High Court Land Division

High Court Land  Division was established as a result of the land reforms which were implemented by the Land Act 1999. Until 2010, the Land Court had exclusive jurisdiction to determine land disputes relating to land with a pecuniary value of TZS 50,000 or more. 

23 judgments
  • Filters
  • Judges
  • Alphabet
Sort by:
23 judgments
Citation
Judgment date
August 2020
Mortgagee lawfully exercised power of sale; purchasers bona fide and entitled to mesne profits; plaintiffs' suit dismissed.
Land law – mortgagee's power of sale; deed of settlement vs mortgage; requirement and service of statutory default notice; validity of public auction and advertisement; bona fide purchaser for value; entitlement to mesne profits.
31 August 2020
Extension of time granted where the applicant, not previously a party, acted promptly after learning of the tribunal decision.
Civil procedure – extension of time – discretion to grant extension where sufficient cause shown – prompt action after knowledge as sufficient cause. Public law – Attorney General’s role – right to seek audience/intervene to protect public property interests. Grounds for extension – illegality must be apparent on the face of the record to justify extension. Remedy – non-party may seek revision when not previously joined in tribunal proceedings.
30 August 2020
Appellate court allowed appeal, finding trial tribunal erred on ownership and jurisdiction; claimant failed to prove title.
Land law – ownership dispute over immovable property – burden of proof on claimant to establish title; Pecuniary jurisdiction – determined by substantive pleadings, not relief clause; Appeal – timeliness and admissibility of written submissions; Evidence – documentary consistency, death certificate implications, and weight of municipal land officer's testimony; Alias/identity issues in land transfers.
28 August 2020
Appellants failed to prove boundary; vendor's testimony upheld respondent's ownership; appeal dismissed with costs.
Land law – dispute over boundary and trespass; absence of boundary description in sale agreement and residential licences; vendor's testimony as best evidence on extent of parcel; appellate review of credibility and evaluation of evidence.
27 August 2020
The applicant's extension application was struck out because the supporting affidavit contained undisclosed hearsay and argumentative prayers.
Land — application for extension of time — supporting affidavit must disclose source of information — hearsay inadmissible where source not stated in verification clause — affidavits must not contain prayers or legal argument — expungement of offending paragraphs; striking affidavit when remaining material is insufficient.
27 August 2020
Court granted interim injunction preventing eviction pending trial, finding prima facie case and balance of convenience in applicant's favor.
Land law – interim injunction – Order XXXVII Rules 1(a) and 2(1) CPC; requirements from Atilio v Mbowe (prima facie case, irreparable injury, balance of convenience); dispute over ownership and Government Notice transferring land; adequacy of damages as alternative remedy; preservation of status quo pending trial.
27 August 2020
Waiting time for certified judgment copies is excluded from limitation; appeal time runs from certification date.
Land law — Extension of time to appeal; Limitation — exclusion of waiting time under section 19 Law of Limitation Act; Time to run from certification/ready-for-collection date of judgment/decree; Reliance on Court of Appeal authorities (Mawazo Saliboko; Samuel Emmanuel Fulgence).
26 August 2020
Extension application from Ward Tribunal struck out for citing incorrect statutory provision (incompetent).
Civil procedure – extension of time – incompetence due to wrong statutory citation (section 41(2) v. section 38(1) LDCA) – wrong citation renders application abortive and liable to be struck out. Practice – written submissions filed outside court-ordered schedule without leave are not considered. Rejoinder – impermissible when raising new matters and may be expunged.
24 August 2020
Appellant failed to prove ownership; concurrent tribunal findings on evidence upheld and appeal dismissed.
Land law – trespass – plaintiff’s burden to prove ownership; evidence and credibility determine outcome. Locus standi – capacity to be sued examined in context of complaint; plaintiff cannot attack defendant’s locus standi when he instituted suit in personal capacity. Evidence – concurrent findings on credibility and ownership by lower tribunals are binding absent demonstrable error. Procedural objections – late or disputed production of letters of administration do not displace trial findings based on evidence.
20 August 2020
Plaintiff may withdraw suit pre-judgment; counterclaim persists unless withdrawn; costs shared as agreed.
Civil procedure – Withdrawal of suit under Order XXIII CPC – Plaintiff’s right to withdraw pre-judgment – Counterclaim as separate proceeding – Costs where suit withdrawn – Professional courtesy between counsel.
20 August 2020
Leave to appeal struck out for wrong statutory citation in land dispute; applicant permitted to refile within 14 days.
