Andhra Pradesh High Court
Judges : S.DASARADHA RAMA REDDY
Kamala Bai - Appellant
Versus
E.Rajeswari - Respondent
Decided On : 12-31-96
EVICTION - WILFUL DEFAULT - RENT - PAYMENT - PROCEDURE - A. P. BUILDINGS (LEASE, RENT AND EVICTION) CONTROL ACT, 1960 - SEC. 8 - INTERPRETATION - TENANT'S OBLIGATION TO PAY RENT ON DUE DATES - RULE 5 OF A. P. BUILDINGS (LEASE, RENT AND EVICTION) CONTROL RULES - APPLICABILITY.
Fact of the Case:
The tenants sent rent by money order for November, 1991, which was refused by the landlady. They then sent a lawyer's notice calling upon the landlady to nominate a bank so that they could deposit the rents in the bank. The landlady refused to receive the notice and the money order. The tenants approached the Rent Controller by filing R. C. 3/92 on 30-12-1991 and obtained permission of the Court in LA. 6/92 on 20-10-1992 filed along with R. C. 3/92 to deposit the rents in Court. The landlady filed an eviction petition on the ground of wilful default in payment of rents from November, 1991 to August, 1992.
Finding of the Court:
The tenants failed to prove that they had sent the rent for November, 1991 by money order and that the landlady had refused to receive it. The tenants also failed to follow the procedure prescribed in Sec. 8 of the Act for depositing the rent in court after the landlady refused to receive it. The tenants had not deposited the rent for the period from November, 1991 to August, 1992, and were therefore in wilful default.
Issues: 1. Whether the tenants had sent the rent for November, 1991 by money order and whether the landlady had refused to receive it? 2. Whether the tenants had followed the procedure prescribed in Sec. 8 of the Act for depositing the rent in court after the landlady refused to receive it? 3. Whether the tenants were in wilful default in payment of rents?
Ratio Decidendi: 1. The burden of proving the endorsements of refusal is on tenant. 2. The procedure prescribed in Sec. 8 of the Act is not mandatory, but the tenant must follow the steps stated therein if he opts for that procedure. 3. The tenant is not absolved from his obligation to pay the rent on the due dates once he takes recourse to Sec. 8 (5) of the Act. 4. Rule 5 of the A. P. Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control Rules does not confer any power to direct deposit of rent at periodical intervals.
Final Decision: The C. R. P. is accordingly dismissed. No costs, FIVE MONTHS TIME is granted to the tenants to vacate the premises subject to the condition of their paying rents in time.
( 1 ) THIS is a revision filed by tenants arising out of eviction petition filed by the landlady on the ground of wilful default in payment of rents from november, 1991 to August, 1992 at the rate of Rs. 155/- per month. In the counter, the tenants pleaded that there is no fixed date for payment of rent, that they have been depositing rents in court pursuant to the order of the rent Controller in R. C. 3/92 and that they have not defaulted. Having lost in both the courts, the petitioners have come up with this revision.
( 2 ) MR. N. V. Ranganadham, learned senior counsel for the petitioners contended that as the rent sent by tenants for the month of November, 1991 by money order was refused by the respondent and returned to the petitioners on 13-11-1991, they sent lawyer s notice dated 11-12-1991 despatched by registered post acknowledgement due on 12-12-1991 calling upon the landlady to nominate a bank so that they can deposit the rents in the bank. On the same day rents for November and December 1991 were sent by M. O. This notice and money order were refused and returned to the petitioners on 16-12-1991. Immediately the petitioners approached the Rent Controller by filing r. C. 3/92 on 30-12-1991 and obtained permission of the Court in LA. 6/92 on 20-10-1992 filed along with R. C. 3/92 to deposit the rents in Court. In accordance with this order, they have been paying the rents regularly and sometimes in advance also. Thus, Mr. Ranganadham submits that the tenants -have not committed any default. In support of his assertion he has filed C. M. P. 12594/95 to receive Exs. B-1 to B-4 as additional documents. The admission of additional evidence is opposed by the counsel for landlady on the ground that they are not genuine. In the affidavit it is stated that the documents were marked as Exs. P. 1 to P. 4 in R. C. 3/92 under Sec. 8 of the A. P. Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control Act (for short the act ). As the documents were already filed in the Court in another proceeding, I order the petition. Mere admission of documents does not mean that they are genuine (and) proved.
( 3 ) EX. B-l is the money order coupon said to have been sent by one ramakishan who is the deceased husband of the 1st petitioner. This bears postal endorsement refused by the payee . No amount is mentioned in it and in order to show the amount, the learned counsel for petitioners relied on m. O. receipt No. 4662 which is written on the endorsement but which was however not filed. Mr. M. Rama Rao, learned counsel for the respondent- landlady contends that Ex. B-1 is suspicious as the sender is different, no amount is shown and it is also not probable since rent for November was not due by 13-11-91. The next document is Ex. B-2 dated 11-12-1991, office copy of the legal notice issued by the tenants to the landlady. In that notice it is alleged that as the landlady has failed to come for collection of the rent, in accordance with usual practice, for the month of November, 1991, the rent for November was sent by M. O. and as it was refused, the landlady was asked to nominate the Bank in which the tenant can deposit the rents from November, 1991, within 10 days from the date of receipt of the notice. Ex. B-4 is the postal envelope returned with the endorsement as refused . Ex. B-3 is again M. O. , coupon signed by one of the tenants for Rs, 310/- towards rents for the months of November and December, 1991 on 12-12-1991 which is said to have been refused by the landlady. Mr. M. Rama Rao vehemently contended that the alleged endorsements in Exs. B-3 and B-4. are manipulated and cannot be treated as true in the absence of examination of postman. He further submits that there is no reference to Ex. B-3 in Ex. B-4 or vice versa though they are alleged to have been issued simultaneously. It is also his contention that having issued notice to nominate the Bank, it is not in accordance with normal conduct to send rent immediately,
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