Fatwa ID: 08272

 

Answered by Maulana Yusuf Badshah

 

Question:

 

Some one left some goods with some one saying i will take it in few days. he did not collect it. in the meantime the second person put it in storage with a third person. After 2 years the first person came to collect his goods, now the third person is asking for storage charge. can the third person ask for storage charge and if so who pays the charge.

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

 

Answer:

 

If a storage charge was not previously agreed upon between the second and third person, then it will not be permissible now for the third person to demand a storage charge from the second or first person. They may request compensation from either the first or second person which they may choose to accept, in which case it would be better that the first person compensates him, but they cannot refuse to return the first person’s goods back to him or hold them ransom when no storage charge was previously agreed upon.

 

However, if a storage charge was agreed upon by the second person, then it will be upon the second person to pay for it, given that they were the one to enter into the transaction and agree upon the price. The second person may request the first person to compensate them for the storage fee and for not collecting their goods within the agreed timeframe, but as above, they can not refuse to return the first person’s goods or hold them ransom when the first person did not agree to their goods being placed in the hands of a third party.

 

However, if the item was such that the storage of it with a third party was necessary, be it due to the nature of the item or the second person’s circumstances, then the first person will be liable for any losses incurred by the second person in the preservation of their item, including the storage fee [1].

 

However, much more information is required to determine who is liable for certain. Namely, the nature of the goods, what exactly was agreed upon between each of them and the circumstances of the second person that led him to give the goods to the third person. This information should be brought to a local Imam, Qadhi or Sharia Council who can assess everyone’s version of events and provide an accurate judgement.

 

 

Only Allah s.w.t knows best.

Written by Maulana Yusuf Badshah

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] Fatawa Hindiyyah, vol. 6, pg. 355, Darul Fikr:

(الْفَصْلُ الثَّانِي وَالْعِشْرُونَ فِي الْوَدَائِعِ) يَكْتُبُ فِيهِ أَقَرَّ فُلَانٌ طَائِعًا فِي حَالِ جَوَازِ إقْرَارِهِ مِنْ جَمِيعِ الْوُجُوهِ أَنَّ فُلَانًا أَوْدَعَ عِنْدَهُ كَذَا عَلَى أَنْ يَحْفَظَهَا هَذَا الْمُودَعُ فِي بَيْتِهِ بِنَفْسِهِ وَبِمَنْ يُمَوِّنُهُ مِنْ عِيَالِهِ وَلَا يَدْفَعُهَا إلَى أَجْنَبِيٍّ وَلَا يُخْرِجُهَا مِنْ يَدِهِ وَلَا يَنْقُلُهَا إلَى غَيْرِ حِرْزٍ مِنْ غَيْرِ ضَرُورَةٍ عَلَى أَنَّهُ إنْ اسْتَهْلَكَهَا أَوْ ضَيَّعَهَا أَوْ خَالَفَ فِيهَا فَهُوَ ضَامِنٌ وَأَنَّهُ قَبَضَ مِنْهُ جَمِيعَ هَذِهِ الْوَدِيعَةِ وَتَسَلَّمَهَا مِنْهُ بِتَسْلِيمِهِ ذَلِكَ إلَيْهِ عَلَى سَبِيلِ الْحِفْظِ وَعَلَى أَنْ يَرُدَّهَا عَلَى هَذَا الْمُودِعِ بِعَيْنِهَا إذَا اسْتَرَدَّهَا وَطَالَبَهُ بِهَا مِنْ لَيْلٍ أَوْ نَهَارٍ وَلَا يَعْتَلُّ بِعِلَّةٍ دُونَ رَدِّهَا إلَيْهِ وَذَلِكَ فِي يَوْمِ كَذَا مِنْ شَهْرِ كَذَا، وَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ، كَذَا فِي الذَّخِيرَةِ

 

 

Raddul Muhtar, vol. 5, pg. 161, Darul Fikr:

(قَوْلُهُ خَرَجَ نَحْوُ وَدِيعَةٍ وَهِبَةٍ) أَيْ خَرَجَ وَدِيعَةٌ وَهِبَةٌ وَنَحْوُهُمَا كَعَارِيَّةٍ وَصَدَقَةٍ، لِأَنَّهُ يَجِبُ رَدُّ عَيْنِ الْوَدِيعَةِ وَالْعَارِيَّةِ

 

 

Raddul Muhtar, vol. 4, pg. 277, Darul Fikr:

كَمَا مَرَّ لِأَنَّ لِمَالِ الْمُسْلِمِ حُرْمَةً كَمَا لِنَفْسِهِ، فَلَوْ تَرَكَهَا حَتَّى ضَاعَتْ أَثِمَ، وَهَلْ يَضْمَنُ؟ ظَاهِرُ كَلَامِ النَّهْرِ لَا وَظَاهِرُ كَلَامِ الْمُصَنِّفِ نَعَمْ لِمَا فِي الصَّيْرَفِيَّةِ: حِمَارٌ يَأْكُلُ حِنْطَةَ إنْسَانٍ فَلَمْ يَمْنَعْهُ حَتَّى أَكَلَ. قَالَ فِي الْبَدَائِعِ: الصَّحِيحُ أَنَّهُ يَضْمَنُ انْتَهَى