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Limitation Act Hub / First Division, Part III - Declarations
Limitation Act, 1963 - Professional Corpus - Batch 06

First Division, Part III - Declarations

Article 58 runs from when the right to sue first accrues; a later continuing effect does not automatically create a fresh accrual.

Authors: CA Nikhil Gupta and Kajri SinghLegal review cut-off: 2026-07-18Unit 9 of 43India-first
Statutory source control. The local text below is a professional transcription and article map aligned to the current India Code architecture and listed amendments. The signed Gazette/current official source controls punctuation, footnotes, State variations and event-date application.
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Dedicated Finin2min Summary - Chapter in 2 Minutes

  • Article 58 runs from when the right to sue first accrues; a later continuing effect does not automatically create a fresh accrual.
  • The first column classifies the proceeding, the second sets the period and the third fixes the starting point.
  • Sections 4-24 can alter computation only when legally available.
  • A special/local statute may replace the Schedule period or exclude general provisions.

Current statutory text / controlled source extract

Article 56 - Declare forgery of an issued or registered instrument. Period: 3 years Starts: Issue or registration becomes known. Article 57 - Declaration that alleged adoption is invalid or never occurred. Period: 3 years Starts: Alleged adoption becomes known. Article 58 - Any other declaration. Period: 3 years Starts: When right to sue first accrues.

Section-by-section / article-by-article provision map

ProvisionSubjectStatus / periodFinin2min clause-by-clause decodeImplementationEvidence/control
Article 56Declare forgery of an issued or registered instrument.3 yearsIssue or registration becomes known.Article 56: match the exact claim description, period and third-column trigger; near-similar commercial facts can fall under different articles.Preserve the instrument, event date and article-selection memorandum.
Article 57Declaration that alleged adoption is invalid or never occurred.3 yearsAlleged adoption becomes known.Article 57: match the exact claim description, period and third-column trigger; near-similar commercial facts can fall under different articles.Preserve the instrument, event date and article-selection memorandum.
Article 58Any other declaration.3 yearsWhen right to sue first accrues.Other declaration: time runs when the right to sue first accrues, not on every later adverse consequence.Preserve the instrument, event date and article-selection memorandum.

Finin2min implementation explanation

Classification

Determine whether the matter is a suit, appeal, application, execution, arbitration claim or special-statute proceeding. Record relief, forum and event date.

Computation

Select the exact article or special-law period. Record the third-column trigger, first-day exclusion, calendar period and each legally available adjustment.

Control owner

Legal owns statutory classification; business/finance owns transaction dates; secretarial/HR/property teams supply authority and evidence; counsel confirms forum filing.

Change control

Recalculate after any amendment, acknowledgment, payment, order, stay, certified-copy event or forum change. Preserve the superseded computation.

Practical examples and calculations

Chapter-specific scenario.

Two claims arise from the same transaction but seek different reliefs. The team selects separate Schedule articles and trigger dates rather than using one generic invoice date.

Calculation stepMethodEvidence
Base triggerRecord the exact statutory third-column or special-law event date.Contract/order/notice/service/knowledge evidence
First dayExclude the day from which the period is reckoned under section 12(1).Calendar worksheet
PeriodAdd the prescribed days, months or years using the Gregorian calendar.Date calculation and assumptions
AdjustmentsApply only proven exclusions, disability, fraud, acknowledgment/payment or court-closure rules.Orders, copy records, signed documents, bank proof
Final cut-offState last filing day, forum hours/e-filing rule and any condonation range.Court calendar, portal receipt and legal sign-off

Practical transaction application

  1. Open the chronology when the first default, refusal, knowledge event, dispossession, order or enforceability event occurs.
  2. Classify every proposed relief separately and select the governing special statute and Schedule article.
  3. Record authority, service, contractual cure periods, statutory notice, copy time, stay and prior proceedings.
  4. Test acknowledgment, part-payment, fraud, disability and continuing-wrong claims against their exact statutory conditions.
  5. Approve the last filing date, fallback forum, condonation position and evidence pack before action.

Authority, consent and execution controls

Stamp duty and registration alerts

  • Limitation does not cure an unstamped or unregistered instrument.
  • Assess State stamp duty and registration separately for the underlying contract, deed, mortgage, lease, release or settlement.
  • Preserve original instrument and adjudication/impounding record.
  • Do not assume an electronic record avoids stamp or registration law.

Evidence and document-retention checklist

Performance, delivery and payment controls

Breach, loss, mitigation and remedy framework

  • Identify suit, appeal, application, arbitration, execution or public-law remedy.
  • Quantify principal, interest, damages, restitution and costs separately.
  • Do not allow negotiations or a legal notice to revive a barred right unless statute permits.
  • Evaluate settlement, acknowledgment and standstill language for unintended consequences.

Limitation and forum controls

Arbitration and mediation interface

Arbitration does not create a new substantive limitation period for a barred claim. Separately compute the underlying claim, arbitration commencement, section 11 application, interim relief, award challenge and enforcement. For mediation and PIMS, identify the statutory exclusion period and preserve application, service, closure and settlement records.

Company, partnership, GST and tax overlays

Finin2min Q&A

How is the correct article selected?

Classify the actual relief and legal relationship, then rule out specific articles before using a residuary article.

Does a demand notice always start limitation?

No. Some articles run from loan, delivery, breach, refusal, knowledge or enforceability irrespective of a later demand.

Can section 5 extend a suit article?

No general section 5 condonation applies to suits.

Chapter-specific decision flowchart

Decision flow for First Division, Part III - Declarations
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