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1979 Supreme(All) 288

Allahbad High Court
DEOKINANDAN
Chandrawati Devi - Appellant
Versus
Surendra Pal Singh - Respondent
Decided On : 05/09/1979

Advocates:
N.C. Chaudhari, for Appellants; Shambhu Prasad, for Respondent.

A lease can only be terminated by a notice in writing as required under Section 111(g) and 114-A of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882.

Headnote:

SALE OF LAND - TRANSFER OF PROPERTY ACT, 1882 - SECTION 111, 114-A - LEASE - FORFEITURE - NOTICE - NECESSITY - SALE OF LAND SUBJECT TO LEASE - VOID SALE - REFUND OF CONSIDERATION.

Fact of the Case:

Plaintiffs purchased a plot of land from the defendant, who claimed to have resumed possession of the land after the lessee failed to construct on the land within three years as per the lease agreement. The plaintiffs were unable to take possession of the land due to the interference of a third party, Smt. Rambha Kumari, who claimed to be a transferee of the leasehold. The plaintiffs sued the defendant for refund of the sale consideration and damages.

Finding of the Court:

The court held that the defendant did not have a transferable interest in the land at the time of the sale since the lease had not been validly terminated. The court found that the defendant failed to serve the lessee with a notice of termination as required under Section 111(g) and 114-A of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882, and therefore, the lease continued to subsist. The court also found that the interference by Smt. Rambha Kumari was lawful as she had a valid title under the defendant.

Issues: 1. Whether the defendant had a transferable interest in the land at the time of the sale? 2. Whether the plaintiffs were put in possession of the land? 3. Whether the plaintiffs are entitled to a refund of the sale consideration and damages?

Ratio Decidendi: The court held that a lease can only be terminated by a notice in writing as required under Section 111(g) and 114-A of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882. The court also held that the defendant did not have a transferable interest in the land at the time of the sale since the lease had not been validly terminated. Therefore, the sale was void, and the plaintiffs were entitled to a refund of the sale consideration and damages.

Final Decision: The court allowed the appeal, set aside the judgment and decree of the lower appellate court, and restored the decree of the trial court. The plaintiffs' suit for recovery of Rs. 3,375/- with pendente lite and future interest at four percent per annum was decreed with costs throughout.

JUDGEMENT :- This is a plaintiffs second appeal in a suit for recovery of Rs. 3500/- with pendente lite and future interest thereon.

2. The plaintiffs case was as follows : The defendant-respondents grandfather Kunwar Madho Singh was the Zamindar of Village Bankner. He had plotted out some of his land and disposed of all the plots on 99 years lease to different persons. The defendant-respondent came to be the owner of the said property on the death of Kunwar Madho Singh as his heir and legal representative. The defendant-respondent assured the plaintiff-appellants that plot No. 12 of the said plots in village Bankner was in his possession as proprietor, in as much as on account of the breach of the terms of the lease originally granted to one Piyarey Lal, the defendant-respondents ancestor had resumed his possession over the plot. The plot was not inhabited and believing the assurance given by the defendant-respondent that he had the right to transfer the same, the plaintiff-appellants purchased it on 10th August, 1964 on payment of Rs. 3000/- as consideration for the same. The plaintiff-appellants tried to take possession of the plot of land after the execution and registration of the sale-deed but Smt. Rambha Kumari, who was originally impleaded as defendant No. 2 in the suit, and her relatives obstructed them and did not permit them to enter into possession and later on served a notice dated 10th Sept. 1964 claiming that she was the owner of the plot of land and the plaintiffs did not get any rights under the sale-deed. The plaintiffs thereafter repeatedly requested the defendant-respondent to put them into possession of the plot land but he expressed his inability to do so, and thus the plaintiff could not get possession over the land. The consideration paid by the plaintiffs for the sale had accordingly failed on account of the defendant-respondents failure to put them into possession of the plot of land sold and the plaintiffs are entitled to recover the sale consideration of Rs. 3000/- along with Rs. 250/- as expenses incurred on the sale and Rs. 250/- as interest at the rate of one percent per mensem from the date of the sale up to the date of the suit as damages. In the suit as originally instituted Smt. Rambha Kumari was impleaded as the second defendant and the relief claimed was firstly for possession over the plot of land and in the alternative for recovery of the amount of Rs. 3500/- with pendente lite and future interest, but by an amendment of the plaint, the name of Smt. Rambha Kumari was deleted from the array of defendants and the relief for possession was also given up and only the relief for recovery of Rupees 3500/- along with pendente lite and future interest against the defendant-respondent remained.

3. The defendant-respondent contested the suit on the following pleas : The plaintiffs had no cause of action against the defendant-respondent. The plot of land is in the possession of the plaintiffs and even if it was proved that Smt. Rambha Kumari was in possession. the plaintiffs are not entitled to recover the consideration for the sale or damages against the defendant-respondent, inasmuch as the defendant-respondent had not committed any breach of the terms of the sale. Smt. Rambha Kumari was not in possession of the plot of land in suit and even if she claimed any right or interest therein it was not tenable against the proprietary rights in the land, which stood transferred to the plaintiff-appellants and the possession delivered to them by the defendant-respondent. It was further pleaded by the defendant-respondent that his grandfather Kunwar Madho Singh had established a new residential settlement, which was known after him as Madhopuri, on plot No. 66 by dividing the land into building plots out of which plots Nos. 12 and 13 were given on a 99 years lease to one Kunwar Sultan Singh. Similar leases were granted to others in respect of other plots. It was one of the conditions of the leases that the l






























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