075 in their name }{\insrsid5142323\charrsid11149075 and discovered that the Defendants were not the controlling authority for the said Plot nor did they have the powers to lease the said land. \par The Plaintiffs }{\insrsid1009349\charrsid11149075 themselves }{\insrsid5142323\charrsid11149075 had represented to the Defendants that they the Defendants were the controlling authority and therefore went ahead with the lease. \par }\pard \qj \li1440\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin1440\itap0\pararsid11149075 {\insrsid5142323\charrsid11149075 \par }\pard \qj \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11149075 {\insrsid5142323\charrsid11149075 The Defendants contend that under paragraph 8 of the lease offer the offer was made }{ \insrsid1009349\charrsid11149075 subject to }{\insrsid5142323\charrsid11149075 land being available and free from any dispute at the time of survey. \par }\pard \qj \li1440\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin1440\itap0\pararsid11149075 {\insrsid5142323\charrsid11149075 \par }\pard \qj \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11149075 {\insrsid5142323\charrsid11149075 This claim against the Defendants is clearly misconceived. If the Plaintiffs have any actions it would have been against their Professional advisers who acted for them in procuring the lease. The Professional advisers wherever the y may be had a duty of care to their clients in ensuring that they had made all the enquiries and searches so as to satisfy themselves that the title that was being }{\insrsid1009349\charrsid11149075 transferred to their clients was not}{ \insrsid5142323\charrsid11149075 encumbered or that the Lessors were indeed the Defendants Kampala district Land Board}{\insrsid402109\charrsid11149075 and that they were given title}{\insrsid5142323\charrsid11149075 . }{ \insrsid1009349\charrsid11149075 The Plaintiffs or t}{\insrsid5142323\charrsid11149075 heir Professional advisers did not do their job and subsequently the title was found to be defective, but that is what the Defendants cannot be blamed for that and there is no cause of action against the Defendants}{\insrsid1009349\charrsid11149075 because the Defendants did }{\insrsid402109\charrsid11149075 not }{\insrsid1009349\charrsid11149075 make any misrepresentation nor }{\insrsid402109\charrsid11149075 are they }{\insrsid1009349\charrsid11149075 guilty of any fraud or deception. \par \par T}{\insrsid5142323\charrsid11149075 he claim is therefore dismissed with costs. \par \par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11149075 {\b\insrsid5142323\charrsid11149075 \'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85 \par Anup Singh Choudry \par Judge \par 27/01/2009 \par }}