2017 Supreme(Guj) 226
IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD
Rajesh H. Shukla, J.
Kantaben – Appellant
Vs.
Sarojben Jashubhai Patel and Ors. – Respondents
First Appeal No. 1463 of 1992
Decided On : 01-05-2017
For the Appellant :Amar N. Bhatt and Bharat J. Shelat, Advocates
Headnote:
Civil Law – Civil Suit – Code of Civil Procedure – Provision of – Dismissal of suit filed by the Plaintiff on the grounds stated in the memo of Appeal inter alia that the court below has misread and misinterpreted the agreement – Expiry of the period of this Licence – Court below has erred in holding that it has no jurisdiction to try and decide the suit except Issue No. 1 that the deceased was a licensee or not – Court below having observed that Ambalal Maneklal Parikh had expired in 1978 and fresh agreement of leave and license at Exh. 82 was executed between the deceased husband of the Plaintiff and the deceased mother of the Defendant, has erred in coming to the conclusion that the relationship between parties was that of tenant and not that of licensee – Court below has also erred in holding that whatever may be the exception and intention which may be gathered from documents, unless it is reflected in the conduct of parties, in actual practice, such intention expressed on papers would lose all the meaning and and convert the so-called agreement of leave and license into lease – Held, It has been clearly observed that long possession by itself would not be sufficient and if the possession is given gratuitously no right could be claimed. Similarly, if the possession is given as a caretaker or a person to look after, it would not give any right to continue the possession. Similarly, in the facts of the case, the possession which was given initially by way of leave and license would be a valid or authorized possession in view of the agreement of leave and license for the duration of 11 months. After the period of 11 month is over, the license would get terminated and the possession and occupation would remain unauthorized though it may not be illegal, but on expiry of the period of license, it would be unauthorized – The person who continues could be said to have been holding over the same without any authority of law which would entitle the original owner to claim it back –.Once possession is unauthorized, it would give the right to the other side to get the possession back. As discussed herein above, the court below while construing the leave and license agreement as a lease agreement committed a gross error and therefore it could not be sustained and deserve to be allowed – impugned judgment and order passed in Civil Suit by the learned City Civil and Sessions Court, Ahmedabad dated 31.3.1992 is hereby quashed and set aside – Respondents/Original Defendants are directed to hand over the vacant and peaceful possession within a period of three months failing which the Appellant - Original Plaintiff shall be entitled to recover the possession –Decree accordingly. (Paras 10 and 11)
Rajesh H. Shukla, J.
1. The present First Appeal is filed by the Appellant/Original Plaintiff being aggrieved with the impugned judgment and order in Civil Suit No. 5440 of 1985 by the City Civil and Sessions Court, Ahmedabad dated 31.3.1992 dismissing the suit filed by the Plaintiff on the grounds stated in the memo of Appeal inter alia that the court below has misread and misinterpreted the agreement dated 1.4.1972. The court below has erred in holding that it has no jurisdiction to try and decide the suit except Issue No. 1 that the deceased Dhirajben was a licensee or not. The court below has misread the agreement dated 1.4.1972 and also erred in ignoring Clause Nos. 1 and 4 reading without other clauses to arrive at the conclusion that the agreement is not a rent note or license. The court below having observed that Ambalal Maneklal Parikh had expired in 1978 and fresh agreement of leave and license at Exh. 82 was executed between the deceased husband of the Plaintiff and the deceased mother of the Defendant, has erred in coming to the conclusion that the relationship between the parties was that of tenant and not that of licensee. The court below has also erred in holding that whatever may be the exception and intention which may be gathered from the documents, unless it is reflected in the conduct of the parties, in actual practice, such intention expressed on papers would lose all the meaning and and convert the so-called agreement of leave and license into lease.
2. Heard learned Advocate Shri Amar N. Bhat for the Appellant. Though served, as the Respondents/Original Defendants were not served, the efforts were made for substituted service, and thereafter, as the places were not found in view of the report of the Bailiff, they were served by public notice. Learned Advocate Shri Bhatt referred to the issues and submitted that Clause No. 4 of the agreement and the issue about the lease or license was required to be examined in light of the other issues as well as the two documents Exh. 62 and Exh. 82. Learned Advocate Shri Bhatt referred to the agreement and submitted that Clause 4 and 24 of the agreement clearly suggest that it was an agreement for leave and license. He pointedly referred to Clause 4 and 24 of the agreement which reads as follows:
"4. That by this Agreement no exclusive possession of the premises is given to the Licensee and that this Agreement does not create any tenancy rights or any other rights, interest or relationship excepting that of Licensor and Licensee.
24. On the expiry of the period of this Licence, the Licensee may be given preference in case of the renewal of the licence to use the said premises or part thereof for any further period on such terms and conditions that would be laid down by the Licensor."
3. Learned Advocate Shri Bhatt referred to the background of the facts referring to the averments in the plaint of Civil Suit No. 5440 of 1985 and submitted that the Plaintiff in the averment has stated that the Plaintiff and her husband as well as the parents of the Defendants Ambalal M. Parikh and Dhirajben Ambalal Parikh were residing in the premises. It is averred that as the parents of the Defendants were known to the husband of the Appellant/Original Plaintiff - Kantaben, and as the Plaintiff and her husband were residing alone in the bungalow, due to relations, four rooms on the first floor of the bungalow were permitted to be used by the parents of the Defendants by leave and license agreement which was executed between Ambalal Parikh and the husband of the Plaintiff. Thereafter, again, leave and license agreement was entered into between Dhirajben and the husband of the Plaintiff on 14.10.1980. Thus, a leave and license agreement was executed, by which the mother of the Defendant Dhirajben was permitted to use the same. However, learned Advocate Shri Bhatt submitted that though it was a leave and license agreement, it is specifically averred in the plaint by the Plaintiff in