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UNIT BAILMENT AND PLEDGE
Structure
10.0 Objectives 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Mearl~ngof Bailmen 10.3 Klnds of Bailment 10.4 Duties of Bailor 10.5 Duties of Bailee 10.6 Rights of Bailor 10.7 Rights of' Bnilcc 10.8 Right&ot Bailor and Bailec against Wrongdoer 10 9 F ~ n d e rof Goods 10 0 I K~ghtsul ,I T'lnJel of Gooti., 10.9 2 Dutlrs of ; 1 Finder of Goods 10.10 Terniinat~onof Bailment 10.11 Meaning of Pawn or Pledge 10.12 Who May Plcdgt. 10.13 Pledge and Bailment 10.14 Pledge and Hypothecation 10.15 Rlghls of Pawnee 1 1 16 Dutieh o l Pawnee 10.17 Rights and Duties of Pawnor 10.17.1 K~ghtsol P;\wnor 10 17.2 Dut~es o f Piiwnor 10.18 Pledge by Non - Owners 10.19 Let Us Sum Up 10.20 Key Words 10.21 Answers to Check Your Progress 10.22 Terminal Questions
10.0 OBJECTIVES
After studying this unit, you shoulcl be able to.
e define bailment and distinguish it from other types of c o n t r a ~ t s e describe various kinds of bailmenrs explain rigllu and duties c ) t bailor and hilllee @ describe the rights ilnd duties 01 finder of goods 0 define pledge explain rights and duties of pawnor and puwncc distinguish pledge from other types of contracts.
10. 1 INTRODUCTION -- ..-- -- -- - -- .----.
Bailment and Pledge are cxamples of specific contracts. Indian Contract Act 1872 1s not a comprehensive Act, dealing with all types of specific contracts. There are
various other Acts which deal with specific contracts e. g. , The Railways Act 1890,
Carriers Act 1865 etc. T h e word bailment is derived from French word 'bailer' whish
means "to deliver "
In law we use the term bailment in its technical sense which means change of possession of goods from one person to another. Pledge, on the other hand. is a kind of bailment for wme special purpose cuch as where the goods ate trnnsfcrred From onc: person tcj another as security for payment of debt o r performance of a promise. Pledge 1s different from bailment. In this unic you will l e a n the mean:ng of ballrncnl its kinds. rights and duties ol both bailor Ltljd bailee, You will also le'lrn the mcantllg
of pledge, its difference with bailment, ,tnd rlghrs and dur~esot pawnof- m t l pawnee. 19
SPECIFIC CONTRACTS 10.2 MEANING OF BAILMENT
Section 148 of the Indian Contract Act reads: A bailment is the delivery of goods by one person to another for some8purpose,upon a contract that they shall, when the purpose is accomplished, be returned or otherwise disposed of according to the directions of the person delivering them. The person delivering the goods is called the " bailor". The person to whom they are delivered is called the "bailee ". For example, you deliver some gold to a jeweller B to make bangles for your sister. In this case you are bailor and B is bailee and by delivering gold to B, a reletionship of bailment is created between you and the jeweller.
, Essentials of Valid Bailment If you analyse the definition of bailment you will find that for creating a relationship of bailrnent the following features must be present: i) Agreement ii) Delivery of goods iii) Purpose iv) Return of the specific goods.
i) Agreement: For creating a bailment the first essential requirement is the exis'tence of an agreement between the bailor and the bailee. As you have read just now bailor is the person who bails the goods and bailee is the person to whom the goods are bailed. The agreement between the bailor and bailee, may be either express or implied.
~ i )Delivery of goods: For bailment, it is necessary that the goods should be delivered to the bailee. It is the essence of the contract of bailrnent. It follows that bailment can be of movable goods only. It is further necessary that the possession of the goods should be voluntarily transferred and is in accordance with the contract. For example, A, a thief enters a house and by showing the revolver, orders the owner of the house to surrender all ornaments in the house to him. The owner of the house surrenders the ornaments. In this case although, the possession of goods has been transferred but it does not create bailment because the delivery of goods is not voluntary. Delivery of possession may be actual or constructive. Actual delivery means actual physical transfer of goods from one person to another. For example, when a person gives his scooter for repair to workshop, it is actual delivery. When physical possession of goods is not actually given but some such act is done which has the effect of putting the goods in the possession of bailee, or putting the goods in the possession of any other person authorised by the bailee to hold them on
his behalf, it amounts to constructive delivery. Sometimes the other person may
. already be in possession of the goods of the bailor, and subsequently a contract
of bailment is entered into, whereby the other person promises to keep the goods as bailee. This also amounts to constructive delivery of the goods. A railway receipt is a document of title to goods, a transfer of the railway receipt effects a constructive delivery of the goods.
iii) Purpose: In a bailment, the goods are delivered for some purpose. The purpose for which the goods are delivered is usually in the contemplation of both the bailor and the bailee.
iv) Return of the goods: It is important that the goods which form the subject matter of the bailment should be returned to the bailor or disposed oi according to the directions of bailor, after the accomplishment of purpose or after thi: expiry of period of bailment. Where goods are transferrcd by the owner to another, in rrmsideration of price, it is a safe. Similarly, where the goods are not to be delivr !~ : dback in specie but their pricp is paid, it i? not a bailment. Again, where n:oney is deposited by a
customel with a bank in a current, savings or fixed deposit account, and,
therefore, there is no obligation to return the identical m!i.ley but an equivalent of it, it is no bailment. But what is thus created is a relatiooship.of creditor and debtor.'But if valuables or even coins or notes in a bo: Ire deposited for safe custody there is a contract of bailment, for these are to b~ sturned as 11ley are,
. and not their monetary 8^ value.
SPECIFIC CONTRACTS (^) iv) When there is no consideration involved in the contract of bailment, it is called s non-gratuitous bailment. [ 1 V'I In !>ailment.the person delivering the goods is called the ba~lee. (^) [ 1
10.4 -.---- DUTIES OF BAILOR ---
A bailor has the following duties
1 ) Duty^ to^ disclose defects: The law of bailment imposes a duty on bailor to disclose the defects 111 the goods balled. Bailor 1 s under an obligation to inform those defects In thc goods which would ~nterferewith the use of the goods for which the goods heirrg bailed clr would expose the bailee to some risk. Bailment of goods may he c~thergratuitous (in which neither bailor nor the bailee gets any reward) or non-gratu~tousbailrnent for reward). In case of gratuitous bailment,
the law imposes a duty on t b e bailor to reveal all the defects known to him, which
would interfere with the use of goods bailed. If the bailor does not disclose the defects and the bailee in consequence suffers some loss, the bailor would be liable to compensate the bailee for the losses so suifered. For example, A the owner of a scooter allows B, his friend, to take his scooter for a joy ride. A knows that the brakes of the scooter were not working well. A does not discloses this fact
to B. Consequently, B meets with an accident. A is liable to compensate B for
damages.
In case of Non - gratuitous bailment, i.e., bailment for reward, the bailor has a
duty to keep the goods in a fit condition. The goods should be fit to be used, for the purpose, they are meant. In such a case the bailor is responsible for all defects in the goods whether he knows the defects or not is immaterial, and if the bailee
suffers any loss, the bailee has to bear it. For example, A hires a tractor from B,
for ploughing his field. The shaft of the tractor is broken but B 1s not aware of the defect. While A was ploughing his field because of the defect, the tractor overturns and A is injured. B is liable for A's losses. You should note that in case of gratuitous bailment the bailor is responsible only for those defects which he is aware of and did not disclose.to the bailec. Duty to reveal is all the more important, where the goods bailed are of dangerous nature, otherwise the bailor would be liable for the resulting consequences. For example, A delivers to B, certain chemicals, to be carried to Bombay. These chemicals have a tendency to burst, if not kept below a certain temperature. A does not tell B to take this precaution. While carrying the chemicals, the chemicals burst and injure B. A is liable for all the damages.
