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1958 Supreme(MP) 173

High Court Of Madhya Pradesh
V. R. Newaskar, J.
RAM NARAYAN - Appellant
Versus
BENJI - Respondents
Second Appeal 362 Of 1952
Decided On : 07/24/1958

Advocates Appeared:
G.M.CHAPHEKAR, S.L.Dubey

A notice of demand for arrears of rent under Section 4(a) of the Madhya Bharat Sthan Niyantran Vidhan must not be excessive or false. If the notice contains an exaggerated demand or a false claim which the defendant is under no obligation to meet, it cannot be treated as a notice complying with the requirements of Section 4.

Headnote:

MADHYA BHARAT STHAN NIYANTRAN VIDHAN - SECTION 4(A) - NOTICE OF DEMAND - INTERPRETATION - LANDLORD'S RIGHT TO EJECT TENANT - CONDITIONS - DEFAULT IN PAYMENT OF ARREARS - NATURE OF DEMAND - EXCESSIVE OR FALSE DEMAND - TENANT'S OBLIGATION TO PAY CORRECT AMOUNT - PROTECTION AGAINST EJECTMENT.

Fact of the Case:

Plaintiff Ram Narayan sued defendant Benji for ejectment and arrears of rent. The claim for ejectment was based on two grounds: (1) plaintiff needed the premises for his own use under Section 4(g) of the Madhya Bharat Sthan Niyantran Vidhan, and (2) defendant failed to pay arrears of rent despite notice. Defendant contended that the agreed rent was Rs. 15/- P.M., not Rs. 20/- P.M. as demanded by plaintiff, and that he had offered to pay the arrears at the lower rate.

Finding of the Court:

The trial court found that plaintiff failed to prove genuine need for the premises and that the agreed rent was Rs. 15/- P.M. It granted a decree for arrears of Rs. 285/- and for ejectment. The district court set aside the ejectment decree, holding that plaintiff's demand for arrears at Rs. 20/- P.M. was excessive and that defendant was not bound to comply.

Issues: 1. Whether the plaintiff had a genuine need for the premises for his own use under Section 4(g) of the Madhya Bharat Sthan Niyantran Vidhan? 2. Whether the agreed rent was Rs. 15/- P.M. or Rs. 20/- P.M.? 3. Whether the defendant was in arrears of rent and failed to pay despite notice? 4. Whether the notice of demand was lawful and sufficient to afford the plaintiff a cause of action for ejectment?

Ratio Decidendi: 1. The court held that the plaintiff failed to prove genuine need for the premises for his own use. 2. The court found that the agreed rent was Rs. 15/- P.M., not Rs. 20/- P.M. as demanded by the plaintiff. 3. The court held that the defendant was in arrears of rent to the tune of Rs. 285/- and that the plaintiff had served a notice of demand upon him. 4. The court held that the notice of demand was not lawful and sufficient to afford the plaintiff a cause of action for ejectment because it contained an excessive demand for arrears.

Final Decision: The appeal was dismissed with costs.

V. R. NEWASKAR, J.

( 1 ) THIS second appeal arises out of a suit for ejectment.

( 2 ) PLAINTIFF Ram Narayan sued the defendant Benji for ejectment and arrears of rent. The claim for ejectment was based on two grounds, (1) that he needed the premises for his own use within the meaning of Section 4 (g) of the Madhya Bharat sthan Niyantran Vidhan and (2) that the defendant failed to pay the arrears of rent in spite of service of notice making a demand for the arrears.

( 3 ) THE defence taken by the defendant was that the plaintiff himself lived in a house in Malharganj and so far as plaintiff's children arc concerned they occupy two blocks in the house in question. The plaintiff therefore was not in genuine need of the house for his own use. As regards the defendant's failure to pay the arrears in spite of notice it was contended that the rent agreed to between the parties was Rs. 15/- P. M. and not Rs. 20/- P. M. as demanded by the plaintiff in his notice. He further contended that even before the receipt of this notice the defendant had offered to pay the arrears at the rate of Rs. 15/- P. M. after deducting the money order charges but the plaintiff refused to accept the same. Even after the receipt of the notice dated 14-1-1950 he offered to pay the arrears but the plaintiff did not accept the same.

( 4 ) THE trial court found that the plaintiff has failed to prove that he was in genuine need of the premises in question for his own use within the meaning of Section 4 (g) of the Act. He further found that die rent agreed to between the parties was not Rs. 20/- P. M. but it was only Rs. 15/- P. M. The arrears therefore, according to him, were not Rs. 380/- as demanded by the plaintiff but they amounted only to Rs. 285/ -. He held that the plaintiff had given a notice to the defendant making a demand of arrears of rent and that the defendant had failed to pay the arrears. He therefore granted a decree for arrears of rent amounting to Rs. 285/-and also for ejectment.

( 5 ) THE defendant alone preferred appeal against that decision and as far as I can see that no cross-objection or cross-appeal was filed by the plaintiff. The learned district Judge considered the propriety of the decree for ejectment. According to him the plaintiff had demanded arrears at the rate of Rs. 20/-P. M. In the past similar demand had been made. The defendant had sent the arrears by money order computing the rent at the rate of Rs. 15/- P. M. and this money order was refused by the plaintiff. Reference in this connection was made by the learned District Judge to money order coupon Exs, D/2 and D/3. He held that inasmuch as the plaintiff was not prepared to accept the arrears at the rate of Rs. 15/- P. M. as was evident from his conduct and had made a demand of arrears in the notice dated 14-1-1950 at the rate of Rs. 207- P. M. , the defendant cannot be said to have committed any mistake in not making the payment in pursuance of that notice. The decree for ejectment for non-compliance with such a notice cannot, according to that Court, lead to the consequences of his being ejected. He, therefore, allowed the defendant's appeal and set aside the decree in so far as defendant's ejectment was concerned.

( 6 ) THIS is a second appeal by the plaintiff.

( 7 ) MR. Dubey for the plaintiff contended that the learned district judge has committed an error of law in refusing to grant the decree for ejectment when he comes to a definite conclusion that the defendant was in arrears to the tune of Rs. 2857-, the plaintiff had served a notice upon the defendant calling upon him to make the payment of the arrears though the amount that he claimed was in excess of this amount found by the court and according to the terms of Section 4 (a) the defendant was bound to pay whatever be the arrears after the receipt of a written notice demanding the arrears. According to the learned counsel the word meaning 'demand' has been used advisedly without reference to whether the demand b


























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