Powers of Karta
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Transcript of Powers of Karta
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SUNNY SHAH
Powers of Karta
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Who is a Karta
Senior-most male member of the family
After death of father (the karta), the senior-
most male member:-
Uncle, if coparcenary consists of uncles and nephews
Eldest brother, if coparcenary consists of brothers
Junior male member can be karta by
understanding among coparcenors
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Powers of Karta
1.Power of Alienation
2.Other Powers
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Power of Alienation
Shastric law permitted any member of the family to alienate joint family property in certain exceptional circumstances
However this has undergone considerable change1. Power can only be exercised by karta2. Joint family property can the alienated for only 3 purposes:-
1. Legal necessity2. Benefit of estate3. Acts of indispensable duty
Karta can alienate joint family property with the consent of coparceners even if none of the abovementioned cases are satisfied.
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Legal Necessity
Term not definedIncludes all things deemed to be necessary for
family membersProperty can be alienated at times of distress,
such as famine, epidemic, earthquake, flood, etcNecessity not to be understood as absolutely
indispensible, but what would be regarded as proper and reasonable.
If shown that family’s need was for that thing or that article, and if the property was alienated for the satisfaction of the need, it would be enough.
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Instances of Legal necessity
1. Payment of government revenue and debts payable out of the family property.
2. Maintenance of the coparceners and members of their families
3. Marriage expenses of male coparceners and of the daughters of the coparceners
4. Performance of necessary funeral or family ceremonies
5. Costs of necessary litigation in recovering or preserving the estate
6. Costs of defending the head of the family or any other member against serious
medical charge
7. Payment of debt incurred for family business or other necessary purpose.
These are not exhaustive
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Benefit of estate
Anything that is done which will benefit the joint family property
Preservation of estate from extinction, defense against hostile litigation affecting it, protection of
it from injury or deterioration by inundation, etc would be considered benefit of estate.
There was a conflict of opinion as to the meaning of the words ‘for the benefit of the estate’.
One view was that a transaction cannot be said to be for the benefit of the estate, unless it is of
defensive character calculated to protect the estate from some threatened danger or destruction.
Another view was that for a transaction to be for the benefit of the estate, it is sufficient, if it is
such as a prudent owner, or rather a trustee, would have carried out with the knowledge that
was available to him at the time of the transaction.
In Balmukund v. Kamlawati, the SC observed that for a transaction to be regarded as for the
benefit of the family, it need not be of defensive character.
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Indispensible duties
Implies performance of those acts which are religious, pious or charitable
Performance of marriage also considered indispensible duty though covered under legal necesity
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Other Powers
1. Power to manage Family Affairs2. Right of Representation3. Power to receive and spend the
family income4. Liability to Account5. Power to acknowledge and contract
debts6. Power to settle Family Disputes
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MANAGE FAMILY AFFAIRS
Karta has the absolute power to manage family affairs and family property
Power to take possession of the Joint Family Property and receive joint family
income from whichever source it comes
No individual can retain exclusive possession of specific joint family property or
joint family income without his permission.
If coparcener’s presence in the family home proves to be a nuisance due to his
disorderly behavior or bad habit, karta has power to throw him out of the house.
Right to decide or allot specific portions of the house for family member’s
residence which the latter has to obey.
While taking decisions wrt family members he need not be equitable or impartial.
He can give preference to one family member over another.
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RIGHT OF REPRESENTATION
Right to represent the family in all legal, social, religious and
revenue matters.
It is presumed that karta represents the family in all legal
proceedings and there need not be a specific mention about
him acting in the representative capacity, unless it can be
shown that he himself is claiming an interest that adversely
affects the interests of the family.
JHF acts through the karta, as it has no corporate existence,
and a decree passed against the Karta binds all the members.
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RECEIVE AND SPEND THE FAMILY INCOME
Right to receive joint family income
The decision of how to spend and whom to
spend vests with the karta
He is not under an obligation to economise
or save as in the case of trustees or agent
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LIABILITY TO ACCOUNT
Karta not bound to keep accounts of how he has spent the family funds, as he
is presumed to act in the best interests of the family, but where the coparcener
demands partition, he can require the karta to give him accounts.
Karta can only be asked to render the accounts as they existed in the date of
the demand and cannot be forced to render past accounts, unless there are
charges of fraud, misappropriation or conversion of joint family property into
his personal acquisitions.
Coparcener can refute the stand of the Karta where the accounts are not
acceptable to him, on the grounds that the Karta has not spent the money that he
claims to have spent, or the karta has not been honest in showing the properties
available for partition and has not included all the joint family properties.
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ACKNOWLEDGE AND CONTRACT DEBTS
Karta has the authority to acknowledge debts due to the family and
to pay interest on it, though he cannot receive a time barred debt.
The debt might have been contracted by all members of the family
or by the Karta alone, acting on behalf of the family.
Karta also has power to contract debt for using the loan in family
business or for any other lawful purpose and such a debt bind the
share of all coparceners.
A coparcener even after seeking partition cannot escape the
liability of the debt contracted by the karta, from his share of the
property.
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SETTLE FAMILY DISPUTES
In case of disputes between members of family or
between family members and outsiders, the karta
can refer the dispute for arbitration.
Karta can also enter into a compromise on behalf of
his family, but not where such a compromise is for
his personal advantage.
Where such arbitration or compromise is for the
advantage of the family, all members are bound by it.
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Thank You