Gujarat High Court
Judgename :J.M.SHETH
KANTILAL ISHWERLAL SHAH - Appellant
Versus
MUKUNDRAI KESHAVLAL PARIKH - Respondent
Civil Revision 931 of 1967
Decided On : 08/09/1972
Bombay Rents Hotel and Lodging House Rate Control Act, 1947 - Section 29 (2) - Transfer of Property Act - Section 114-A - Property case - Tenancy - Appellate Bench passed a decree for eviction and allowed the appeal on the ground that the defendant tenant has committed a breach of a term of the tenancy viz. using particular space mint for common passage by putting articles - Thereon and for other purposes - Possession was sought on other grounds also. But both the Courts below found that those grounds were not established - Held, In Courts opinion there is no room for the application of the ejusdem generis doctrine - In the result although the section applies to these premises the appellant is not entitled in this suit to take advantage of it - At page 261 after referring to a few English decisions has observed that view was that the word perform covered a negative covenant also Court respectfully agree with that line of reasoning and in Courts opinion the contention of the appellant that the word perform in sec. 11 does not cover a negative covenant is unsound - It is significant to note that the condition in respect of which a breach has been committed by the petitioner-tenant in the instant case is not in any manner inconsistent with the provisions of the Act - Result is that the submission made in this behalf is not well founded - Petition dismissed.
( 1 ) THIS revision petition is filed by the original defendant (tenant) under sec. 29 (2) of the Bombay Rents Hotel and Lodging House Rate Control Act 1947 (which will be hereinafter referred to as the Act) against the judgment and decree passed by the appellate Bench of the Small Causes Court at Ahmedabad in Civil Appeal No. 316 of 1963 The appellate Bench passed a decree for eviction and allowed the appeal on the ground that the defendant tenant has committed a breach of a term of the tenancy viz. using particular space ment for common passage by putting articles etc. thereon and for other purposes. Possession was sought on other grounds also. But both the Courts below found that those grounds were not established.
( 2 ) THE trial Court in Civil Suit No. 2453 of 1960 against which the aforesaid appeal was filed held also held that this breach of the tenancy was established but according to it the landlords cannot get a decree for eviction on that ground in the absence of a notice given as contemplated by sec. 114-A of the Transfer of Property Act. Both the Courts below have found that the notice to quit was valid and legal and contractual tenancy was validly determined. The appellate Court found that sec. 114-A of the Transfer of Property Act cannot have any application as the landlords are entitled to possession as the contractual tenancy has been validly determined by a valid and legal notice to quit and the tenant having committed a breach of the other term of the tenancy he is not entitled to statutory protection under the Act.
( 3 ) MR. B. R. Shah had at one stage of the arguments challenged the validity and legality of the notice. Ultimately when it was found that the period of lease was to start from 1st December 1953 and not from 1st January 1954 he gave up the contention which he had raised on the basis of the provisions of sec. 110 of the Transfer of Property Act. Furthermore in the instant case in suit notice as well as ill the plaint landlords had in terms stated that the tenancy commenced from the first of every month and admittedly the tenancy for the last several years was a monthly tenancy. This averment made in the plaint as well as in the notice was not challenged by the defendant-tenant in his reply. Ex. 49 to the suit notice. Ex. 34 and in the written statement. 0n the contrary in the reply Ex. 49 he had stated about the payment of rent for the period from 1-5-1962 to 31-5-1962 which supports also the landlords version that the tenancy commenced from the first of English month and ended on the expiry of that month. Mr. Shah has therefore rightly not challenged the validity and legality of that notice ultimately.
( 4 ) MR. Shah has submitted that the rentnote contained a term that in the common passage kept for the tenants no articles or goods are to be placed. The two Courts below on consideration of the evidence have recorded a finding that the petitioner-tenant has committed a breach of this term of the tenancy. Mr. Shah has submitted that in the rent-note itself there is a provision that if there is a breach of any of the terms of the tenancy committed by the tenant the landlords would be entitled to get that condition specifically performed. He has therefore contended that in case there was any such breach committed a remedy was provided in the rent-note itself viz. that condition could be specifically enforced. It could be done Mr. Shah submitted by getting an injuction directing the tenant to remove such obstruction caused and by restraining him from placing any such article on such common passage. He has therefore contended that if there was a breach of such condition of the tenancy the landlords have to adopt the remedy provided under the rent note and they cannot claim a decree for eviction on that ground. In any opinion. this submission is not well founded. In the instant ease the landlords have already got a right to possession as the contractual tenancy has been validly determi
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