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1979 DIGILAW 215 (MP)

Bhagwandas v. Parma

1979-07-25

A.R.NAVKAR

body1979
JUDGMENT Navkar, J. 1. This is a second appeal filed against the judgment and decree dated 15-3-77 palled by first Additional District Judge, Gwalior in Civil Appeal No. 11 of 1977 which was filed against the Judgment and decree paned by Civil Judge, Class II, Gwalior in Civil Suit No. 27-A of 1973 passed on 18-4-75. 2. The plaintiff appellant filed a suit for eviction against defendant-respondent on the ground that the defendant is a tenant of plaintiff and the defendant has failed to pay the rent in spite of a notice given to him demanding the rent. The suit is filed under Section 12 (1) (a) of the M.P. Accommodation Control Act. 3. The house in dispute was sold by defendant to plaintiff on 25-8-69 and he executed a rent-note on the same day for Rs.100, per month. He paid the amount of rent to the extent of Rs.1100 for eleven months and then he stopped paying the rent. A notice was liven demanding the rent which notice is received by the deficient and the suit for recovery of the rent and eviction was filed on 13-3-73, At the time of filing of the suit the arrears of rent amounted to Rs.3,200. 4. In the suit, the defence is that the plaintiff is not a landlord and the sale-deed is a sham document. It was denied that any notice was given by the plaintiff and as such, the suit should be dismissed. The trial Court after taking evidence Come to the conclusion that the defendant is the landlord, the house is sold by the defendant to the plaintiff which is evidenced by the sale-deed (Ex. P-1), that the defendant has executed a rent note as alleged by the plaintiff in the plaint and the defendant has not paid the amount within the statutory period allowed by M.P. Accommodation Control Act for him to pay the rent. The trial Court also held that the notice is received by the defendant and therefore as the plaintiff has proved the ground under section 12(1) (a) of the M.P. Accommodation Control Act, the suit was decreed against that, the defendant preferred an appeal. The appellate Court allowed the appeal partly and maintained the decree as tar as arrears of rent and means profits are concerned. The appellate Court allowed the appeal partly and maintained the decree as tar as arrears of rent and means profits are concerned. But dismissed the decree for eviction saying that the notice is not valid against that judgment and decree, the present appeal is filed. 5. The only submission made before me is that the appellate Court fell in error m holding that the notice was not given to the defendant as required under the law. The defect in the notice pointed out before that the notice is not signed by the counsel of the plaintiff not by the plaintiff himself But it is surprising that the original notice is produced in the Court by the defendant himself Therefore, the only question I have to decide is whether a notice which is not signed by the plaintiff or his counsel is valid or not and whether such a notice is sufficient to give plaintiff a ground under section 12 (1) (a) of the M.P. Accommodation Control Act. 6. The notice which is produced in the file by the defendant is not signed by S.D. Gupta Advocate or plaintiff. But it clearly mentions the name and address of the defendant. The notice also contains the name of the plaintiff the rate of rent and the arrears also. It also shows that out of Rs.3200, which is the arrears of rent the defendant has paid Rs.1100. The only defect is that it does not show the signature of the party or the counsel. A similar question came for decision before this Court and it is held In Union of India v. Komai Chand [1966 MPLJ SN 150] as under :- "Where by mistake the counsel while sending notice under section 77 of the Railways Act sent the unsigned office copy to the General Manager and retained the signed notice in his own record, it was not a case of defective notice but a case of inadvertent mistake and such an inadvertent mistake did not effect the validity of the notice if all other particulars including the address were correct and the sender's address also was fully mentioned." Therefore, relying on this ruling I hold that the notice which is sent by the plaintiff and which is produced by the defendant marked as Ex. D-1 is a valid notice under section 12(1) (a) of the M.P. Accommodation Control Act. 7. D-1 is a valid notice under section 12(1) (a) of the M.P. Accommodation Control Act. 7. The idea behind giving notice is considered by the Supreme Court in B.R. Sinha v. Stare of M.P. [ AIR 1969 SC 1256 ] It lays down as under :- “Section 80 is no doubt imperative failure to serve notice complying with the requirements of the statute will