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2000 Supreme(Guj) 914

Gujarat High Court
Judgename :D.C.Srivastava
MOCHI BHIKHU RAMJI - Appellant
Versus
ABDUL AZIZ TARMOHYMAD BY HIS HEIRS - Respondent
Civil Revision1061 of 1985
Decided On : 11/17/2000

Advocates Appeared: GAURANG H.BHATT, M.S.SHAH

Headnote:Civil Revision Application No. 1061 of 1985-Decided on 17th -November, 2000

       (a) Bombay Rents, Hotel and Lodging House Rates Control -Act, 1947 (Bom. Act 57 of 1947)-Sec. 12(3)(a)-Eviction-Concurrent -judgment and decree for eviction challenged in revision-Held, -landlord established all the four ingredient of Sec. 12(3)(a) of the -Act -No illegality or perversity found in concurrent findings -of both the Court below-No merit in revision.

       There is concurrent finding of fact recorded by the two -Courts below that the tenant/revisionist was in arrears of rent exceeding -six months, namely, eight months. This finding of fact hardly requires -any interference in this revision.

       [Para 14]

       Since all the four conditions of Sec. 12(3)(a) were established, -the Courts below committed no illegality in passing the decree for -eviction.

       [Para 15]

       The protection available to the tenant under Sec. 12(3)(b) -would hardly be available. However, the Trial Court has alternatively -examined the applicability of Sec. 12(3)(b) also and came to the conclusion -that the tenant was not entitled to protection of Sec. 12(3)(b). The -Appellate Court rightly did not consider this aspect when it observed -that the case is covered by Sec. 12(3)(a).

       [Para 16]

       For the reasons stated above, Court does not find any -illegality in the concurrent findings recorded by the two Courts below. -There is no merit in this revision, which is hereby dismissed.

       [Para 17]

       (b) Bombay Rents, Hotel and Lodging House Rates Control -Act, 1947 (Bom. Act 57 of 1947)-Sec. 11-Deliberately getting -the dismissal of application for fixation of standard rent in default-Challenged-Held, -application not pressed for deciding for 3 years-No effort made -for restoration of application after dismissal-No fresh or second -application preferred under Sec. 11(3)-Application rightly dismissed -in default-This amounted to deliberately getting such application -dismissed in default-It is deemed that no <BIbona fide dispute -of standard rent was pending.

       

D. C. SRIVASTAVA, J.

( 1 ) THIS is tenants revision under sec. 29 (2) of the Bombay Rent Act (for short, the Act), against the concurrent judgments and decrees of the trial Court as well as the appellate Court.

( 2 ) THE brief facts are that the deceased landlord Abdul Aziz filed a suit for eviction of the revisionist on the grounds that he was tenant of the demised premises on monthly rent of Rs. 35=00 and he was in arrears of rent for eight months from 1-2-1975 to 3-9-1975, which he failed to pay within a month of service of notice of demand.

( 3 ) THE suit was contested by the tenant, raising dispute of standard rent and also pleading payment of rent and alleging that he was not in arrears of rent exceeding six months and that he was ready and willing to pay the rent.

( 4 ) THE trial Court found that the standard rent was the agreed rent of Rs. 35=00 per month. It was further found by the trial Court that the tenant was in arrears of rent exceeding six months. The plea of payment of rent or the tender of rent was disbelieved by the trial Court. The trial Court also found that the tenant was not entitled to protection of sec. 12 (3) (b) of the Act. With these findings, the suit was decreed.

( 5 ) FEELING aggrieved, the tenant/revisionist filed an appeal which was also dismissed. It is, therefore, this revision against the concurrent judgments and decrees of the two courts below.

( 6 ) THE learned counsel for the revisionist Shri Gaurang H. Bhatt and learned counsel for the respondent Shri MS Shah have been heard and the judgments and decrees of the two courts below have been examined.

( 7 ) THE learned counsel for the revisionist has contended that this case is not covered by sec. 12 (3) (a) of the Act and that since the entire amount was paid in the trial Court, as well as, in the appellate Court, he was entitled to relief against eviction under sec. 12 (3) (b) of the Act.

( 8 ) SHRI Shah, contended that the suit was filed under sec. 12 (3) (a) of the Act, and in case it is found that the ingredients of this section were fulfilled and established by the landlord then the courts below had no option but, to decree the suit for eviction. There can not be any dispute about this contention of Shri Shah. However, it has to be seen, whether the conditions of sec. 12 (3) (a) are actually established by the landlord. Since the two courts below have concurrently found that ingredients of sec. 12 (3) (a) are established, there remains little scope for interference in this revision. However, interference is possible only when it is found that the findings recorded by the two courts below, no matter concurrent, are illegal or perverse.

( 9 ) SO far as the ingredients of sec. 12 (3) (a) are concerned, there are four essential requirements to be established by the landlord before he can get a decree for eviction of a tenant. The first is that, the rent should be payable monthly. Secondly, there should not be any dispute regarding amount of standard rent or permitted increases of rent, if any. Thirdly, the arrears of rent should exceed six months. Lastly, the tenant fails to pay the arrears of rent exceeding six months within a period of one month after service of notice of demand under sec. 12 (2) of the Act.

( 10 ) SEC. 12 (3) (B) will apply only to those cases where sec. 12 (3) (a) is not applicable. If, however, sec. 12 (3) (a) is applicable, decree of eviction has to be passed and the protection available to the tenant under sec. 12 (3) (b) will be of no consequence.

( 11 ) THE learned counsel for the revisionist has contended that it was not a case where the rent was payable monthly. According to him, the educational cess and municipal tax were also included in the amount of rent. Moreover, the educational cess and municipal tax since are not payable monthly but annually, it can not be said that the rent was payable monthly. As against this, Shri Shah has rightly contended that it was not a case of the tenant/revisionist, either in th



















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