SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

2010 Supreme(Ker) 447

High Court of Kerala
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE PIUS C. KURIAKOSE & THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE C.K. ABDUL REHIM
M/S. Midland Traders, Elias Towers & Others
Versus
Miriam Elias & Others
RCR. No. 140 & 141 of 2010
Decided on : 22-07-2010

Advocates Appeared:For the Petitioners:B.G. Bhaskar, Advocate. For the Respondents:Meijo Kurian Puvathingal, Advocate.

Headnote:

Kerala Buildings (Lease and Rent Control) Act, 1965 - Sections 5, 6 and 8 - Building is situated evidently in a commercially important locality - The revision petitioners who are doing business in the petition schedule premises in the ground floor of the building took the building on lease - The original landlords initiated the proceedings by instituting a suit for fixation of fair rent before the Munsiff's Court and the suit was decreed - Tenant preferred appeal - Held, Under the impugned judgment, the learned Appellate authority has fixed the fair rent with effect from the date of the original suit - Revision Petitions disposed of.

Judgment :

Pius C.Kuriakose, J.

1. Under challenge in these revisions filed by the tenant/a partnership firm under Section 20 of Act 2 of 1965 is the common judgment delivered by the Rent Control Appellate Authority in an appeal which was filed by the tenant and memorandum of cross objections filed by the landlord against an order of the Rent Control Court fixing fair rent for the building under Section 5 of Act 2 of 1965. The building is situated evidently in a commercially very important locality in Cochin city admittedly near to the Kerala High Court and the prestigious Cochin Marine Drive. The building abuts the Banerjee Road as well as the market road. The building is a portion of the ground floor of a four storied commercial complex by name "Elias Chambers". Portions of the upper stories of the above commercial complex are occupied by various other tenants including the Life Insurance Corporation of India and South Indian Bank Ltd. The revision petitioners who are doing business in the petition schedule premises in the ground floor of the building took the building on lease in 1981 on a monthly rental of Rs.1,000/-. The original landlords initiated the proceedings in the year 2001 by instituting a suit for fixation of fair rent before the Munsiff's Court and the suit was decreed. The judgment of this Court in George v. State of Kerala (2000(2) KLT 933) was relied on by the tenants. The suit was tried by the learned Munsiff and at trial the evidence consisted of Exts.A1 and A2, B1 to B4, C1 commission report, Exts.X1 to X4 produced by witnesses, oral evidence of witnesses PWs.1 to 3 on the side of the plaintiff/landlord and the oral evidence of DW1 on behalf of the tenant/ defendant. It came on record from the evidence of PW2/a senior officer of the South Indian Bank, tenant in occupation of the first floor and that of PW3/a senior officer of LIC, tenant in occupation of second and third floor that LIC was paying rent at the rate of 11.70 sq. ft. even for the third floor premises and that the South Indian Bank is paying rent at the rate of 10.50 sq. ft. for the first floor premises occupied by them in Elias Chambers itself. The learned Munsiff on evaluating the evidence came to the conclusion that "present rate of rent available in the locality is between 10.50 and 11.70 sq. ft". After concluding so the learned Munsiff would fix the fair rent for the building in question at Rs.12 per sq. ft. and the rent for the entire premises at Rs.3,840/- per mensem.

2. The tenant preferred appeal to the District Court as AS. No. 364 of 2003 against the judgment and decree passed by the Munsiff's Court which was transferred by the District Court to the Rent Control Appellate Authority on the basis of the judgment of this Court in Edger Ferus v.Abraham Ittycheria, 2004(1) KLT 767. Upon transfer, the Appellate Authority renumbered the appeal as RCA. No. 76 of 2005. In that appeal the landlord submitted a memorandum of cross objection contending that the fair rent should have been fixed at the rate of Rs.25/- to Rs.30/-per sq. ft. The Rent Control Appellate Authority under the impugned judgment dismissed the appeal preferred by the tenant and upheld the memorandum of cross objections and fixed the fair rent of the building at the rate of Rs.8000/- per mensem (Rs.25/-per sq. ft.) with effect from the date of institution of the suit.

3. In the separate revision filed by the tenant against the decision on his appeal and the landlord's memorandum of cross objections the tenant urges that the parameters fixed by this court by judgment in Aboobacker v. Vasu, 2003 (3) KLT 1029 on the basis of the judgment in Issac Ninan v. State of Kerala, 1995 (2) KLT 848 are unreasonable and opposed to public policy. It is urged that the judgment of this Court in Issac Ninan v. State of Kerala, 1995(2) KLT 848 so far as it relates to Sections 5(2) and 8(1) of Act 2 of 1965 has been rendered per incuriam as a binding judgment rendered by a Full Bench reported in







Click Here to Read the rest of this document
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top