LIABILITY OF JOINT PROMISOR & PROMISEE


LIABILITY OF JOINT PROMISOR & PROMISEE 

Devolution of joint liabilities (Section 42)


When two or more persons have made a joint promise, then, unless a contrary intention appears by the contract, all such persons, during their joint lives and after the death of any of them, his representative jointly with the survivor or survivors and after the death of last survivor, the representatives of all jointly, must fulfil the promise. 

Analysis of Section 42

If two or more persons have made a joint promise, ordinarily all of them during their life-time must jointly fulfill the promise. After death of any one of them, his legal representative jointly with the survivor or survivors should do so. After the death of the last survivor the legal representatives of all the original co- promisors must fulfil the promise.

Example :
X, Y and Z who had jointly borrowed money must, during their life-time jointly repay the debt. Upon the death of X his representative, say, S along with Y and Z should jointly repay the debt and so on.
This rule is applicable only if the contract reveals no contrary intention.
We have seen that Section 42 deals with voluntary discharge of obligations by joint promisors. But if they do not discharge their obligation on their own volition, what will happen? This is what Section 43 resolves.

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