2) Duty to bear expenses: The general rule in those bailments where the bailee is
not to receive any remuneration is that the bailor should bear the usual expenses in keeping the goods or in carrying the goods or t o have work done upon them by the bailee for the bailor. The bailor must repay to the bailee all the necessary expenses which the bailee has already incurred for the purpose of bailment. For example - if A, a farmer gives some gold to his friend B. who is .a goldsmith, to make a gold ring. B is not to receive any remuneration for the job. But A has a duty to repay to B any expenses incurred by him in making the ring. In cases of non - gratuitous bailments (where the bailee is to receive remuneration). bailor has a duty to bear extraordinary expenses, borne by the bailec. for the purposesof bailment. However, the bailor is not to bear ordinary or usual expenses. For example, if a horse is lent for a journey, the expenses for feeding the horse would be payable by the bailee. But, if the horse becomes sick and expenses have to be incurred, or ~f the horse is stolen and expenses are incurred for recovery. the bailor should pay those expenses.
3) Duty to indemnify the bailee: It is the duty of the bailor to indemnify the bailee, for any loss which the bailee may suffer because of the bailor's title being defective. The reason for this is that the bailor was not entitled to make the bailment or to receive back the goods bailed or to give directions regarding the goods bailed. For example, A asks his friend B to give him cycle for one hour.
B instead of his own cycle gives C's cycle to A. While A was riding, the true
owner of the cycle catches A and surrenders him to police custody. A is entitled to recover irom B all costs, which A had to pay in getting out of this situation
4) Duty to bear rlsks: It is the duty of bailor to bear the risk of loss, deterioration
. and destruction, of the th~ngsbailed, provided t h t bailee has taken reasonable carc to protect the goods from loss etc. 5) Duty to receive back the goods: It is the duty of the bailor that when thc bailee, in accordance with the terms of bailment, returns thc goods to him. tht: bailor should receive them. If the bailor, witl~outany reasonable rciisol1. refuses to takc
the goods back, when they are offered at a proper time and at a propcr place,
the bailee can claim compensation from the bailor for all necessary and
iqcidential expenses, which the bailee undertakes to keep and protect the goods.
10.5 DUTIES OF BAILEE
A bailee has the following duties:
Duty to take reasonable care of the goods bailed: Section 151 of the Indian
Contract Act lays down the degree of care, which a bailee should take, in respect
of goods bailed to him. The bailee is bound to take as much care "f thc goods bailed to him as a man of ordinary prudence would, under similar circurnstanccs, take of his own goods of the same bulk, quality and value as the goods bailed.
The standard of care is same whether the bailment is gratuitous or for reward.
So a bailse is liable when the goods suffer loss due to the negligence on the part of bailee.
However, under Section 152 of the Act, the standard of care of ordinary prudent
man c$n be increased by entering into a contract, between the bailor and the
bailee. In that situation the bailee, in order to save himself from any liability,
would be bound to take as much care, as provided by the terms of contract. In the absence of any such contract, if the bailee has taken care as an ordinary prudent man of the goods bailed, he is not responsible for the loss, destruction or
deterioration of the goods bailed. To ta'ke an example, if a diamond ring is kept
by its owner A for safe custody with another person B and B is not to receive
any reward for it. the bailee should keep it locked in an iron safe, or some other
safe place but not keep it in his lumber room, simply because the bailment is gratuitous. Similary, if a cow is delivered for safe custody it is sufficient if it is
kept in the backyard properly enclosed and even if it is for reward, no one would
expect it to be kept in thc drawing room. If the goods get stolen, lost or otherwise destroyed, even after the bailee has taken reasonably good care, the bailee would not be liable for this loss. The bailor, would have t o bear this lass.
2) Not to make any llnauthorised use of goods: The bailee is under a duty to use the bailed goods in accordance with the terms of bailmcnt. If bailee dac4 any act with rcgard to the goods bailed, which is not in accordance with t h e terms of bailment, the contract is voidable at the option of the bailor. Besides it, the bailee is liable to compensate the bailor for any damage caused to the goods. by an inconsistent use of the goods bailed. If he makes unauthoriscd use of goods, ba~leewould not be saved from his liability even if he has taken reasonable care of the ordinary prudent man. For example, A lends his car ti) B to be taken to
Delhi from Hyderabad. The car was to be driven by B himself. B takes along with
him a friend C, who has been driving his car for the .last 10 years. B instead of going to Delhi, goes to Calcutta. The contract becomes voidable at the option of
the bailor. On way to Calcutta, B allows C to drive the car. Inspite of the fact
that C, in accordance with the directions of B, drives the carat a very slow speed,
an accident takes place and the car is damaged. A is entitled to be compensated for the loss.
