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1997 Supreme(All) 492

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
S. K. PHAUJDAR
NEW INDIA ASSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED - Appellant
Versus
GHANSHYAM DAS - Respondents
CIV. REVN. 73 Of 1997
Decided On : 05/02/1997

Advocates Appeared:
JANARADAN SAHAI, VINIT SAREN

Mere acceptance of rent after a valid notice to quit does not amount to a waiver of the notice if the landlord does not intend to treat the lease as subsisting.

Headnote:

LANDLORD TENANT RELATIONSHIP - U. P. ACT NO. 13 OF 1972 - APPLICABILITY - WAIVER OF NOTICE TO QUIT - S. 113 T. P. ACT - INTERPRETATION - ACCEPTANCE OF RENT AFTER NOTICE - INTENTION TO TREAT LEASE AS SUBSISTING.

Fact of the Case:

The plaintiff-landlord filed a suit for eviction of the defendant-tenants from the suit premises situated in Mathura. The defendants had been tenants on a month-to-month basis at a rate of Rs. 5,705 per month. The tenancy was initially created for three years with a stipulation for extension of the period up to three years more subject to enhancement of rent by 15%. The extended period of tenancy was to expire on 15th December 1993. Before the expiry date, the plaintiff served a notice on the defendants demanding vacant possession of the suit premises. The defendants started negotiating for a fresh lease on a 20% enhancement of the rent for a further period of five years, but the negotiations failed. The plaintiff claimed that the building was constructed in 1987, the rent was more than Rs. 2000 per month, and the provisions of the U. P. Act No. 13 of 1972 were not applicable. A notice under S. 106 T. P. Act was sent to the tenants on 30th August 1994, for terminating their tenancy.

Finding of the Court:

The trial court found that the U. P. Act No. 13 of 1972 was not applicable to the present case and that the notice of determination of tenancy was validly served. The court also found that the plaintiff had not waived the notice by accepting rent under protest after the date of termination.

Issues: 1. Whether the U. P. Act No. 13 of 1972 was applicable to the present case. 2. Whether the notice of determination of tenancy was validly served. 3. Whether the plaintiff had waived the notice by accepting rent under protest after the date of termination.

Ratio Decidendi: 1. The U. P. Act No. 13 of 1972 was not applicable to the present case because the building was constructed in 1987 and the rent was more than Rs. 2000 per month. 2. The notice of determination of tenancy was validly served in accordance with S. 106 T. P. Act. 3. The plaintiff had not waived the notice by accepting rent under protest after the date of termination because there was no intention on the part of the plaintiff to treat the lease as subsisting.

Final Decision: The revision application was dismissed, and the judgment and decree of the trial court were confirmed. The defendants were directed to vacate the premises within a month from the date of the judgment, failing which the decree for eviction could be put to execution.

S. K. PHAUJDAR, J.


( 1 ) THIS revision application under S. 25 of the Provincial Small Cause Courts Act is directed against the judgment and decree D/- 8-1-1997 recorded by the District Judge. Mathura, exercising small causes powers in SCC Suit No. 6 of 1994. On an undertaking by the plaintiffrespondents the execution of the decree has been kept suspended till the date of judgment.

( 2 ) THE suit was filed for eviction of the tenantrevisionists from the suit premises situated in the city of Mathura. The defendants had admittedly been tenants on month to month basis in the suit premises on a rate of rent of Rs. 5,705. 00 per month. Initially the tenancy was created for a period of three years with stipulation for extension of the period up to 3 years more subject to enhancement of rent by 15 per cent. The extended period of tenancy was to expire on 15th Dec. 1993. Before the aforesaid date of expiry, the plaintiff served a notice on the defendants on 20-7-1993 demanding vacant possession of the suit premises after expiry of extended period of tenancy. On receipt of the notice, the defendants started negotiating for taking the building on a fresh lease on 20 percent enhancement of the rate of rent for a further period of five years. The negotiations, however, failed. The building was constructed, according to the plaintiff, in the year 1987, the rate of rent was more than Rs. 2000. 00 per month and the provisions of the U. P. Act No. 13 of 1972 were not applicable for any matter relating to the landlord tenant relationship. A notice under S. 106. T P Act was sent to the tenants on 30th Aug. 1994, for terminating their tenancy. Replies were sent to such notice but possession was not made over.

( 3 ) THE suit was contested by the defendants. The tenancy was dot denied nor was the rate of rent. It was asserted that the original period of lease was extended up to 15th Nov. 1993. It was asserted, however, that the building was constructed for more than 50 years back and on that score exclusion of operation of the U. P. Act No. 13 of l972 could not have been claimed. The defendants highlighted the fact that even after the receipt of the notice of termination of tenancy, the defendants had made over the rent of the building to the plaintiff who had accepted the same and this acceptance was under the law a waiver of the notice of determination of the tenancy. The suit was filed, according to the defendant-appellant, only with a view to enhance the rent of the building.

( 4 ) THE trial Court considered the question of applicability of the U. P. Act No. 13 of 1972 to the present set of facts and also took up into consideration the question whether the notice of determination of tenancy was served by any action of the plaintiffs. He negatived both the objections and had decreed the suit.

( 5 ) THE revision was pressed basically on the question of waiver only. The learned counsels submitted case-laws in support of their arguments. Reliance was further placed on the statement of the plaintiff to show that rent was accepted even after service of the termination of notice. Reference was made to deposition of PW- 1, a copy of which was placed before me. This P. W. admitted in paragraph 6 of his cross-examination that New India Assurance Company had deposited the sum due as rent and he had withdrawn the same. He admitted that he did not intimate the New India Assurance that the same was being withdrawn as damages for unlawful occupation, or it was accepted under protest. He, however, asserted that he had given a separate receipt for such sum.

( 6 ) A reading of the judgment of the trial Court indicates that it had engaged itself to the fact and the law on the question of waiver of the notice. The rent after the date of notice was paid through a cheque accompanied by a forwarding letter D/- 17-10-1994. This paper was produced from the custody of the plaintiff and formal proof thereof was waived. On this paper there has been an endorsement of the p












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