entail dismissal of the suit. But the notice must be reasonably construed. Any unimportant error or defect cannot be permitted to be treated as an excuse for defecating a just claim. In considering whether the provisions of the statute are complied with, the Court must lake into account the following matters in each case (1) whether the name, description and residence of the plaintiff are given so as to enable the authorities to identify the person serving the notice; (2) whether the cause of action and the relief which the plaintiff claims are set out with sufficient particularity, (3) whether a notice in writing has been delivered to or left at the office of the appropriate authority mentioned in the section and (4) whether the Suit is instituted after the expiration of two months next after notice has been served, and the plaint contains as statement that such a notice has been so delivered or left. In construing the notice the Court cannot ignore the object of the legislature, viz to give to the Government or the public servant concerned an opportunity to reconsider its or his legal position. If on a reasonable reading of the notice the plaintiff is shown to have given tile information which the statute require him to give, any incidental defects or irregularities should be ignored" Therefore, as I have stated above, I hold that the notice is sufficient compliance under section 12(1) (a) of the M.P. Accommodation Control Act and the finding of the appellate Court that notice was had in law cannot be sustained and I reverse the same. 8. In this case, the substantial points which are framed as under : "(i) Whether in case where the original lease granted to the tenant has been determined by efflux of time and the tenant continues to remain in possession because of the protection granted by the Accommodation Control Act, is it necessary that the tenancy should be re determined by notice under section 106 CPC ? (ii) Whether in the circumstances of the case, the tenant can be said to be a tenant holding over under section 116 T.P. Act ?" As these two substanial point is are framed in this case I will have to consider the case with respect to these two points also. These point came before the Supreme Court in Sardari Lal Vishwa Nath v. Pritam Singh [ AIR 1978 SC 1518 ] It was held in that case that where on the expiry of the period reserved by the lease, the tenant continued in possession and except for the acceptance of rent after the lease was determined by efflux of time nothing was painted out to show that the lesser had otherwise assented to the lessee continuing in possession so as to infer the renewal of lease the lessee is indisputably a statutory tenant and cannot leek any assistance from the provisions contained in section 116. An action for rejectment against such tenant under section 13 of the E.P. Urban Rent Restriction Act cannot fail for want of notice under section 106. T.P. Act. It may be added here that in this case the rent-note therein a contract to the contrary. So also, after the period given in the rent note is over nothing has been shown by the defendant that the landlord assented his continuance as a lessee. Therefore, there is nothing to come to the conclusion that Section 116 of the Transfer of Property Act is applicable to the present case. In the rent-note, it is mentioned that no notice under Section 106 of the Transfer of Property Act is necessary. I hold that the plaintiff was not required to give any notice under Section 106 of the Transfer of Property Act terminating the tenancy of the defendant. 9. The result therefore is that the appeal is allowed, the judgment of the appellate Court is set aside, and that of the trial Court is restored. 10. One more point I will have to consider and that is that the tenant has denied that the plaintiff is landlord. In the file there is no order by the trial Court under section 13 of the M.P. Accommodation Control Act. 10. One more point I will have to consider and that is that the tenant has denied that the plaintiff is landlord. In the file there is no order by the trial Court under section 13 of the M.P. Accommodation Control Act. Therefore, in the natural course I would have given a direction to deposit the arrears of rent within a particular period to the tenant so that he may get protection under Section 13 of the M.P. Accommodation Control Act, of the so chooses. But the learned counsel appearing on behalf of respondent submitted that his client has already vacated the house and therefore there is not need of passing such an order. Looking to the circumstances of the case, as the plaintiff has already got possession of the house I do not feel that the defendant should be saddled with coats. Parties shall hear their own costs.