3) Duty not to mix bailor's goods with his own goods: Next duty of the bailee is to
keep the goods of the bailor separate from his own. Sections 155 t o 157 of the
Act lays down this duty in the following ways: i) If the bailee, with the consent of the bailor, mixes the goods of the bailor with his own goods, the bailor and the bailee shall have an interest, in proportion to their respective shares, in the mixture thus produced (Section 1-76]. ii) If the bailee, without the consent of the bailor, lpixes the goods of the bailor with his goods, and the goodscan be a separated or divided, the property in the goods remains in the parties respectively; but the bailee is bound to bear
from the bailec. I n the same way thc bailor has (1 right t o clain: compensation, i f , some loss is caused to the goods bailed, due to unauthorised mixing by bailee, of bailee's own goods with tilt goods o f the bailor (Sections 154. 155 and 156).
- Right to denialid return of goods: It is a sight of the bailor to compel the bailee, to return the goods hailed, when the time of bailment has e,xpired or when that purpose for which the goods were bailed has been accomp!isl~cd. You have just now read that in thc case o f a gr:~tuitousbr~ilnif;nt,even if the goods have bee0 bailed for a fixed time or for a fixed purFoa,e, the bailor has a right to compel the bailce to return them, before the agreed time.
10.7 RIGHTS OF BAILEE
The duties of bailor are the rights of bailee and bailee can enforce his rights against the bailor by suing him in case of a default. The rights of bailee are as follows.
- Right to claim damages: If the bailor has bailed the goods, without disclosing the defects in tke goods, and the bailee has suffered some ioss, the bailee has a right to sue the bailor for damages. A hires a carriage of B. The carriage is unsafe, though B is cot aware of it, and A is injured. B is responsible to A for the injury (Section 150).
- Right to claim reimbursement: In case of non - gratuitous bailment the bailee has a right to recover from the bailor, all necessary expenses, which the bailee had incurred for achieving the purpose of bailment. In case of a gratuitous bailment, bailee has a right to recover from the bailor, all extraordinary expenses, borne by the bailee lor the purposes of bailmcnt (Section 158). 3) Right to recover losses: It is a right of bailee to recover from the bailor, all losses suffered by him by reason of the fact that the bailor was not entitled to make the bailment of the goods or to receive back the goods, o r to give directions regarding them (Scction 164).
- Right to deliver goads to any one of the joint bailors: If the goods are owned and bailed by more than one person, the bailee has a right, in the absence of a contrary contract, to deliver back the goods to ally one of the joint owne:s, or may deliverthe goods back according to the dircctioris of, one joint owner, without the consent of all. (Section 165).
- Right to deliver the goods to bailor even if his title is defective: If the title of bailor Is defective and the bailee, in good faith returns the goods to the bailor or according to the directions of bailor, the bailee is not liable to the true owner in respect of such delivery (Section 166).
- Right to lien: When the bailee, in accordance with the purpose of agreement has rendered any service involving the exercise of labour or skill, to the goods bailed, and his lawful payments are not made by the bailor, the bailee has a right to retain unless there is a contract to the contrary, the goods bailed, until he received his remuneration for the services rendered by him. This right to retain goods is known as bailee's lien (Section 170). The bailee has a right of lien in respect of charges due to him for work of labour done in respect of goods bailed. As you have already read, the right of lien is a right
to detain goods belonging to another, by a person in possession, until the sum claimed
or other demand of the person in possession is satisfied. The Indian Contract Act has dealt with the following kinds of lien: (i) lien of a finder of goods (Section 168); (ii) particular lien'of bailee (Section 170); (iii) general lien of bankers, factors, wharfingers, attroneys and polic) brokkrs (Section 171); (iv) lie11 of pawliees (Sections 173; 174); and (v) lien of agents (Section 221), and the ti)-11 of a Pawnees is dealt separately in this unit. The item, licn oi' agents is discussc~'in the separate unit, "Contract of Agency".
