Maulidi v Gausi (Civil Cause 668 of 1994) [1994] MWHCCiv 29 (23 November 1994)

, ~ ... ~.....,_,,IJ,l4 . ._--.. l NIGH cour-:1 ; ; L i Gf~ t'•h V ~-------.~ · -JDJ ·11 If I I IC~ H CC) urr 1 0 ~ ~v1/\ l j\ WI Pr< II\JCIPA I_ I~ [ C; ISTPY CIVIL_ CA U~3[ NUMUl~i:1 Ll)8 OF 1 ~J:}4 BETWEEN: P.cl. ~1AULIOI PLA lf\JTIF F ctllCl G. c;Aust CORAM · E. El T\i\/EA ; RH:; iSTRAP Mm1l1di, ·Co uncil for lhe Apr) l1u1nt UefenclrJnt/Cc,u11s,:?l ·alJsent. - -- ---------- - - - - - -·-~--------·- -- - - ----- --- - -- - -- --------- ------ - - ' RUL_INC~ Th 1s 1s an ex-par·te app lic;:'1 Uon l::ro ug f1t by lrF' r~• la in tiff for a gar n is hec order n 1s i ag,1 inst Malawi Hous111~J Corpo1·atinn The history of the mattr.1· is that the pla intiff is one of the adm1nistnHors of the Estate of Late ~~bozanan1 who at th0 time of his cleatJ1 was reside 11t in KcJ'I 07 in l<anJedza. It is on reeixd that the dec,:,,asr,,j had offe?r.::>cl to IJ11y th0 c~D1d hous€, from th0 lcrndlrncl now ,;iarnishee. Acc or-clin,=i to 1J1e r,reici?dLwe tJ1eri obtain1ri9 iJ1e ,Jecec1 se cl m 2:vJe a down payrn1?.nt anc! was 10 .-:i cquir,::::, fLir-1Jli,::, ,- funcling from iJ1e I, 1ew ~?. ui!cJing So.:: 1c tv to co mplete the p1ffchacoc?. He paid the n,:'CJllliPcl coninbution but. Uie hlr-?vv Building Society fa i!0d Lo r:irncess tJ 10 fir1,uic i11,;J tH1lil IF:? clopz-1r1.1::,"j !r,:,rn 1JliS wo1-1d. In the mr2antirne, 1he clecE:'usecl ha,J !_y::, ,-:?n 1·1c\Jc11-c!e,j ris \Jx, ovmr:;r ,A th':? l11Juse and a.iler his d C?tn 1se his adrn inistrators f,:.--,1111d a t,0n0r1t le, put in tl1e? hous,:? i=tncl re --ope11ecl U1e matl.r?r wiU·1 tJr(:? New Bu lid 1nq Sc1uetv !t transpir-ed that tJ1e temrnt nov✓ thr.,, ,,J~:irE)11dant dici not pny 1·ental afte r r·011ewal of tenancy in 19~M crnd u·1c is U10 cr11x ,J f u-w; cv,tion , ' ..qr.:, ~..., i l I . r \ .• , ' I It was subm iU.ed ij1at tJ 7 ,. , dn1;?nclant hr:HJ frJ ik:'c.:l tn pay renta I for· sev,~ n m or1H 1'.~ . A ftr?t· I had e:rnm int~Cl tJ1e r0~cmc1 I f1ncl that 1J 1E' n1 ,1 t!ei- i'::; not as ~,imp IE? as coLin~; c, I f, ) t plaintiff, who is c1lso pl21iniJff in lh is ca",C' put it It is on n?cord that 1J1er~.? is an on ~Joing ht'.:, lory on ~1e co1Tespo11d~-' 11ce b1c?tN1?en tllE' now gamisl·1ee , the plaintiff crn,j tlir~ l\l(?W nuilrlinrJ Society. In fact 1he l1is t.ory of the mattc1· ck?orly shows that thr? ,;v1rn 1she0. i'..; 11r:,L,1 r:J,j·,tor of the defei-1dantbutro the1· an inrjepe1xJ0.ntsellerofthr~ 1:·qr::,111ir;c~,,;; now 111 ,,; c;!1r::,, wh1cl1 itclnims th~: offerbetw"? •~n it c1 nd U1e plain tiff was fl·us1n't lf>cl . I l1a ve had resort to C11·ck:ir L\'l r~ u Ir, 1 . Th 1~.:; define the ~.1arnishee::,, 1n tJw_; u1,; ,? , o~, ,,1Kl·1 F1nn1 the r0cord itsh 1~ 1vvs rnDtllv:: sa le of tr1 lk:s o f a debtor whic h I am pa ins to the house to the plaintiff was r<:?n 1~VV('d pendm,J f1nm1cic1I 01Jligat1c,ns betnCJ m 1?tby tlw [\Jew Build in~I Society wilJ1 in cl specified pe1·1od, wh 1ch t/1'? i\lew lJuilci 1ng Soc i0 t:y n0ver did than to offei- a feabk? pler:1 that iJ·1ey we1·e still cons1de1·i11~1 ti1e rnaHer after the plaintiff got notJCe to quit 1J1e p1· ern 1ses and it would appear U1at to-date f\lew [ l u1lr=li11q Soc 1ety is still cons 1dering I.he rnatt.er. !he crux of the niaUe1·, tl101ero ,-e , i'.:; U1al U·1E:c so cal led gan1is l·1eG is not a debtor, neither can itbe said to be in /)us iness accepl.ing depos it; it takes deposit on sale of il5 prnpe1·ty as clown pc1yrn0nl with cc,ndiUons The applicant r·ema 1ned silent on th1·; issue both 111 his 0ddres'::- c"lncl afficlav1t, but 11. is c le;:11' from the exa mi nation of th? reco1·d. Fo1· Uiis rea'.c,on, I refi·ain frmn holdin 1J the c 1~"d garni'.; hee as owing the defendant 1n the ordinary or exif..?nded meaning o f the wOl·d. The applico.nts application rn ust, iJ1ere fon::,, fci ii an,J I so find and onJ~.?1·. Costs will be in Uh? cause