Thursday, December 06, 2007

Contract Act_Practical Problems_63

A’ stands surety for ‘B’ for any amount which ‘C’ may lend to B from time to time during the next three months subject to a maximum of Rs. 50,000. One month later A revokes the guarantee, when C had lent to B Rs. 5,000. Referring to the provisions of the Indian Contract Act, 1872 decide whether ‘A’ is discharged from all the liabilities to ‘C’ for any subsequent loan. What would be your answer in case ‘B’ makes a default in paying back to ‘C’ the money already borrowed i.e. Rs. 5,000?

The problem as asked in the question is based on the provisions of the Indian Contract Act 1872,
as contained in Section 130 relating to the revocation of a continuing guarantee as to future
transactions which can be done mainly in the following two ways:

1. By Notice: A continuing guarantee may at any time be revoked by the surety as to future
transactions, by notice to the creditor.
2. By death of surety: The death of the surety operates, in the absence of any contract to the
contrary, as a revocation of a continuing guarantee, so far as regards future transactions.
(Section 131).
The liability of the surety for previous transactions however remains.
Thus applying the above provisions in the given case, A is discharged from all the liabilities
to C for any subsequent loan.
Answer in the second case would differ i.e. A Is liable to C for Rs. 5,000 on default of B
since the loan was taken before the notice of revocation was given to C.

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