Possession of goods is necessary to cl:~irn 111~right oi lie~i.'l'hc pll .,:ssion must be rightful, not for a particular purpose and lastly it should be continuo.. Foraexample, A, a trader took on lease, B's warehouse for 5 years. It was also n!;reed between A
and B that A can at any time deposit or take out his goods from the v~arehouse.After
six months A stopped paying the lease rent. B detained A's goods am11 claimed lien.
Ballment and Pledge
SPECPIC CONTRACTS (^) B cannot claim lien because it was was agreed that A can take out his goods whenever
he wanted. A lien may be either a particular lien or a general lien. Particular Lien: A lien which can be exercised only on goods in respect of which some payment is due is called particular lien. Where the bailee has, in accordance z with the purpose of the bailment, rendered any service involving the - exercises of labour or skill in respect of the goods bailed, he has, in the absence of a contract to the contrary, a right to retain such goods until he received due remuneration for the services he has rendered in respect of them (Section 170). For example, A delivers a rough diamond to B, a jeweller, to be cut and polished, which is accordingly done. B is entitled to retain the stone till he is paid for the service he has rendered. Again, A gives cloth to B, a tailor, to make into a coat. B promises A t o deliver the coat as soon as it is finished, and to give a three months' credit for the price. B is not entitled to retain the coat.
As a general rule a bailee is entitled only to particular lien, which means the right to retain only that particular property in respect of which the charge is due. The right is available subject to certain important conditions. The foremost among them is that the bailee must have rendered some service involving the exercise of labour or skill or expenses incurred in respect of the goods bailed. Further, a bailee's right of lien arises only where "Labour and skill " have been used so as to confer an additional value on the article. So, a person who takes an animal for feeding has no lien, but a veterinary surgeon who has treated the animals has right of lien. Further conditions are that the contract has been fully in accordance with the contract, and goods, as you already know, are still in possession of the bailee and there exists n o contract for payment of price in future.
General Lien: The right of general lien, as provided for in Section 171, means the. right to hold the goods bailed as security for a general balance of account. Whereas right of particular lien entitles a bailee to detain only that particular property in respect of which charges are due. Right of general lien entitles the bailee to detain any (^) , goods bailed to him for any amount due to him whether in respect of thdse goods or any other goods. The right of general lie11 is privilege and is specially conferred by Section 171 on certain kinds of bailees only. They are bankers, factors, wharfingers, attorneys of a high court, and policy brokers.
10.8 (^) RIGHT OF BAILOR AND BAILEE AGAINST WRONGDOER
If a third person wrongfully deprives the bailee of the use or possession of the goods bailed, o r does them any injury, the bailee is entitled to use such remedies as the owner might have used in the like case if no bailment had been made; and either the bailor or the bailee may bring a suit against a third person for such deprivation or injury. Section 180 of the Act enables a bailee to sue any person who has wrongfully deprived him of the use or possession of the goods bailed or has done them an injury. It says: If a thirdperson wrongfully deprives the bailee of the use ofpossession of the goods bailed, or does them any injury, the bailee is entitled to use such remedies as
the owner might have used is the like case if no bailrnent had been made; and either
the bailor or the bailee may bring a suit against a third person for such deprivation or injury. Section 181 provides for apportionment of the relief obtained by the bailee and reads: Whatever is obtained by way of relief or compensation in any such suit shall, as between the bailor and the bailee, be dealt with according to their respective interests. For
example, A , forcefully takes possession of a colour T.V. from B's repair shop. Now
either the owner of the T.V. or B may sue A. If B files the suit, he shall hand over the amount received, after deducting his repair charges, to the owner of the T.V.
Check Your Progress B I ) Describe any three duties of a bailor.
