1971 Supreme(Kar) 302
Karnataka High Court
M.V.LAKSHMINARAYANAPPA - Appellant
Versus
CHIKKASIDDE GOWDA - Respondent
Decided On : 10-21-71
C.R.P. : 1410 of 1971
B.K.Krishna Bhat
In the absence of an agreement, the landlord is entitled to receive rent not exceeding 1/4th or 1/5th of the gross produce, depending on the nature of facilities available, as provided under S. 8 of the Mysore Land Reforms Act.
Headnote:
Landlord - Land Rent Dispute - Mysore Land Reforms Act, S. 42(3), S. 8, S. 9(4) - The court discussed the provisions of the Mysore Land Reforms Act, particularly S. 8, and emphasized that in the absence of an agreement, the landlord is entitled to receive rent not exceeding 1/4th or 1/5th of the gross produce, depending on the nature of facilities available. The court also referred to the principle of fixing reasonable rent in the absence of a contract, as established in the case of Annavi moopan v. Munia Moopan, and applied it to the present case.
Fact of the Case:
The landlord filed a petition seeking rent for the land from the tenant, who resisted the application, leading to a dispute over the amount of rent payable. The lower courts rejected the landlord's claim based on the absence of an agreement regarding the produce to be given for the years in question.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that in the absence of an agreement, the landlord is entitled to receive rent as provided under S. 8 of the Mysore Land Reforms Act, and set aside the orders of the lower courts, remitting the proceedings back to the trial judge for determination of the gross produce and the applicable rent.
Issues: Dispute over the amount of rent payable by the tenant to the landlord, based on the absence of an agreement regarding the produce to be given for the years in question.
Ratio Decidendi: In the absence of an agreement, the landlord is entitled to receive rent not exceeding 1/4th or 1/5th of the gross produce, depending on the nature of facilities available, as provided under S. 8 of the Mysore Land Reforms Act.
Final Decision: The revision petition is allowed, the orders of the lower courts are set aside, and the proceedings are remitted back to the trial judge for further determination.
( 2 ) UNDER the provisions of S. 8 of the Mysore Land Reforms Act, the liability of the tenant to pay the rent has been determined. It is provided in that section that notwithstanding any law, custom, usage, agreement or the decree or order of a Court to the contrary, the rent payable by a tenant shall be paid annually and such rent shall not exceed 1/4th of the gross produce or its value in cash in the case of land possessing facilities for assured irrigation from a tank or a river channel, and 1/5th of the gross produce or its value in cash in the case of any other land. By the proviso it is stated that where the rent payable by any tenant under any contract ia less than the maximum rent specified in clause (b) such tenant shall not be liable to pay more than such rent. It is not disputed that in the present case that there was no agreement between the parties with regard to the payment of rent for the year 1968-69. If there is no agreement with regard to the payment of rent for the year 1968-69, the landlord would be, as provided under S. 8 (b) of the Mysore Land Reforms act, entitled to recover 1/4th or 1/5th of the produce depending upon as to whether the land possesses the facilites tor assured irrigation from a tank or a river channel or otherwise. The Courts below, however, have rejected the claim of the landlord on the ground that the landlord is not entitled to anything more than 8 candies of paddy. In my view, this view is erroneous. It is clear from the statement and the deposition of the landlord that there was no agreement for the year 1968-69 with regard to payment of rent between the landlord and the tenant. In the absence of that agrement, the landlord was entitled to recover rent as provided under S. 8 (a) or (b) of the Mysore Land Reforms Act. It is also important to note that S. 9 (4) of the Act provides that when there is a dispute between the landlord and the tenant as regards the rent payable, then it is competent for the Court to determine the same, on the application of the landlord or the tenant. In the present case, the application has been filed under S. 42 (3) of the Act for payment of the arrears of rent and when such an application is filed, it is competent for the Court to determine the dispute between the landlord and the tenant as regards the rent payable and pass an appropriate order. As the Courts below have rejected the claim of the landlord on the sole ground that there is no agreement regarding