1976 Supreme(Guj) 51
Gujarat High Court
Judgename :K.N.SINGH, SABYASACHI MUKHERJI
OM PRAKASH - Appellant
Versus
AMAR SINGH - Respondent
Civil Revision 3684 of 1966
Decided On : 05/11/1976
Headnote:
Cantonment Rent Control Act, 1952 – Section 14 - Control of Rent and Eviction Act, 1947 - Section 3 - Disputed constructions include a partition - Tenant was liable for eviction - Appellant has been tenant of situated - Ever since on a rent per mensem - Tenanted premises was let out to appellant for running a Dal and Oil Mill - Respondents purchased building from erstwhile owners - A year later they filed a suit for appellants eviction on a number of grounds including ground that appellant had made constructions materially altering accommodation without their consent causing substantial damages to it - It is not necessary to refer to other grounds as sole ground which survived for decree of eviction relates to alterations made in tenanted premises without obtaining consent of landlord - Disputed constructions include a partition wall in a hall converting same into two portions and tin sheds shown by letters ABHG and CDGH - Trial court held that partition wall in hall did not constitute material alteration - It further held that tine shed marked by letters ABHG had been constructed by appellant with consent of erstwhile landlords predecessor-in-interest of respondent but tin shed marked with letters CDGH had been constructed by Appellant Subsequently without respondents consent which materially altered accommodation and on that findings trial court decreed suit – Held, Court observed that fact that a construction is permanent or temporary in nature does not affect question as to whether constructions materially alter accommodation or not - We do not agree with this view - Nature of constructions whether they are permanent or temporary is a relevant consideration in determining question of material alteration - A permanent construction tends to make changes in accommodation on a permanent basis while a temporary construction is on temporary basis which does not ordinarily affect form or structure of building as it can easily be removed without causing any damage to building - Full Bench referred to observation of this Court made in Case that alteration in a given case might not cause damage to premises or its value or might not amount to an unreasonable use of leased premises yet construction may fall within expression material alterations - Appeal allowed
( 1 ) THIS appeal by special leave is directed against the Judgment of the High Court of Allahabhad setting aside the judgment and decree of the first appellate court and decreeing the landlords suit for eviction against the appellant.
( 2 ) THE appellant has been tenant of Kothi No. 196 situated in Dholki Mohalla Sadar Bazar Meerut Cant. ever since 1961 on a rent of Rs. 93 per mensem. The tenanted premises was let out to the appellant for running a Dal and Oil Mill. The respondents purchased the building from the erstwhile owners in 1963. A year later they filed a suit for appellants eviction on a number of grounds including the ground that the appellant had made constructions materially altering the accommodation without their consent causing substantial damages to it. It is not necessary to refer to other grounds as the sole ground which survived for the decree of eviction relates to the matrial alterations made in the tenanted premises without obtaining the consent of the landlord. The disputed constructions include a partition wall in a hall 440 converting the same into two portions and tin sheds shown by letters ABHG and CDGH. The trial court held that the partition wall in the hall did not constitute material alteration. It further held that the tine shed marked by letters ABHG had been constructd by the appellant with the consent of the erstwhile landlords predecessor-in-interest of the respondent but the tin shed marked with letters CDGH had been constructed by the Appellant Subsequently without respondents consent which materially altered the accommodation and on that findings the trial court decreed the suit. On appeal the Additional Civil Judge set aside the trial courts order and dismissed the respondents suit on the findings that none of the constructions constituted material alteration justifying appellants eviction under S. 14 (c) of the U. P. Cantonment Rent Control Act 10 of 1952. On a second appeal made by the respondent a learned Single Judge of the High Court set aside the order of the first appellate court on the findings that the tin shed indicated by the letters CDGH as well as the partition wall made in the hall converting the same into two rooms constituted material alteration as contempleted by the S. 14 (c ). Since the constructions had been made without permission of the respondent the tenant was liable for eviction. There is no dispute that the demised premises is subject to the provisions of the U. P. Cantonment Rent Control Act 1952 (hereinafter referred to as the Act.) Sec. 14 of the Act imposes restriction on the landlords right to file suit for eviction of a tenant from any accommodation except on one or mare of the grounds specified therein. Sec. 14 (c) relevant for the purposes of this case reads as under : Sec. 14: Restrictions on evictionno suit shall without the permission of the District Magistrate be filed in any civil Court against a tenant for his eviction from any accommodation except on one or more of the following grounds namely : (A) xxxx (B) xxxx (C) that the tenant has without the permission of the landlord made or permitted to be made any such construction as in the opinion of the court has materially altered the accommodation or is likely substantially to diminish its value.
( 3 ) THE Act does not permit a landlord to file suit for eviction of a tenant without obtaining permission of the District Magistrate but if the tenant without the landlords permission made or permitted to make construction which in the opinion of the court has matrially altered the accommodation or which is likely to diminish its value substantially the landlord is free to file suit for tenants eviction without obtaining permission of the District Magistrate. If the tenant makes constructions which materially alter the accommodation without permission of the landlord the embargo placed on the landlords right to file suit for tenants eviction without obtaining permission of the District M