⚖️ LEGAL LEARNING
Can legal heirs be personally liable for the acts of a deceased power agent?
The Madras High Court examined this issue in:
P.A. Jaswant Babu v. P.A.B. Sri Lakshmi & Anr.
📍 Madras High Court, Madurai Bench
📅 25 September 2026
Key Points:
🔹 Liability of legal heirs is limited to the estate inherited from the deceased agent.
🔹 Legal heirs are not personally liable merely because they inherited the estate.
🔹 They cannot ordinarily be required to explain transactions personally handled by the deceased agent.
🔹 The principal must prove the specific amount claimed from the estate.
🔹 Where accounts have not been settled and liability is disputed, a suit for rendition of accounts may be necessary.
🔹 Limitation can defeat a claim where the alleged misconduct was known to the principal much earlier.
Legal principle:
The liability of a deceased agent may survive against his estate, but the legal heirs cannot automatically be placed in the same position as the agent himself.
Shri Ganpati Jurists | Legal Learning
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