Validity of muchilika and the requirement of a proper notice to quit for a monthly tenancy.

1. Two points have been raised before us by the appellant in this case: (1) that Exhibit A, the muchilika given by the plaintiff is not valid as it was agreed to only by one of the trustees of the plaint temple and not by the other; (2) that the defendant has a monthly tenancy apart from the lease, Exhibit II and that it has not been properly terminated as the notice to quit given to him was not by his lessors or on their behalf but by the, plaintiff himself and in his own name.

2. On the first point, we agree with the District Judge that the muchilika Exhibit A is valid and binding on the temple as it was taken in accordance with the usual practice of the temple by the managing trustee in the name of both the trustees: Though the ordinary rule is that When there are more trustees than one all must join in the execution of the trust and that one trustee can-not delegate any of his duties to his co-trustee, yet the delegation in the regular course of business is not improper, Compare Sections 47 and 48 of the Indian Trusts Act which state the principles, though they do not apply to the present case. As it is shown that in the ordinary course of business, the leases of the plaint temple properties were arranged by, the managing trustee on behalf of both the trustees, the muchilika Exhibit A executed in accordance with that practice, the other trustee not objecting, must be valid.

3. On the second point we are unable to agree with the District Judge that the defendants position was, that of a tenant at will liable to be ejected without notice. His new lease Exhibit II is no doubt invalid and therefore it did not alter or affect his previously existing rights, if any, in the property. It is shown that the defendant has been in occupation of the plaint property for some years before suit paying rent to the trustees at monthly rate, though payment was made for convenience in a lump sum apparently, once a year. He came in originally under a lease for ten years but as the lease deed was not registered it was of no effect in creating a term lease in His favour, Section 107 of the. Transfer of. Property Act requiring a registered instrument for the purpose, But as he continued in possession with the consent of the trustees paying rent at a monthly rate we must presume that a monthly tenancy was created between the parties by oral agreement accompanied by possession. Under Section 106 of the Transfer of Property Act, the presumption is, in the absence of a contract or local usage to the contrary, that the lease is from month to month, as this lease was not for agricultural or manufacturing purposes. Defendant being thus a tenant from month to month, a proper notice to quit was certainly required to terminate his tenancy before he could be ejected. The notice given in the present case though admitted to be otherwise proper, is argued to be invalid as it was not given by the lessors or on their behalf. The notice here was given by the plaintiff in his own name. No Indian authorities have however been cited to us on the point. The English law as pointed out by the Respondents vakil is that the person legally entitled to the immediate reversion of and in the demised premises is the proper person to give the notice to quit. See Foa on Landlord and Tenant, 4th Edition, page 163 and Woodfall on Landlord and Tenant, 19th Edition, page 408. Where the landlord had given a 14 years lease of his premises in the possession of a yearly tenant, to a new lessee, it was held that the new lessee was the proper person to give the notice to quit and the notice given on the landlords behalf was held to be bad in law. See Wordsley Brewery and Co. v. Halford (1903) 90 L.T. 89. We must adopt this rule unless the Indian Law under the Transfer of Property Act is clearly different. Although the matter is not free from difficulty we are, inclined to think that the provisions of that Act are not inconsistent with the English rule. It is true that Section 106 o