Joinder of trustees, executors and administrators
Full Text
Where there are several trustees, executors or administrators, they shall all be made parties to a suit against one or more of them: Provided that the executors who have not proved their testator’s will, and trustees, executors and administrators outside India, need not be made parties.
Plain English Summary
Mandates that in any suit against a trust or estate, all co-trustees, co-executors, or co-administrators must be jointly impleaded as parties, subject to statutory exceptions for unprobated executors and fiduciaries residing outside India.
Key Legal Elements
- Mandatory Joinder ('shall all be made parties'): Reflects the indivisibility of fiduciary office under Section 48 of the Indian Trusts Act, 1882.
- Statutory Exceptions: (a) Executors who have not obtained probate of the will, (b) Trustees, executors, or administrators residing outside India.
- Effect of Non-Joinder: Defect of necessary parties; suit liable to dismissal unless rectified under Order I Rule 10.
Practical Note
Enforcing Mandatory Joinder of Co-Trustees: 1. Section 48 Trusts Act Synergy: Under Section 48 of the Indian Trusts Act, 1882, all trustees must act jointly; a trust has no separate legal personality. In L. Janakirama Iyer v. P.M. Nilakanta Iyer AIR 1962 SC 633, the Supreme Court reaffirmed that where there are multiple trustees, a suit cannot be maintained against only one or a few of them; all must be impleaded. 2. Moving for Rejection: If the plaintiff sues only the Managing Trustee omitting remaining co-trustees, file an application under Order VII Rule 11 / Order I Rule 9 & 10 citing Rule 2 for fatal non-joinder of necessary parties.
हिंदी पाठ
जहां कई न्यासी, निष्पादक या प्रशासक हैं, वहां उनमें से एक या अधिक के विरुद्ध वाद में उन सभी को पक्षकार बनाया जाएगा (They shall all be made parties): परंतु जिन निष्पादकों ने अपने वसीयतकर्ता की वसीयत को प्रोबेट (प्रमाणित) नहीं कराया है, तथा जो न्यासी, निष्पादक और प्रशासक भारत से बाहर हैं, उन्हें पक्षकार बनाना आवश्यक नहीं है।