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The Succession Act, 1925

( ACT NO. XXXIX OF 1925 )

অধ্যায় এর নাম XIV

OF SPECIFIC LEGACIES

Specific legacy defined
142. Where a testator bequeaths to any person a specified part of his property, which is distinguished from all other parts of his property, the legacy is said to be specific.
 
 
Illustrations
 
 
(i) A bequeaths to B-
 
 
"the diamond ring presented to me by C":
 
 
"my gold chain":
 
 
"a certain bale of wool":
 
 
"a certain piece of cloth":
 
 
"all my household goods which shall be in or about my dwelling-house in M Street, in Calcutta, at time of my death":
 
 
"the sum of 1,000 Taka in a certain chest:
 
 
"the debt which B owes me":
 
 
"all my bills, bonds and securities belonging to me lying in my lodgings in Calcutta":"all my furniture in my house in Calcutta":
 
 
"all my goods on board a certain ship now lying in the river Hughli":
 
 
"2,000 Taka which I have in the hands of C"
 
 
"the money due to me on the bond of D":
 
 
"my mortgagee on the Rampur factory":
 
 
"One-half of the money owing to me on my mortgage of Rampur factory":
 
 
"1,000 Taka, being part of a debt due to me from C":
 
 
"my capital stock of 1,000 in East India Stock":
 
 
"my promissory notes of the Government for 10,000 Taka in their 4 per cent. loan":
 
 
"all such sums of money as my-executors may, after my death, receive in respect of the debt due to me from the insolvent firm of D and Company":
 
 
"all the wine which I may have in my cellar at the time of my death":
 
 
"such of my horses as B may select":
 
 
"all my shares in the Imperial Bank of India".
 
 
"all my shares in the Imperial Bank of India which I may possess at the time of my death":
 
 
"all the money which I have in the 5› percent, loan of the Government":
 
 
"all the Government securities I shall be entitled to at the time of my decease".
 
 
Each of these legacies is specific.
 
 
(ii) A, having Government promissory notes for 10,000 Taka, bequeaths to his executors "Government promissory notes for 10,000 Taka in trust to sell" for the benefit of B. The legacy is specific.
 
 
(iii) A having property at Benares, and also in other places, bequeaths to B all his property at Benares. The legacy is specific.
 
 
(iv) A bequeaths to B-
 
 
his house in Calcutta:
 
 
his zamindari of Rampur:
 
 
his taluq of Ramnagar:
 
 
his lease of the indigo-factory of Salkya:
 
 
an annuity of 500 Taka out of the rents of his zamindari of W.
 
 
A directs his zamindari of X to be sold, and the proceeds to be invested for the benefit of B.
 
 
Each of these bequests is specific.
 
 
(v) A by his will charges his zamindari of Y with an annuity of 1,000 Taka to C during his life, and subject to this charge he bequeaths the zamindari to D. Each of these bequests is specific.
 
 
(vi) A bequeaths a sum of money-
 
 
to buy a house in Calcutta for B:
 
 
to buy an estate in zila Faridpur for B:
 
 
to buy a diamond ring for B:
 
 
to buy a house for B:
 
 
to be invested in shares in the Imperial Bank of India for B:
 
 
to be invested in Government securities for B.
 
 
A bequeaths to B
 
 
"a diamond ring":
 
 
"a horse":
 
 
"10,000 Taka worth of Government securities":
 
 
"an annuity of 500 Taka":
 
 
2,000 Taka to be paid in cash":
 
 
"so much money as will produce 5,000 Taka four per cent. Government securities".
 
 
These bequests are not specific.
 
 
(vii) A, having property in England and property in India, bequeaths a legacy to B, and directs that it shall be paid out of the property which he may leave in India. He also bequeaths a legacy to C, and directs that it shall be paid out of property which he may leave in England. No one of these legacies is specific.
Bequest of certain sum where stocks, etc., in which invested are described
143. Where a certain sum is bequeathed, the legacy is not specific merely because the stock, funds or securities in which it is invested are described in the will.
 
 
Illustration
 
 
A bequeaths to B-
 
 
"10,000 Taka of my funded property":
 
 
"10,000 Taka of my property now invested in shares of the East Indian Railway Company":
 
 
"10,000 Taka, at present secured by mortgage or Rampur factory."
 
 
No one of these legacies is specific.
Bequest of stock where testator had, at date of will, equal or greater amount of stock of same kind
144. Where a bequest is made in general terms of a certain amount of any kind of stock, the legacy is not specific merely because the testator was, at the date of his will possessed of stock of the specified kind, to an equal or greater amount than the amount bequeathed.
 
 
Illustration
 
 
A bequeaths to B 5,000 Taka five per cent. Government securities. A had at the date of the will five per cent. Government securities for 5,000 Taka. The legacy is not specific.
Bequest of money where not payable until part of testator's property disposed of in certain way
145. A money legacy is not specific merely because the will directs its payment to be postponed until some part of the property of the testator has been reduced to a certain form, or remitted to a certain place.
 
 
Illustration
 
 
A bequeaths to B 10,000 Taka and directs that this legacy shall be paid as soon as A's property in India shall be realised in England. The legacy is not specific.
When enumerated articles not deemed specifically bequeathed
146. Where a will contains a bequest of the residue of the testator's property along with an enumeration of some items of property not previously bequeathed, the articles enumerated shall not be deemed to be specifically bequeathed.
Retention, in form, of specific bequest to several persons in succession
147. Where property is specifically bequeathed to two or more persons in succession, it shall be retained in the form in which the testator left it, although it may be of such a nature that its value is continually decreasing.
 
 
Illustrations
 
 
(i) A, having lease of a house for a term of years, fifteen of which were unexpired at the time of his death, has bequeathed the lease to B for his life, and after B's death to C. B is to enjoy the property as A left it, although, if B lives for fifteen years, C can take nothing under the bequest.
 
 
(ii) A, having an annuity during the life of B, bequeaths it to C, for his life, and, after C's death, to D. C is to enjoy the annuity as A left it, although, if B dies before D, D can take nothing under the bequest.
Sale and investment of proceeds of property bequeathed to two or more persons in succession
148. Where property comprised in a bequest to two or more persons in succession is not specifically bequeathed, it shall, in the absence of any direction to the contrary, be sold, and the proceeds of the sale shall be invested in such securities as the 1[Supreme Court] may by any general rule authorise or direct, and the fund thus constituted shall be enjoyed by the successive legatees according to the terms of the will.
 
 
Illustration
 
 
A, having a lease for a term of years bequeaths all his property to B for life, and, after B's death, to C. The lease must be sold, the proceeds invested as stated in this section and the annual income arising from the fund is to be paid to B for life. At B's death the capital of the fund is to be paid to C.
Where deficiency of assets to pay legacies, specific legacy not to abate with general legacies
149. If there is a deficiency of assets to pay legacies, a specific legacy is not liable to abate with the general legacies.

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Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs