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1976 Supreme(Del) 87

High Court Of Delhi
MOTILAL KHANNA - Appellant
Versus
ABDUL JALIL - Respondent
SECOND APPEAL 187 of 1975
Decided On : 05/26/1976

Advocates Appeared:
S.N.CHOPRA

The Post Office is normally the agent of the remitter, and any person who chooses to use the agency of the Post Office for remitting money does so at his own risk.

Headnote:

RENT CONTROL ACT - SECTION 14(1)(A) - SECTION 27 - SECTION 39 - PAYMENT OF RENT - VALIDITY OF TENDER BY MONEY ORDER - AGENCY OF POST OFFICE - INTERPRETATION OF STATUTORY PROVISIONS - LEGAL PRINCIPLES GOVERNING PAYMENT OF RENT.

Fact of the Case:

The appellant, a tenant, was ordered by the Additional Controller to pay or deposit a certain amount of rent within a specified period to avoid eviction. The appellant sent a money order for the amount to the respondent's residential address on the last day of the period, but the respondent refused to accept it as it was beyond time. The appellant subsequently deposited the amount with the Controller under section 27 of the Act.

Finding of the Court:

The Rent Control Tribunal and the appellate court held that the tender of the amount by money order was not a valid discharge of the obligation under the order for eviction and that the appellant was liable to be evicted.

Issues: 1. Whether the tender of the amount by money order on 26th February, 1975 or thereabout, constituted a proper tender and a valid discharge of the obligation under the order for eviction that had been passed against the appellant. 2. Whether the Post Office was the agent of the appellant or the respondent in the transaction.

Ratio Decidendi: 1. The direction in the order for eviction was to pay or deposit the amount and there was no express direction for remission by money order. 2. The Post Office is normally the agent of the remitter and any person who chooses to use the agency of the Post Office for remitting money does so at his own risk. 3. In the instant case, there was nothing on record to show that the respondent had authorised the remission of the amount by money order. 4. The appellant having obtained an order on 28th January, 1975 to pay the amount within the period of one month, chose to delay the making of the payment till the last minute and then chose a rather dubious method by sending through money order, although it was easy for him to deposit with the Controller, which he did later on.

Final Decision: The appeal was dismissed, and the appellant was held liable to be evicted.

B. C. MISRA, J. (Oral)

( 1 ) THE appellant is a tenant judgment- debtor who has filed an appeal under section 39 of the Delhi Rent Control Act, 59 of 1958 (hereinafter referred to as the Act) against the appellate order of the Rent Control Tribunal dated 3rd December, 1975, by which the appeal has been dismissed and the order of the Additional Controller dated 31st October, 1975 has been affirmed; as a result the appellant has finally been held liable to be dispossessed in execution of the order for eviction which had already been passed.

( 2 ) THE material facts of the case lie in a narrow compass. The appellant is a tenant of the respondent in respect of shop No. 4231-32, Jogiwara, Nai Sarak, Delhi, on a rent of Rs. 30. 00 per month. On 16th October, 1974 the respondent after serving the requisite statutory notice, instituted a petition for eviction against the appellant, on the ground of non-payment of rent and subletting, specified in clauses (a) and (b) of the proviso to sub-section (1) of section 14 of the Act. The ground of unlawful subletting was given up by the respondent, while the ground of non-payment of rent succeeded and the Additional Controller passed a conditional order of eviction. It was to this effect : Out of the rent due, a sum of Rs. 352. 50 had already been paid and the balance of Rs. 50. 00 for the period ending 31st December, 1974 along with rent of Rs. 30. 00 for January, 1975 (total Rs. 80. 00 ) was ordered to be paid or deposited within a period of one month from the date of the order and it was directed that if the appellaru paid or/deposited the same, the petition for eviction would stand dismissed, but if he failed to pay it the appellant would be liable to eviction. This order was passed on 28th January, 1975.

( 3 ) ON 26th February, 1975 the appellant judgment debtor alleges that he sent a money order for Rs. 80. 00 to the respondent at his residential address. By the way, it may be noticed that the respondent is a practising lawyer, who would normally be not found at his house on the days the court is working. The money order was, however, redirected to his office in the court and the same was tendered to the respondent on 3rd March, 1975 and was refused by him on the ground that the tender was beyond time. The money order was returned to the appellant on 10th March, 1975. Subsequcntly, on 13th March, 1975 the appellant made the deposit with the Controller under section 27 of the Act. The question that arises for determination is whether the tender of the amount by money order on 26th February, 1975 or thereabout, constituted a proper tender and a valid discharge of the obligation under the order for eviction that had been passed against the appellant. The Additional Controller as well as the appellate Tribunal have found against the appellant and held that the appellant had not complied with the order and, therefore, rendered himself liable to be dispossessed in execution of the order for eviction.

( 4 ) FEELING aggrieved the appellant has filed this appeal and Mr. S. N. Chopra, Advocate, has appeared to support it. Mr. Chopra has contended that the rent authorities below ought to have held that the tender in dispute by money order was valid and the appellant had fulfilled the condition of the order and so was not liable to he evicted.

( 5 ) I have considered the submissions of Mr. Chopra and am unable to accept them and I am of the view that the order of the Rent Control Tribunal is legally correct. The order for eviction passed on 28th January, 1975 reads as follows :

"i direct the respondent to pay or deposit the sum of Rs. 50. 00 for the period ending 31-12-74 along with rent of Rs 30. 00 for January, 75 total Rs. 80. 00 within one month of this order. If the respondent makes this payment or deposit, the petition shall stand dismissed under sec. 15 (6 ). If he fails to make the deposit the respondent shall be liable to eviction under sec. 14 (1) (a) after one month and shall vacate the pre















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