Plaintiff Must Prove Own Title — Cannot Win Merely by Weakening Defendant’s Case: Andhra Pradesh High Court Dismisses Title and Possession Suit

“In a suit for declaration of title and possession, the plaintiff must succeed on the strength of his own title and not on the weakness of the defendant’s case” — AP High Court In a decisive reaffirmation of a foundational legal principle, the Andhra Pradesh High Court dismissed the plea of a plaintiff who had sought a declaration of ownership and mandatory injunction over a disputed urban property in Dharmavaram, after failing to convincingly prove his own title to the suit schedule land.

Justice Venuthurumalli Gopala Krishna Rao, upholding concurrent findings of both the Junior Civil Judge and the Senior Civil Judge, ruled that the plaintiff could not succeed merely by pointing out possible inconsistencies in the defendant’s case — particularly where the plaintiff himself failed to establish valid title, possession, and identification of the suit property.

“He Who Seeks Declaration Must Stand on His Own Title” — Plaintiff’s Failure to Prove Ownership Dooms Second Appeal

The original suit (O.S. No. 24 of 2003) was filed by K. Narappa (since deceased, represented by legal heir K. Narayanamma) seeking:

1. A declaration of title to a 404.4 sq. yard plot in Sy.No.28 of Dharmavaram.

2. A mandatory injunction for demolition of a compound wall allegedly built by the defendant, Smt. K. Chinnamma, who had constructed St. Mary's English Medium School on adjoining land.

3. Vacant possession of the land.

According to the plaintiff, the land had been purchased through a registered sale deed dated 03.11.1987 and was encroached upon by the defendant in 2000, who had bought adjacent land from the same vendor.

“Plaintiff Never Identified the Property, Never Issued Legal Notice, Never Demanded Removal” — High Court Notes Fatal Omissions

The trial court had rejected the suit due to lack of clear proof of title and inability to identify the property, which was compounded by the plaintiff’s failure to produce his vendor’s title documents or prove exclusive possession.

Upholding this, Justice Gopala Krishna Rao observed: “Even as per the case of the plaintiffs, the 1st plaintiff’s title is based on Ex.A.1… But the sale deed of the vendor of the 1st plaintiff was not filed.”

The Court emphasized that in a suit for declaration and possession, the plaintiff must establish his own title, citing the landmark judgment in Union of India v. Vasavi Cooperative Housing Society Ltd., (2014) 2 SCC 269:

“The plaintiff in a suit for declaration of title and possession could succeed only on the strength of its own title… irrespective of the question whether the defendants have proved their case or not.”

The Court further highlighted that no legal notice or oral demand had ever been made by the plaintiff for removing the structures built by the defendant, nor did the plaintiff identify the disputed property during a commissioner’s inspection.

“School Built in 1992, Plaintiff Came Forward in 2003” — Delay and Inaction Discredit Claim

The defendant, for her part, proved that she had:

• Purchased land from the same vendor in 1992.

• Immediately constructed the school building and compound wall.

• Continued in possession peacefully since then.

The High Court noted:

“As per the report of the Advocate Commissioner, a school building was constructed around eight to ten years ago… In the presence of the Commissioner, the plaintiff could not even identify his property.”

This prolonged silence and inaction on the part of the plaintiff raised serious doubts about the legitimacy of his claims.

“Concurrent Findings Stand Unless There’s a Substantial Question of Law” — Court Refuses Interference in Second Appeal

Reiterating the limited jurisdiction under Section 100 CPC, the High Court ruled that no substantial question of law had been made out, and it is not open for the High Court to reappreciate evidence already considered by two lower courts.

Second Appeal Dismissed; No Error Found in Lower Courts’ Reasoning

Holding that both courts below had appreciated the evidence in accordance with law and that no misapplication or perversity was evident, Justice Rao dismissed the appeal in its entirety:

“This Court is satisfied that this case did not involve any substantial questions of law for determination. The second appeal is liable to be dismissed.”

No costs were awarded, and all pending interlocutory applications were declared closed.

Date of Decision: 23 September 2025