SPECIFIC CONTRACTS (^) i) where the owner cannot, with reasonable deligence, be found and if found, refuses to pay the lawful charges of finder of goods, or ii) the goods found are such as is commonly the subject of sale, or iii) the thing is in danger of perishing or of losing the greater part of their value, or iv) when the lawful charges of the finder for preservation and finding out the owner, amount to two - thirds of the value of the thing.
10.9.2 Duties of a Finder of Goods
Under Section 71 of the Contract Act, a finder of goods has same duties with regards the goods found, as that of a bailee. Hence,
- The finder should take reasonable care of the goods found.
- H e should not put the goods for his personal use.
- H e should not mix the goods found with his own goods.
- It is the duty of the finder of goods to find the real owner of the goods and then to entrust the goods to him. For example, if at a birthday party, a guest finds a gold ring and he tells the host and few other guests about it, he has performed his duty to find the owner. If lie is not able to find the owner he can keep the ring a? bailee. Refer to Block 2, Unit (8).
.lo. 10 TERMINATION OF BAILMEN'S
A contract of bailment comes to i n end under the following cases:
- On the expiry of fixed 'period: If the goods are bailed - for a fixed time,, the bailment is terminated at the end of that period.
- On the fulfilment of the object: If the goods are bailed for some specific purpose o r purposes, the bailment is terminated on fulfilling the object. 3) Inconsistent use of bailed: If the bailee uses the goods in contraveation of the terms of bailment, the bailor may terminate the bailment even before the term of bailment.
- Destruction of the subject matter: A bailment is terminated if the subject matter of the bailment is destroyed or because of some change in the nature of goods bailed if the goods become incapable of being used for bailment.
5) Termination of gratuitous bailment: As you have already read, a gratuitous
baillnent can be teLminated by the bailor at any time even though the bailrn~nt was for a.fixed period or purpose. But in such a case, the loss to be suffered by the bailee from such premature termination should not exceed the benefit he had derived from the bailment. If the loss exceeds the benefit, the bailor shall indemnify the bailee.
- Death: A gratuilous bailrnent is terminated by the death of either the bailor or the bailee. Check Your Progress C
- Fill in the blanks: i) A^ person who finds some goods belonging to some other person is called
....................... of good.
ii) A finder, of goods cannot recover the .......................voluntarily incurred by him, in finding the owner. iii) If tl:e owqer of Iost goods has declared some award for the return of lost goods, the finder can .......................the owner for such award. iv) A bailment is terrflinnted,whe~lbecause of some change in the ................. : .....of goods bailed, the goods become incapable of being used for bailment. I v) A gratuitous bailment is terminated by the .......................of either the bailor or the bailee.
- Which of the following statements are True or False. i) A^ finder of^ goods^ has^ a^ right to retain the goods until he is paid his expenses by the owner, [
ii) A finder of goods has a right to sell the goods found, if the lawful charges for preserving the goods amount to 315 of the value of the things. 1 3 iii) If the goods are bailed for a fixed period, the bailment does not necessarily terminate at the end of that period. [ 1 iv) A bailment is terminated if the subject matter of the bailment is destroyed. [ 1 v) A gratuitous bailmcnt cannot be terminated by the bailor before the expiry of the time for which the goods were bailed. (^) [ 1
1011 MEANING OF PAWN OR PLEDGE
Pawn or Pledge is a special kind of baillnent where a movable thing is bailed as security for the repayment of a debt or for the performance of a promise. For example, if you borrow rupees one hundred from B and keep your cycle with him as security for repayment, it is a contract of plcdge. The person taking the loan is called the pledger or pawnor and the person with whom goods are pledged is called the pawnee. Ownership of the pledged goods does not pass to the pledgee. The general property remains with the pledger but a "special property " in it passes to the pledgee. The special property is a right to the possession of the articles along with the power of sale on default.'Delivcry of the goods pawned is a necessary element in the making of a pawn. The property pledged should be delivered to the pawnee. Thus, where the producer of a film borrowed a sum of money from a financier - distributor and agreed to deliver the final prints of the film when ready, the agreement was held not to amount to a pledge, there being no actual transfer of possession. Delivery of possession may be actual or constructive. Delivery of the key of the godown where the goods are stored is an example of constructive dclivery. Where the goods are in the possession of a third person, who, on thc directions of the'pledger, consents to hold them on the pledgee's behalf, that is enough delivery. A railway receipt is a document of title of the goods and a pledge of the receipt operates as a plcdge of the goods.
