1995 Supreme(Raj) 452
Supreme Court
Honble M.M. Punchhi & Sujata V. Manohar, JJ.
Sh. Janki Devi Bhagat Trust, Agra - Appellant
Versus
Ram Swarup Jain (Dead) by Lrs. - Respondents
Civil Appeal No. 696 (NM) of 1975
Decided On : August 14, 1995
Gopal Singh, Adv., for Appellant C.S. Vaidyanathan & P.K. Jain for Advs. for Respondents
Headnote:Transfer of Property Act, 1882, Sec. 106 & 107— Termination of lease—Immovable property given in lease for manufacturing pu-rpose—Lease was not from year to year or for a period exceeding one year—Six months notice is not rerquired for termination of lease—It can be terminated by a notice of fifteen days. (Para 6) Appeal allowed.
(2). The only point which was raised by the respondent in appeal was that the notice dated 30.5.1963 terminating the tenancy of the respondent was invalid because the lease in favour of the respondent was a manufacturing lease; and six months notice under Section 106 of the Transfer of Property Act was necessary in order to terminate the tenancy of the respondent. The appellate court rejected this contention and held that in view of the agreement which was entered into between the parties (Ex.12) there was an express term of the contract that a notice in writing of fifteen days only was necessary for the termination of tenancy.
(3). In second appeal however, before the High Court at Allahabad, a learned Single Judge has come to the conclusion that the terms of the lease which are recorded in Ex.12 cannot be relied upon in view of the provisions of Section 107 of the Transfer of Property Act. Hence the term in the agreement relating to giving fifteen days notice of termination cannot be looked at. He held that as the lease was a manufacturing lease, six months notice was required under the deeming provision of Section 106 of the Transfer of Property Act. In its absence, the suit must fail. He, therefore, allowed the appeal and dismissed the appellants suit for ejectment. Learned Single Judge, however, decreed the claim of the appellant for arrears of rent. The present appeal is from this judgment of the High Court.
(4). Under Section 107 of the Transfer of Property Act a lease of immovable property from year to year or for any term exceeding one year can be made only by a registered instrument. Any lease of this kind would be void unless it is created by a registered instrument. All other leases of immovable property may be made either by a registered instrument or by an oral agreement accompanied by delivery of possession. All the courts below have held that there was a valid lease. The High Court has recorded that it was not the contention of the respondent that his lease was from year to year. The contention was that the lease was for a term exceeding one year and was, therefore, compulsorily registerable under the first part of Section 107 of the Transfer of Property Act. This contention has been negatived by the High Court as also by both the courts below. The High Court has held that the lease was not for a term exceeding one year, and so was not compulsorily registerable under the first part of Section 107. It, however, held that since the lease was for a manufacturing purpose, six month notice to quit was required under Section 166. In its absence, termination was not valid.
(5). This reasoning is fallacious. It