Source: Emirates Today – Dubai
The Abu Dhabi Family, Civil and Administrative Court dismissed a financial claim worth AED 439,000 filed by a feed trader against a farm owner, arising from the plaintiff’s alleged supply of animal feed to the defendant. The court based its ruling on the insufficiency of evidence submitted to prove the validity of the claim.
In the details, a feed trader filed a lawsuit against a farm owner, requesting that he be ordered to pay AED 439,000, as well as AED 50,000 in compensation for delay and procrastination. The claim was based on the allegation that the plaintiff supplied animal feed to the defendant in the amount claimed, and that the defendant failed to pay without any legal reason or justification.
The plaintiff submitted supporting documents, including copies of feed delivery statements and other records reviewed by the court. The defendant, despite being duly notified, did not appear before the court.
The court explained in its reasoning that the burden of proving the debt rests with the creditor. It noted that the plaintiff trader filed the case seeking to oblige the defendant farm owner to pay the value of the animal feed allegedly received. The court further stated that, as a settled principle, delivery is merely the transfer of property from one party to another, and whoever claims the existence of a legal cause for such transfer must prove it. The default position is that liability is presumed absent (presumption of innocence), and any assertion of indebtedness is an exception that must be supported by evidence.
The court added that the documents submitted in the case file consisted of an unclear statement containing the defendant’s name and quantities allegedly supplied, but the claim remained unsubstantiated and unsupported by proof of actual receipt of the goods.
Accordingly, the court ruled to dismiss the case in its current form and ordered the plaintiff trader to bear the court fees, expenses, and legal fees.