10.12 WHO MAY PLEDGE I Any of the following persor~smay make a valid pledge:
i) The owner, o r his authorised agent, or
ii) One of the several co-owners, who is in the sole possession of goods, with the consent of other owners, or
iii) A mercantile agent, who is in possession of the goods with the consent of real owner, or
iv) A person in possession under a voidable contract, before the contract is rescinded, or
v) A seller, who is in possession of goods after sale or a buyer who has obtained possession of the goods before sale, or vi) A person who has a limited interest in the property. In such a case the pawn is valid only to the extent of such interest.
10.13 PLEDGE AND BAILMENT
Pawn and bailment have many similarities. In both the cases only the movable goods are delivered with the condition that the goods shall be delivered back after the purpose of contract is over or after the expiry of stipulated time. Both pawn and bailment contracts are created by agreement between the parties,
However, pawn differs from bailment in the sense that pawn is bailment of goods for a specific purpose i.e., repayment of a debt or performance of a duty. Whereas, the bailment is for a purpose of ally kind. Secondly, the pawnee cannot use the goods pawned, but in bailment the bailee use the goads bailed if the terms of bailment so
Bailrnent and Pledge
10.16 DUTIES OF PAWNEE
BPllmeni and Aedpe
A pawnee has the following duties:
- Duty to take reasonable care of the pledged goods.
- Duty not to make unauthorised use of goods pledged. 3) Duty to return the goods when the debt has been repaid or the promise has been performed.
- Duty not to mix his own goods with the goods pledged.
- Duty not to do any act which is inconsistent with the terms of pledge. 6 ) Duty to deliver increase (if any), to the goocls pledged.
10.17 RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF PAWNOR
10.17.1 Rights of Pawnor
If a time is stipulated for the payment of the debt, or performance of the promise, for which the pledge is made, and the pawnor makes default in payment of the debt o r performance of the promise at the stipulated time, he may redeem the goods pledged at any subsequent time before their actual sale; but he must, in that case, pay in addition, any expenses which have arisen from his default. Besides this, all the duties of a pawnee are the rights of a pawnor and so he has the right to get pawnee7s
duties duly enforced.
10.17.2 Duties of Pawnor
Following are the important duties of a pawnor:
- It is the duty of pawnor to comply with the terms of pledge and repay the debt on the stipulated date or to perform the promise at the stipulated time. '2) It is the duty of pawnor to compensate the pawnee for any extraordinary expenses incurred by him for preserving the goods pawned.
10.18 PLEDGE BY NON-OWNERS
As you know that normally only the owner of goods can pledge them and that no one can pass a better title to the goods than what he himself has. But in order. to facilitate mercantile transactions, the law has recognised certain exceptions. These exceptions are for bonafide pledges made by those persons who are not the actual owners of the goods, but in whose possession the goods have been left. You will now read those situations in which a non -owner too can make a valid pledge of the goods.
1) Pledge by a mercantile agent: Where a mercantile agent is, with the consent of.
