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1977 DIGILAW 230 (SC)

Satti Krishna Reddy v. Nallamilli Venkata Reddy

1977-05-27

P.N.BHAGWATI

body1977
(1) THIS special leave petition is directed against the judgment of the Andhra Pradesh High court confirming an order of eviction passed against the petitioner. I do not see any reason to interfere With the Order passed by the High court, but there is one point to which I must refer) and that arises out of a decision of the Calcutta High court in Daya Debi v. Chapala Debi. That decision has taken the view that when a claim for arrears of rent is assigned by A to B, it loses the character of a claim for rent as Soon as it is assigned and it becomes merely an actionable claim. This view is, of course, not shared by most of the other High courts and even the Calcutta High court itself In other decisions has not accepted this view. It does appear to me that this view is not correct because it is difficult to see how a claim for arreara of rent ceases to be such when it is assigned by the owner when he transfers his properties to another. So far a¯ the tenant is concerned, the. amount remains payable by him to the successor landlord as arrears of rent because that is his own liability and it does not acquire any other character. And so also when the successsor landlord claims the amount assigned tc him his cause of action against the tenant would be for arrears of rent because there is no other basis on which he found his cause of action against the lenant. There is, therefore, no doubt that in the present case the 151 respondent who was the assignee of the claim for arrears of rent from the predecessor landlady was entitled to recover the arrears of rent from the petitioner and the arrears of rent were due from tile petitioner to the 1st respondent at the date when the application was made before the Rent Controller by the 1st respondent for an order of eviction against the petitioner. The special leave petition is accordingly rejected but in view of the fact that the petitioner has been in possession of the premises for a comiderable lime, I direct that the order for eviction passed against the petitioner shall not be executed against him until 30/05/1978 and on the petitioner filing an affidavit in this court on or before July 55, 1077 undertaking to this court that he will hand over vacant and peaceful possesion of the premises to the 1st respondent on or before that date. in case such affidavit is not fileld by the petitioner, the order for eviction shall become executable forthwith. (2) MR A. Subba Rao to file vakalat and appearance immediately.