In Brief
An agreement to sell property was entered into on 21 February 1992 for Rs 1,80,000, with Rs 1,30,000 already paid. The vendor repudiated the agreement on 13 March 1992 when she refused to execute a Power of Attorney. The property was subsequently sold to third parties. The purchaser did not issue a notice of readiness to pay the balance sum until 18 February 1994—nearly two years later. The Supreme Court held that the purchaser's nearly two-year inaction after the vendor's unequivocal repudiation proved lack of readiness and willingness throughout, which is a mandatory threshold requirement under Section 16(c) of the Specific Relief Act. The suit for specific performance was therefore correctly dismissed by the High Court.
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