SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

1950 Supreme(Bom) 127

IN THE HIGH COURT OF BOMBAY
Chagla, C.J.
Appellants: Ganesh Gopal
Vs.
Respondent: Moreshwar Narayan
Civil Revn. Appln. No. 854 of 1950
Decided On: 08.12.1950
Counsels:
For Appellant/Petitioner/Plaintiff: V.M. Tarkunde, Adv.
For Respondents/Defendant: K.M. Dharap and U.S. Hattyangadi, Advs.

A suit for possession by a tenant against his landlord and a holding over tenant falls under Section 7 (v) of the Court-fees Act, and not Section 7 (xi) (cc), as it is a general suit for possession and not a suit between landlord and tenant for recovery of immovable property from a tenant holding over.

Headnote:

COURT FEES ACT - SECTION 7 (V) OR SECTION 7 (XI) (CC) - SUIT FOR POSSESSION BY TENANT AGAINST LANDLORD AND HOLDING OVER TENANT - VALUATION FOR JURISDICTION.

Fact of the Case:

Plaintiff, a tenant, filed a suit for possession against his landlords and a holding over tenant, valuing the suit for court-fees and jurisdiction at Rs. 800, the rent fixed under the rent note. The defendants contended that the valuation was erroneous and the suit should be transferred to the Senior Civil Judge's Court as the valuation for jurisdiction was more than Rs. 10,000.

Finding of the Court:

The court held that the suit fell under Section 7 (v) of the Court-fees Act, and not Section 7 (xi) (cc), as it was a general suit for possession and not a suit between landlord and tenant for recovery of immovable property from a tenant holding over.

Issues: Whether the suit fell under Section 7 (v) or Section 7 (xi) (cc) of the Court-fees Act, and whether the valuation for jurisdiction was correct.

Ratio Decidendi: The court reasoned that the suit was not a suit between landlord and tenant, as the plaintiff was not suing the holding over tenant as his tenant, but as a trespasser. Therefore, Section 7 (xi) (cc) did not apply, and the suit fell under the general provisions of Section 7 (v).

Final Decision: The court set aside the order of the Joint Civil Judge and directed that the suit be transferred to the file of the Senior Civil Judge, Poona.

JudgmentChagla, C.J.

1. A very interesting question arises in this Civil Revn. Appln. as to whether the suit filed is covered by Section 7 (v) or Section 7 (xi) (cc), Court-fees Act.

2. A few facts may be stated. Deft. 4 was a lessee of defts. 1, 2 3 under a lease dated 28-8-1941, expiring on 29-3-1949. Pending this lease the pltff. passed a rent note in respect of the same property to defts. 1, 2 3 on 9 1-1942, under this rent note he was to get the property from 30-3-1949. The rent fixed under this rent note was Bs. 800 for the first year the rent note was for ten years. As deft. 4 failed to vacate give possession to the pltff on 30-3-1949, the pltf. after giving notice both to his landlords defts. 1 to 8 to deft. 4, filed a suit on 12-4-1949. The pltff. valued the suit for o.-fs. for jurisdiction at Rs. 800 being the rent fixed under the rent note. It was contended by the defts. that the valuation for the purposes of jurisdiction was erroneous, that the learned Junior Civil Judge before whom the suit was filed had no jurisdiction the valuation for the purpose of jurisdiction being more than Rs. 10,000 the suit should be transferred to the Ct. of the Senior Civil Judge; the question that I have to consider in this civil revn. appln. is as to whether the learned Junior Civil Judge has jurisdiction to try this suit.

3. Now, under Section 8, Suits Valuation Act, 1887, where in suits other than those referred to in the Court-fees Act, 1870, Section 7 paras. v, vi, ix, para. x, Clause (d), c. fs. are payable ad valorem under the Court-fees Act, 1870, the value as determinable for the computation of c. fs. the value for purposes of jurisdiction shall be the same. The rival contentions before me are that of the defts. that the suit falls under Section 7 (v), Court-fees Act therefore it is taken out of the purview of Section 8, Suits Valuation Act; the other contention is that it falls under Section 7 (xi) (cc), Court-fees Act Section 8, Suits Valuation Act applies, therefore the valuation for purposes of jurisdiction the c. fs. is the same. In order to determine this point the first most important question is, what is the nature of the suit ? The proper c. fs. which a pltf. has got to pay is to be assessed, not from the contentions taken up by the defts. not from the written statement filed by them, but from the nature of the suit which he institutes in the Ct. of law, the nature of the suit is to be determined from the plaint which he puts on file. Clearly the suit filed by the pltf. is a suit for possession under his lease. He has a right to possession from his landlords defts. 1 to 3. There ia an obligation upon the lessor to give quiet possession to the lessee, as the pltf. has passed a rent note in favour of defts. 1 to 3, he is entitled to possession under the rent note, therefore he has made defts. 1 to 3 parties to the suit. It so happens that deft. 4 is a tenant of defts. l to 3 holding Over after the expiry of his lease, as deft. 4 is in actual possession of the property, the pltf. has also made him party to the suit so that he could get possession if a decree is passed in his favour. It is, therefore, clearly a suit for possession, it is well settled that all general suits for possession, unless they are specifically dealt with, fall under Section 7 (v), the contention of Mr. Dharap is that this is a suit which falls under Section 7 (xi) (cc) therefore it does not fall under the general provisions of Section 7 (v).

4. Section 7 (xi) deals with suits between landlord tenant. It only refers to suits where the relationship of the parties to the suit is that of landlord tenant). In the first place, one has to ascertain that there is such a relationship then the next question would be as to whether the suit falls under any of the sub-clauses that follow. It is not necessary that all suits between landlord tenant should be exclusively dealt with under Section 7 (xi). The





Click Here to Read the rest of this document
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon telegram-icon
whatsapp-icon Back to top