the owner, in possession of goods or, the documents of title to goods, any pledge made by him, when acting in the ordinary course of business of a mercantile agent, shall be valid, provided that the pawnee acts in good faith and has, at the time of pledge, no notice of the fact that the agent has no authority to pledge. The necessary conditions of validity under the section are as follows: i) The person pledging the goods must be a mercantile agent, ii) Mercantile agent must be in possession either of the goods or the documents of tit18 to goods, iii) Such possession must be with the consent of the owner. If possession has been obtained dishonestly or by a trick, a valid pledge cannot be effected, iv) Pledge must have been made by the mercantile agent, when acting in the ordinary course of business of a mercantile agent, v) The pledgee must act in good faith; and vi) The pledgee should have no notice of the pledger's defect of title. If the pledgee knows that the pledger has a defeotive title, the pledge will not be
valid. 3 1
SPECIFIC CONTRACTS (^) 2) Pledge by person in possession under voidable contract: You have already read
under earlier units that for the formation of a contract, the consent of parties should be free, i.e., the consent must not have been caused because of coercion, misrepresentation, fraud, undue influence or mistake or because of any of them. If the consent is caused because of any of them, such contract is voidable under Section 19 or 19 A of the Indian Contract Act, at the option of person, where consent was so obtained. Section 178 A of the Contract Act provides that where goods are pledged by a person who has obtained their possession under a voidable contract, the pledge is valid, provided that the contract has not been rescinded at the time of the pledge and the pledgee has acted in good faith and without notice of the pledger's defect of title. 3) Pledge where pledger has only a limited interest: Where the pawner is not the absolute owner of the goods, but has only a limited interest and he pawns it, tlie pledge is valid to the extent of that interest. A finder of goods, a mortgagee o r a person who has lien over the goods, may make a valid pledge of such goods, to the extent of his interest i n the goods. For example, A finds a defective watch lying on the road. H e picks it up, gets it repaired and pays Rs. 50 for the repairs Later on he pledges the watch for Rs. 25. The true owner can recover the watch only on paying Rs. 50 to the pledgee.
- Pledge by a co-owner in possession: Where the goods are owned by many persona and with the consent of other owners, the goods are left in the possession of one of the co - owners. Such a co-owner may make a valid pledge of the goods in his possession.
- Pledge by seller or buyer in possession: A seller, in whose possession, the goods have been left after sale or a buyer who with the consent of the seller, obtains possession of the goods, before sale, can make a valid pledge, provided the pawnee acts in good faith and he has no knowledge of the defect in title of the pawnor. For example, A buys a cycle from B. But leaves the cycle with the seller. B then pledges the cycle with C, who does not know of sale to B, and acted in good faith. This is valid pledge.
Check Your Progress D
Describe the right of retainer of a pawnee.
Which of the following statements are True or False: i) Pledge is a special kind of bailment. I 1 ii) In pledge, the ownership of the goods pledged does not pass to the pledgee. C 1 iii) A pledge can be created both of movable as well as of immovable property. [ 3 iv) In hypothecation the debtor loses the right to enjoy the goods. (^) [ 1 v) It is the duty of a pawnor to compensate the pawnee for ail extraordinary expenses incurred by him for preserving the goods pawned. [ 1 vi) A person who has obtained the possession of goods under a voidable contract cannot create a valid pledge of such goods. (^) [ 1 vii) In a contract of pledge, even after the expiry of stipulated period, the pawnor can recover the goods pawned. (^1)
10.19 LET US SUM UP
Bailment is delivery of goods by one person to another for some purpose upon the condition that the goods shall, when the purpose is accomplished be returned t o the bailor o r to any other person, according to the directions of bailor.
SB%CIFIC CONTRACTS 10.20 AN SWER S TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
A 1) Refer to 10.3 of this unit.
- No
- i) True ii) True iii) True iv) False v) False B 1) Refer to 10.5 of this unit
- 'i) disclose ii) fit iii) prudence iv) increase v) lien vi) damages .. 3) Refer to 10.8 of this unit. c 1) i) Finder ii) expenses iii) sue iv) nature v) death.
- i) True ii) False iii) False iv) True v) False D ,1) Refer to 10.16 of this unit.
- i) True ii) True iii) False iv) False v) True vi) False.
10.21 TERMINAL OUESTIONS
Discuss the essentials of a contract of bailrnent and state the rights and duties of a bailee. Examine the duties and rights of a bailor. State the respective rights and responsibilities of pledger and pledgee. What do you understand by lien? Describe particular lien and general lien of bailee, What is meant by pledge? Describe its essential features. Narrate the circumstances under which a person other than the ownercan make a valid pledge. Explain the rights and duties of a finder of goods.' Write a note on pledge by mercantile agent.
Note : These questions will help you to understand the unit betier. Try to write answers for them. But do not submit your answers to the University. These are for your practice only.