Appellate procedure – leave to appeal – improper citation of enabling provisions – Section 5(2)(c) AJA inapplicable to District Land and Housing Tribunal matters – correct provisions: Section 47 Land Disputes Courts Act and Section 5(1)(c) AJA – wrong citation renders application defective and liable to be struck out; leave to refile permissible.
18 August 2020
An extension application citing the wrong statutory provision is incompetent and was struck out with no costs.
Land law — Extension of time to appeal — Correct statutory provision depends on whether DLHT sat in original or appellate jurisdiction; wrong citation (s.41(2) instead of s.38(1)) renders application incompetent and liable to be struck out.
17 August 2020
Extension of time granted to file leave to appeal due to prompt application and lack of inordinate delay.
Extension of time to file leave to appeal; alleged illegality must be apparent on face of record to be decisive; prompt refiling after withdrawal and absence of opposition may justify extension; Appellate Jurisdiction Act s.11(1); Law of Limitation Act s.14(1); Civil Procedure Code s.95.
13 August 2020
Illness of the applicants' sole advocate amounted to sufficient cause to set aside dismissal and restore the suit.
Civil procedure — Order IX Rule 9(1) CPC — Setting aside dismissal for want of prosecution; sufficiency of cause — illness of advocate; restoration of suit; limits of trial court on legality of dismissal on mention (Court of Appeal jurisdiction).
13 August 2020
Extension of time granted to applicant to file revision after promptly acting upon discovering a prior tribunal decision.
Civil procedure — Extension of time — Section 14(1) Law of Limitation Act — sufficient reasons required for extension. Revision — Remedy available to non-parties of earlier proceedings — competence to be determined when filed. Delay — short unexplained delay may not be inordinate where applicant was actively pursuing rights. Illegality — must be apparent on the face of the record to ground an extension.
13 August 2020
Adverse possession failed because occupiers were invitees; respondent held locus via special power of attorney; appeal dismissed.
Land law – adverse possession – long occupation versus invitee status; an invitee cannot acquire title by adverse possession. Locus standi – special power of attorney confers authority to sue where donor alive at filing. Evidence – appellate restraint on disturbing trial credibility findings; balance of probabilities standard.
10 August 2020
An application with vague or procedurally incoherent prayers is incompetent and will be struck out; no costs ordered.
Practice and procedure – competence of chamber summons – prayers must clearly state relief sought; omnibus or unclear prayers render application incompetent; court may strike out applications sua sponte; no costs where court raises competence issue.
6 August 2020
Appeal allowed: proceedings nullified due to misidentification and reliance on evidence not on the record; matter remitted for retrial.
Land law – ownership dispute – misidentification of party in proceedings and judgment – procedural irregularity rendering judgment nullity; Civil procedure – evidence relied upon must be on record ascribed to proper party; Tribunal procedure – assessors’ participation/recording and locus in quo inspection as potential procedural requirements; Remedy – nullification of proceedings and remittal for rehearing de novo.
6 August 2020
6 August 2020
A person not formally appointed as executor or administrator lacks locus to set aside an ex‑parte judgment entered after a party’s death.
Land law – locus stand – application to set aside ex-parte judgment entered after party’s death – applicant must be lawfully appointed executor/administrator with proof of appointment; family meeting insufficient.
5 August 2020
Revision unavailable where a party had a right of appeal; applicant's revision dismissed as premature and incompetent.
Civil procedure — Revision under section 79(1) CPC — Revision unavailable where a right of appeal exists; proper remedy against dismissal of appeal is appeal to High Court — Application for extension of time at same tribunal after dismissal is premature.
5 August 2020
Appeal dismissed: new locus-stand issue not entertained; appellant failed to prove ownership, held to be an invitee.
Civil procedure – appeal – raising new issues on appeal – new issues not raised or decided below cannot be entertained for the first time on appeal. Land law – ownership v. invitee status – burden of proof on claimant to establish ownership on balance of probabilities (s.110 Evidence Act). Appellate review – affirmation of trial tribunal's findings where appellant fails to adduce cogent contrary evidence.
3 August 2020
Extension of time granted where non‑party discovered judgment late and diligently pursued remedies; alleged illegality not apparent on record.
Land law — extension of time to file revision — discretion to grant where sufficient cause shown; illegality must be apparent on the face of the record; non‑party discovery of judgment and diligence in pursuing remedies; right to be heard; adverse possession allegations.
2 August 2020